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The Three Great Epics- Three of the greatest literary works are Oedipus the King, Antigone and the Odyssey. Oedipus the King and Antigone, part of a three part series, was composed by Sophocles and performed on the stage during a three day festival. While Odyssey was story written down by Homer and was one of the first recorded epics that was and is still being read today. The following shall be a comparison between these three great epics in terms of their similarities and their differences. In comparing Oedipus the King, Antigone and Odyssey, there is a similarity between all three of them in terms of the main characters leadership in response to to situations. In Oedipus the King, the main character that displays leadership in response to a situation is Oedipus.
In this epic, Oedipus s leadership is greatly noted, especially in the beginning and into the middle. His leadership is greatly recognizable when he takes charge when the Chorus and the Priest ask for his help because of a plague in Thebes. As a result Oedipus says, In all my search, I have found helpful course, and that I have taken: I have sent Creon, Son of Menoikeus, brother of the Queen, to Delphi, Apollo s place of revelation, To learn there, if he can, What act or pledge of mine may save the city. (Sophocles pg 153) Once Creon gets back with the word from the Oracle, Oedipus springs into action when he says, I make this proclamation to all Thebans: If any man knows by whose hand Los, son of Labdakos, met his death, I direct that man to tell me everything, no matter what he fears for having so long withheld it. Let it stand as promised that no further trouble will come to him, but he may leave the land in safety.
Moreover: If anyone knows the murderer to be foreign, let him not keep silent: He shall have his reward from me. However, if he does conceal it; if any man fearing for his friend or for himself disobeys this edict, hear what I propose to do. I solemnly forbid the people of this country. Where power and throne are mine, ever to receive that man or speak to him, no matter who he is, or let him join in sacrifice, lustration, or in prayer. I decree that he be driven from every home, being, as he is, corruption itself to us: the Delphic Voice of Zeus has pronounced this revelation. (Sophocles pg 157 - 158) Based on all of these statements of Oedipus, it is therefore agreeable that Oedipus was a strong and a leader that took action. In the play Antigone, there is a character who responds to situations with leadership and this character is Creon who is King of Thebes.
After the battle between Polyneices of Argus and Eteocles of Thebes, Polyneices successfully defends Thebes but he got killed in the battle as well as his brother. Creon gives a full military honor funeral for Eteocles for defending the city but as for Polyneices, Creon says, Polyneices, I say, is to have no burial: no man is to touch him or say the least prayer for him; he shall lie on the plain, unburied; and the birds and the scavenging dogs can do with him whatever they like. This is my command, and you can see the wisdom behind it. As long as I am King, no traitor is going to be honored with the loyal man. But whoever shows by word and deed that he is on the side of the State, he shall have my respect while he is living and my reverence when he is dead. (Sophocles pg 534) Based on this, Creon shows excellent leadership under this situation because a war just finished and to make sure others will not do the same as Polyneices, that is commit treason, he gives this command so others would heed his warning and not to do what Polyneices has done.
His actions are justifiable since any good leader would do the same to prevent another similar war from occurring. In the epic Odyssey, one character responds to situations with leadership is Odyssey. When Odyssey and his men find an unknown island, Odyssey takes charge and says to his men, Old shipmates, friends, the rest of you stand by; I ll make the crossing in my own ship, with my own company, for they may be wild savages, and lawless, or hospitable and god fearing men. (Homer p 150) Another situation where Odyssey displays leadership is when he and his men are trapped in the Cyclops s cave and are at the mercy of the Cyclops. Instead of just sitting there and letting his men be eaten alive by this cruel beast, Odyssey hatches a plan. He chopped out a six foot section of this pole and set it down before his men, who scraped it; and when they had it smooth, Odyssey hewed it again to make a stake with a pointed end. (Homer p 154) Then Odyssey got the Cyclops drunk with wine so much that Cyclops collapsed from intoxication.
Then with the wooden stake he and his men bored that great eye socket while blood ran out around the red hot bar. Eyelid and lash were seared; the pierced ball hissing broiling, and the roots popped. (Homer p 156) This action of Odyssey shows that even under any situation, he will always guide his men to the correct course under his command. Based on these three great epics, they are all in similar because they characters of each epic have a great common point in terms of their leadership under situations. Though these three epics may have a similarity, these epics greatly differ in with one another in terms of the Greek Gods and Goddesses roles. In Oedipus the King the Gods and Goddesses play only a minor role, meaning that they themselves do not participate in the epic directly in terms of actions but participate based only in terms of them being only mentioned in the drama and them being mentioned of their great power and their decrees. Such indications in this epic are especially noted in the Chorus.
In one such example, the Chorus say, Divine Zeus and Apollo hold perfect intelligence alone of all tales ever told, and well though diviner works, he works in his own night. (Sophocles pg 164) Another example is when the Chorus says, What is god singing in his profound Delphic of gold and shadow? (Sophocles pg 156) Antigone also similar to Oedipus Rex in terms of the limited action of the gods and goddesses. Such indications in Antigone is when the Chorus says, What mortal arrogance transcends the wrath of zeus? Sleep cannot lill him, nor he is young forever, and his house is the shining day of high Olympus. (Sophocles pg 542) Just like in Oedipus Rex, this quotation in Antigone shows that the gods and goddesses do not directly affect the characters of the drama but rather they are just talked about. However in Odyssey, the gods and goddesses play a very active role. One such example is the conversation between the one of the gods named Hermes and Odyssey.
Hermes says to Odyssey, Why take the inland path alone, poor seafarer, by hill and dale upon this island all unknown? Your friends are locked in Kirke s pale; all are become like swine to see; and if you go set them free you go to stay, and never make sail for your home upon That. (Homer pg 173) Another incidence of the gods and goddesses active role in this drama is when Odyssey spoke to Athena, O Mentor, join me in this fight! Remember how all my life I ve been devoted to you, friend of my youth! (Homer pg 416) Based on this, Oedipus Rex and Antigone are similar because of the gods and goddess s limited role in terms of their action unlike Odyssey, which has a greater role for it s gods and goddesses. In conclusion the three great epics; Oedipus the King, Antigone and Odyssey are similar in terms of the characters taking leadership when the situation demanded it. Also these three epics differed in terms of the actions of the gods and goddesses and how they were presented in the epics. Perhaps the reason why these great epics have endured over thousands of years is perhaps because of their universal content.
Perhaps they have endured because they were just enjoyable stories to be told around a large gathering. Whatever the case, these stories provided a source of entertainment for a people that lived long before technology and for these stories to even make it in these times is surely must mean it is a great story Homer. Odyssey. Translator: Robert Fitzgerald.
New York: Vintage Classics 1990 2. Sophocles. Antigone. Translators: Robert Fitzgerald &# 038; Dudley Fitts. New York: Vintage Classics 1990 3. Sophocles.
Oedipus the King. Translators: Robert Fitzgerald &# 038; Dudley Fitts. New York: Vintage Classics 1990
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