The play Ajax by Sophocles was written to demonstrate how greed is strictly immoral and can lead to tragic consequences. Sophocles uses the theme of spiritual intervention to emphasis this point. In the play, Ajax learns the true meaning of greed.
The Author depicts Ajax as a greedy warrior who salvages from the dead. Achilles dies in battle and leaves his divine armor to the worthiest of his survivor. A council of generals was chosen to vote upon who would receive such an honored gift. Ajax was sure he was a shoo-in to receive this divine piece that Hephaestus himself forged, but it was given to his foe Odysseus. His greed for the armor propels a desire to kill the council of Generals. In an attempt to save the council, Sophocles uses divine intervention. Athena darkene
d Ajax's senses and he mistook the army's livestock as his victims. As he comes around he realizes he has slaughtered all the animals and the army had little left to survive on. His greed not only ruined his own reputation but endangered the lives of his fellow soldiers. Everyone blames him for the incident, which drives him to suicide. This clearly shows how greed can lead to misfortune. In this one attempt, he has brought down the army, shattered his !
. Odysseus who was Ajax's enemy became a fair and just individual after his death. Greed can haunt you bad while your alive but who knows what it can do while you're dead.
It is apparent that Sophocles used greed to motivate Ajax when he wrote this play. As he was alive, greed urged his desire to kill the generals but
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