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Context and Poetic Devices Essays

Longer essays giving context to the story and analyzations of the use of poetic devices within this segment of the story

The story of Ajax and Ulysses begins with line 1 of the 13th book of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The story opens during the Trojan War, a war between Greece and Troy in the 13th century BCE, just after the death of the Greek hero Achilles. Achilles, a greek war hero, while wearing his divine armor, had just been killed by Paris at the end of the 12th book. This end flows directly in the story of Ajax and Ulysses, since the story’s conflict is based around Achilles’ armor, specifically who should now wear it. Both Ajax and Ulysses greatly want the armor because it was a gift from the god Hephaestus, the god of fire and metalworking. The divine armor, given to Achilles to help him defeat Hector, his greatest enemy, would now go to the one of the two heros. Both fought together to reclaim the body of Achilles from Troy therefore both believed to have a certain entitlement to it. After a small brawl between them, that would quickly be broken up, it was decided that whoever convinced a council of judges that they were more worthy would receive the armor. Ajax the Great, the fearless and impossibly strong Greek hero, claims he is more worthy because of all of the great deeds he has done during the course of the war and is one of the best warriors in the army. Additionally, he attempts to convince the assembly that Ulysses is unworthy of the prize because he is a trickster and coward, and a clearly less dignified soldier. After Ajax finishes speaking, Ulysses, a cunning and eloquent hero, tries to convince the council otherwise. His specific words and tactics that he used to win the debate and the direct subsequent metamorphosis can be found in the segment of text I chose from this story. Ulysses, after winning the debate and claiming the armor, continues onward, and eventually sacks the city of Troy with the Trojan Horse. The story of Ajax and Ulysses helps give realism to the method he used to sack Troy, since it would take a genius to think of that plan and one can tell he is a genius from his speech in the story.

Context Essay:

       The story of Ajax and Ulysses begins with line 1 of the 13th book of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Being in the 13th book, which is rather late, this story is more realistic than most stories from the earlier books. The story opens during the Trojan War, a war between Greece and Troy in the 13th century BCE, just after the death of the Greek hero Achilles. Achilles, a Greek war hero, while wearing his divine armor, had just been killed by Paris at the end of the 12th book, in the previous story. The end of that story flows directly in the setting of Ajax and Ulysses, since the conflict between them is based on who has a better claim to Achilles’ armor. Both Ajax and Ulysses greatly want the armor because it was a gift from the god Hephaestus, the god of fire and metalworking. The divine armor, given to Achilles to help him defeat Hector, his greatest enemy, would now go to the one of the two heros. Both fought together to reclaim the body of Achilles from Troy; therefore, both men believed to have a certain entitlement to it. After a small brawl between them, that would quickly be broken up, it was decided that whoever convinced a council of judges that they were more worthy would receive the armor. Ajax the Great, the fearless and impossibly strong Greek hero, claims he is more worthy because of all of the great deeds he has done during the course of the war and is arguably the best warrior. Additionally, he attempts to convince the assembly that Ulysses is unworthy of the prize because he is a trickster and coward, as well as being a clearly less dignified soldier. After Ajax finishes speaking, Ulysses, another Greek hero, yet more cunning and eloquent than Ajax, begins his speech to convince the council otherwise. His specific words and tactics that he used to win the debate and the direct subsequent metamorphosis can be found in the segment of text I chose from this story. Ulysses, after winning the debate and claiming the armor, continues onward, and eventually sacks the city of Troy with the Trojan Horse. The story of Ajax and Ulysses gives realism to the method he used to sack Troy, since it would take a genius to think of that plan and one can tell he is a genius from his speech in the story.

       Ovid changed this story slightly from the original myth. In the myth, Ajax, after losing, was driven insane, either by Athena or because of losing based on the version of the story. He then attacked a flock of sheep, and after coming to his senses, he was overwhelmed by shame and killed himself. While this may seem like an important detail to be left in, Ovid decided to leave it out, making Ajax seem more disciplined and unable to lose.

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Blackfigure Pottery Francois Vase Attic Volute Krater Signed By The Potter Ergotimos And The Painter Kleitias

Ajax carrying the body of Achilles back to safety

Literary Analysis Essay:

       Ovid, in every one of his poems from his collection of 15 books called Metamorphoses used a great number of poetic devices. These poetic devices, which can be found commonly, are used to both enhance the meaning of the poem and to make it more interesting. In the telling of the story of Ajax and Ulysses, Ovid. Three of the many poetic devices enhance the meaning greatly and further the artistic devices within certain segments of the poem

       The first poetic device used in the section of Latin I chose is enjambment. Enjambment is a poetic device in which one word from a sentence is strategically placed on the next line. This word is usually followed by an “et” or punctuation to show its disconnect from the rest of the line that it does not belong to. Ovid will often enjamb words that are crucial to telling the story for dramatic effect or to build suspense in the story. The example of enjambment within this section that I would like to focus on is on line 362, and the enjambed word is “Å«tilis”. The reason for enjambing this word is to show its importance, and in this case, to give a summary of Ajax’s argument. While Ajax and Ulysses are debating, Ajax claims that he should receive the army because of his great soldiering. In Ulysses’ mind, Ajax’s argument basically boils down to one claim: he is useful. That is why, when Ulysses references Ajax, Ovid enjambs the word useful: to give the reader a quick summary of Ajax’s argument from Ulysses’ perspective. Furthermore, since this is a debate, the reader can now expect the next words from Ulysses to explain why being useful is not good enough to win.

       The second device Ovid used, which is within the meter, enhances the meaning of the Latin and gives Ulysses’ crushing argument a bigger impact. This device is the use of midline caesuras; specifically, the ten midline caesuras in a row from line 361 to line 370. The midline caesuras, stops within the line marked by punctuation, show the clear distinction between Ulysses and Ajax that Ovid is trying to establish. In these lines, Ulysses is explaining to the judges why he is better than Ajax, and the split in each line enhances how they are separate, one being better than the other, and helps the reader see and hear the difference between them, which is the basis of Ulysses’ argument. For example, the line “tÅ« vÄ«rÄ“s sine mente geris, mihi cÅ«ra futÅ«rÄ«”, which means “you carry strength without mind, for me is the care for the future”, is split in two, the first half being about Ajax, and the second about Ulysses, like most lines in this speech. This sentence’s meaning is already about Ulysses being better and Ajax being worse, again, like most lines; however, the caesura enhances that meaning because it provides a clear separation between the two of them, as if it were establishing as bigger gap in overall worthiness between them. The method of using the caesuras in this way is used in almost every line if Ulysses’ speech from this section, and the caesuras further the meaning because they add to what Ulysses says: that Ajax is stupid, and he is very smart.

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