Date of Project

4-6-2026

Document Type

Honors Thesis

School Name

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Art

Major Advisor

Dr. Evanthia Speliotis

Second Advisor

Dr. Robert Luginbill

Abstract

In two of his plays, the Ajax and Philoctetes, the tragedian Sophocles uses and alters Homer’s Odysseus to augment the moral message he is trying to instill in his audience. His use of Odysseus changes between these two plays as his moral outlook shifts in the face of changing Athenian fortunes. As the focus of his praise moved away from guiles and sophia to focus more on the “noble ideal,” the ubiquity of Homer’s version of Odysseus meant that Odysseus’ character had to be actively altered when Sophocles wished to encourage the Athenians to follow the noble ideal instead of wiliness.

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