Tragic Workings in Sophocles’ Ajax: The Institution of the Warrior

Sophocles’ Ajax has been subject to intense scholarly debate. While widely admired, the tragedy has frustrated critics who have found its composition and character portrayal problematic. It is argued that this may be due to the limitations of the methods current in the “Humanities' Paradigm”. Instead, an approach based on the “Anthropological Paradigm” is proposed, viewing the drama within its social context of a communal celebration. The properties of these social events may give us a clue to understanding the nature of the genre. Instead of judging the protagonists as individuals, we should notice their status as a symbol, conveying an institutional value in society. Relying on Aristotle’s definition of tragedy, and his emphasis on the tragic reactions of “shock and horror” roused in the ancient audience, we may identify the “tragic workings” as the violation of a socially unquestionable value, in our drama the violation of the “Warrior institution”, which may give a more satisfying answer to the problems identified in Sophocles’ Ajax.