Sophocles Once Said, “I Would Prefer Even To Fail With

Sophocles once said, â€Å"I would prefer even to fail with honor than to win by cheating.†. One of Sophocles final pieces he composed was Philoctetes, which emphasized how crucial it is to be considered noble or good among Athenians. If this perception is granted, a male can then be deemed worthy of the title, â€Å"gentleman†. The vital concept of what is viewed as honorable and moral during this time, contains a high correlation with justice and determining what exactly is believed to be right or wrong. From Plato’s point of view, each person should strive to accomplish the highest level that is founded within their soul. Throughout the story of Philoctetes, Neoptolemus practices soul-searching at its upmost intensity, while maintaining his†¦show more content†¦Since Odysseus has already achieved victory and honor, he lives vicariously through Neoptolemus. Due to Neoptolemus’ willingness to carry out his ruler’s unnecessary orders, he continues to sink down further in the rankings. Moreover, it is noteworthy to consider Neoptolemus’ individual soul and analyze the actions and decisions he carries out. At one point in the story, Odysseus orders Neoptolemus to tell a lie and fool Philoctetes into handing over his bow. Due to the tricky nature of Odysseus’ tongue, Neoptolemus falls into a trap, which then forces him to make a decision whether to betray his friend and help Odysseus to conquer Troy, or to let Odysseus down and keep his friendsh ip with Philoctetes. Since Achilles was a respectful person, primarily known for his honor and victory at war, Neoptolemus is determined to follow in his father’s footsteps and keep a positive image of his family. Although the orders have been given to Neoptolemus, he has the decision to do as he is told, or do just as his father would have done. Neoptolemus realizes that it is important for the city that the just decision is made, even though the bow is an essential item that is needed to defeat and conquer the city of Troy. In this moment, Neoptolemus goes against Odysseus and does not fall for the trick that was presented to him; and because of this decision, Neoptolemus’ soul descends even lower,Show MoreRelatedtheme of alienation n no where man by kamala markandeya23279 Words   |  94 PagesThe play is set in Thebes, a powerful city-state north of Athens. Although the play itself was written in 441 B.C., the legend goes back to the foundations of Hellenic cultu re, many centuries before Sophocles’ time. All the scenes take place in front of the royal palace at Thebes. Thus Sophocles conforms to the principle of the unity of place. The events unfold in little more than twenty four hours. The play begins on the night when Antigone attempts to bury her brother for the first time. HerRead MoreThe Function of Criticism at the Present Time12631 Words   |  51 PagesTHE PRESENT TIME.........................................................................1 Matthew Arnold.............................................................................................................................................1 i THE FUNCTION OF CRITICISM AT THE PRESENT TIME Matthew Arnold This page copyright  © 2001 Blackmask Online. http://www.blackmask.com Our antagonist is our helper. This amicable conflict with difficulty obliges us to an intimate acquaintance with ourRead MoreExistentialism vs Essentialism23287 Words   |  94 PagesAristotle distinguished between an object’s essence and its existence. Its essence is â€Å"what a thing is.† Its essence is â€Å"that a thing is.† An object’s essence is the collection of all the universals that it possesses, which if it did not possess them, it would cease to be. There are other sorts of properties that an object possesses but that do not make the object what it is. Furthermore, essentialism holds that natural things do have essences. * In the existentialist view, the problem of being mustRead MoreDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 Pagesindex. ISBN 978-0-13-612100-8 1. Management—-Study and teaching. 2. Management—Problems, exercises, etc. Kim S. II. Title. HD30.4.W46 2011 658.40071 173—dc22 I. Cameron, 2009040522 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 ISBN 10: 0-13-612100-4 ISBN 13: 978-0-13-612100-8 B R I E F TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Preface xvii Introduction 1 PART I 1 2 3 PERSONAL SKILLS 44 Developing Self-Awareness 45 Managing Personal Stress 105 Solving Problems Analytically and Creatively 167 PART II 4