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How does Odysseus respond to the proposed denial of Ajaxâs burial?
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Sophocles
Marble portrait bust said to be of Sophocles.
In Sophoclesâ play Ajax, the Greek commanders Agamemnon and Menelaus initially order that the body of Ajax be left unburied as punishment for his attempted assassination of them and Odysseus.1
Odysseus, however, opposes this denial of burial. Demonstrating a profound understanding of the fragility and changeability of human fortune, he intervenes and successfully persuades the commanders to relent, ultimately ensuring that Ajax receives an honorable burial.1