Sophocles allegedly said that he portrayed his characters as they ought to be, Euripides as they are. To what extent would you agree with this statement?

The characters in Sophocles’ tragedies are very different to those in Euripides’ for a number of reasons; Sophocles tends to give his characters more heroic features, whereas Euripides is more concerned with portraying the human weaknesses of his characters. Indeed, Sophocles’ Oedipus is considered Aristotle to be the archetypal tragic hero, suggesting the heroic qualities of the character. Euripides’ characters tend to be more flawed, such as Medea with her jealous nature, and Hippolytus, who displays the impious arrogance of youth.

The striking realism of Euripides’s Electra has been discussed by many commentators over the years, adding to the argument that Euripides portrayed his characters as they are. Throughout Electra we are presented with the horrific concept of matricide, combined with a disturbingly realistic group of characters. The cowardice of Orestes, displayed, for example, in the way in which he killed Aegisthus: ‘Orestes...struck him on the joint of the neck’ and the self-pitying obstinacy of Electra: ‘My misery is unbearable’ are far more realistic characters than an audience would usually expect to be portrayed on stage, not only bringing the action of the play closer to the audience, but also making the crime of matricide even more harrowing, as it becomes a far more realistic idea. Throughout the play, there are many attempts to achieve greater realism, for instance the play takes place outside a peasant’s shack, rather than the typical palace of Greek theatre. Another example of heightened realism is apparent in the recognition scene. This scene is featured in several plays on the subject by various playwrights, including Aeschylus’ Libation Bearers, and included the same three signs of recognition; the footprint, the lock of hair, and the cloth woven by Electra herself. However, in Euripides’ production, these signs are dismissed as unrealistic; ‘Footprints? How could there be footprints on rocky ground?’. This fantasy element, reminiscent of the recognition of Odysseus by his nurse in Homer’s epic, would seem incongruous with the heightened realism of Euripides’ play, and so was omitted by the author. The characters in this play are also very realistic, reflecting Euripides’ intent to portray characters ‘as they are’.

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The character of Electra in Euripides’ play is self-absorbed, selfish, and consumed with a lust for revenge, which dictates much of the action of the play. By allowing his protagonist to be so essentially flawed, Euripides is displaying his both his rejection of the traditional interpretations of Greek Tragedies, and showing the realism that became such a great feature of his plays. Electra is not a perfect character, and is portrayed as she is, rather than as she ought to be. Some critics have compared Electra to Sophocles’ Antigone, who is also a female protagonist determined to correct the wrongs done to members of her family, in this case her brother, Polynices. Antigone, in contrast to Electra, is more concerned with the honour of her dead brother, then in gaining vengeance for his death. She acts in accordance to what she deems to be the will of the gods, and essentially undertakes a huge sacrifice in order to honour her brother. Electra, although sharing many of the similar features of Antigone, acts for more selfish reasons, and commits a far more serious crime in avenging the death of her father. Antigone, despite her predisposition for martyrdom, is essentially a character acting through her own sense of honour: ‘Death longs for the same rites for all’, whereas Electra acts out of pure, malevolent vengeance. It is differences such as these in two very similar characters that reinforce the statement that Euripides portrayed characters as they were, Sophocles as they ought to be, for although both of their characters were flawed and committed crimes, the motives of Sophocles’ characters tended to be more honourable, and appeared to be more concerned with the will of the Gods rather than personal gain or vengeance. These essential differences may seem to be very small, but our perceptions of the characters are easily manipulated by our assumptions of their motives, and Sophocles manages to instil honour into even the most base aspects of his characters, for instance Antigone’s wilful acts of treason, and Oedipus’ conceit and inclination to jump to conclusions.

The character of Oedipus, who is considered by many to be the epitome of the tragic hero, is characteristic of Sophocles’ intentions to portray his characters ‘as they ought to be’. The character shows the typical elements of a Greek tragic hero; he is a good man that comes to a bad end due to a ‘Hamartia’. However, this interpretation is simplistic, and both Sophocles and his characters require a far more detailed analysis than is offered by this typical bastardisation of Aristotle. The character of Oedipus is honourable, and at the end of the play the audience is able to pity him for his misfortune and recognise his heroism in placing the city first in his priorities. The broken man that we witness at the end of the play is almost unrecognisable in comparison to the strong and confident leader that opened the play by addressing the city: ‘the world knows my fame’. Through the complete humbling of such a proud man, Sophocles shows us a man who, despite the adversity he is facing, is able to understand his duties as the once ruler of the city, and although he is worthy of the pity of the audience, he is still able to command their admiration as one who has recognised the fact that he must leave in order to protect his citizens, and despite his personal anguish, is still able to adhere to his earlier promises to both the citizens of Thebes and the Gods. It is in Oedipus’ downfall that he becomes a true hero, casting aside his personnel trauma in order to bring in to affect his decrees for Thebes. Euripides’ character of Hippolytus, in contrast to this, is not a heroic character, and displays none of the laudable qualities of Oedipus. Hippolytus remains obnoxious, rude and impious throughout the play, insulting Aphrodite, referring to her as ‘a goddess worshipped at night’, with all of the flaws one would expect from a gifted yet arrogant youth. Even in his death, Hippolytus is unable to recognise his own flaws, and goes to his death with all of the qualities that marred his character throughout his life, lamenting in his last speech that he was ‘guilty of no wrong’ and that his life ‘was holy’. Euripides displays here a flawed character that does not recognise his own faults, and therefore diminishing his status as an heroic character, clearly portraying Hippolytus as he is, rather then as he should be. Sophocles, on the other hand, in his portrayal of Oedipus, shows us a character who, although flawed, is heroic enough to realise this, and truly regrets his mistakes and ill-fortune at the end of the play, showing an heroic man portrayed as he should be.

Throughout his plays, Sophocles portrayed his characters as they should be; heroic, honourable and pious, and even the flaws of these characters do not detract from the fact that they are true tragic heroes, as their motives remain honourable. In contrast to this, Euripides presented his characters in a far more realistic light, although this increased sense of realism does not necessarily detract from the dramatic quality of his plays. The continued fascination with both of these tragedians is for very different qualities, and while Euripides provides more realistic characters, with less impressive motives, more comprehendible aims, and moral standards that the audience are able to understand, Sophocles’ characters seem to belong to a higher caste, with far more heroic natures. It is through contrasts such as these that heighten both our understanding and appreciation of Greek Tragedy, and the two playwrights, so precisely summed up in the words of Sophocles, are instrumental to the classical world and its arts.

Louise Phillips U6 EYS

Sophocles allegedly said that he portrayed his characters as they ought to be, Euripides as they are. To what extent would you agree with this statement? (1999)