Comparative Essay Example: Sappho and Sophocles

In the Greek world, mythology creates and is created by an evolving culture. Mythological variations are common and accepted, and don’t pertain to a main canon, because thematically, the myths remain the same; the same can be said for any ancient Greek poetry or prose. This is largely attributed to the role of the gods in each of these myths and stories. Sappho and Sophocles, two Greek writers, explicitly insert the gods into their writing, but the extent of their presence differs immensely. While the gods’ relationships to mortals in Sappho’s works seem to oppose Sophocles’s directly, both depictions are openly accepted in the Greek world because fundamentally, the immortal-mortal hierarchy is maintained.

In one Sappho poem, the speaker asks the goddess Aphrodite to “Leave Crete and come to us” (Sappho, line 2). Somewhat surprisingly, she does. In Sappho’s poems, this is a common occurrence, but for most Greek myths, one does not simply pray to the gods and wait for them to arrive on a whim’s notice. At first, this could appear as hubris to think a god would immediately leave Olympus to listen to a mortal’s request, but Sappho doesn’t see it that way. In fact, Aphrodite has an established relationship with Sappho, who prays to her often either through her love poems or in a more literal sense. Additionally, Sappho understands her role in their relationship. In the same poem Sappho waits at an altar, and can even be described as “quivering” in anticipation of the goddess’s arrival. At the end, she declares a toast, “Queen! Cyprian!/Fill our gold cups with love/stirred into clear nectar” (Sappho, lines 14-16). Sappho often calls upon Aphrodite in a manner that strives from hubris as much as possible. She honors her in every way she can, and prays to Aphrodite of all the Olympians because she recognizes the immense power of love. In another poem it says, “I beg you/do not break me, Lady,/with the pain of misled love,/But come to me, (Sappho, lines 1-4). Sappho fully respects Aphrodite and her power, and later she appears to Sappho physically not because she feels compelled to answer her prayers, but because she wants to. This physical appearance is meant to show Sappho’s own views on the role of the gods: she believes they are directly involved in her life in a personal way.

Contrary to Sappho, the gods in the works of Sophocles aren’t seen quite as benevolent, nor are they as present. In Antigone, the title character is sentenced to death before hanging herself after defending her brother’s burial rites. In Oedipus Rex, he is self-blinded and self-exiled as he unravels a prophecy he was unaware he was destined to fulfill. The gods choose not to intervene in Antigone’s fate, consequently causing her death, but choose to directly intervene in Oedipus’s, bestowing him a mostly undeserved prophecy, courtesy of Apollo. It’s difficult to be sure why these heroes meet the ends they do. With Oedipus, his fate came innately with his birth, and nothing could change that. Maybe it’s because he sought out his prophecy, because of his denial of Apollo’s prophets, or because of the sins of his father that he is exiled and blinded. With Antigone, she may also be paying for the sins of her father, once again representing the commonly occurring Greek theme of generational guilt. Perhaps both of these heroes have done nothing wrong, and symbolize something greater as an innocent sacrifice. Whether these character’s fates are caused by their own action or their families’, or simply because a tragic hero requires a tragic end, doesn’t change or even justify the gods’ decisions, but that doesn’t matter. For Oedipus, simply following the will of the gods can end the plague causing crop failure, stillbirths, and death. This creates a moral dilemma for him as he comes closer to unraveling his truth. At one point, Oedipus curses himself and Apollo for his prophecy, but still recognizes his ineludible fate as something above him. Antigone also laments her fate, feeling that the gods have given up on her as she approaches her execution. In both of these works of Sophocles the title characters express their feelings of abandonment and grief towards the gods as their fate grows closer, but never are there feelings of uncertainty. They feel slighted by the gods, but never do they question their power or existence because of these feelings. The gods do what the gods want, and their decisions do not change their towering omnipotence. It is through this that Sophocles reveals his own view on the gods: they are imminent in all mortal’s lives because of their complete grasp of fate, but their inability to sympathize with mortals’ inherent impermanence is illustrated through their indifference.

In most religions, having two completely different depictions of divinity, and having both of them be accepted, is unheard of. However, for the Greeks, it’s not about what’s believed about the gods, but instead what’s done on their behalf, how they’re honored. Sappho chooses to honor the gods through a personal relationship, in which the gods make a physical appearance. Conversely, Sophocles presents the gods as more standoffish. In the former, Aphrodite is shown as benevolent and accommodating, which contradicts the latter’s cruel gods in Oedipus Rex and the indifferent gods in Antigone. All of these are perfectly valid representations of the gods, because ultimately, it doesn’t matter if the gods decide to be compassionate or inflict their wrath on mortals, and Sophocles and Sappho understand this. Regardless of the actions of the gods, their status is maintained by the mortal characters, who not only reinforce their paramountcy through a natural juxtaposition, but also through their dutifulness. Sappho calls out to Aphrodite like she’s a close friend, but upholds her status of divine through offerings, toasts, and altars. In Oedipus Rex, the will of the gods is followed as Oedipus is exiled. Creon even says, “God will decide, not I” (Sophocles, 84). There is an extremely fine line drawn between god and man in the works of both writers, despite the degree to which their roles vary. This variance could indicate personal differences in beliefs, a reflection of the moral universe it was written in, indicating a slightly different culture in Greece, or it could be a story-driven decision; it could be none of the above or all of the above, none of which would change the validity of their rhetorical execution in any way. If the absolute authority of the gods is fully emphasized, it doesn’t matter what they’re portrayed as doing.

Principally, the role of the gods affects the life and death of a mortal, which is reflected by many writers. In the works of Sophocles, the tragic heroes seem to be redeemed not through their heroism, but through their punishment and sometimes death. Even Sappho, in legend, met her death as she flung herself from a cliff after following the words of Aphrodite. The gods may actively surround themselves in the lives of mortals, as seen through Sappho and Homer, or they may be aloof, yet vengeful, as seen through Sophocles and Aeschylus. The gods, whether viewed as divine beings who take human forms, or boundless, nebulous constructs, are still gods. They are divine beings with unfathomable power that lack humanity’s greatest flaw of mortality. Despite Sappho’s and Sophocles’ contradicting views, they agree on the limitlessness of the gods and their near-full control of human life. To reiterate, what matters is not what is believed about the gods, but what is done out of respect for them.