Time is the flow of events in an irreversible sequence. It is an essential component to every piece of literature. Without time, the plot would cease to flow logically and comprehensibly. Time is especially important in Homer's The Odyssey and Sophocles' Oedipus the King. In story telling and drama, time can be controlled. Homer and Sophocles use the sequence and timing of events to build up dramatic effect. They have similarities and differences in their approaches to the antecedent detail, the organization and pace of events, and the characterization.
The antecedent detail for both plots contributes to suspense, tension, and intensity in the climax. The antecedent events are similarly arranged in Homer and Sophocles. The brief statements at the beginning of each piece serves to inform the audience approximately where in the timeline the story starts. A certain amount of information was needed beforehand is needed to fully experience the literature, and it was usually common knowledge for the audience the writers intended the stories for.
This image was first published in the 1 st (1876&n...
Odysseus and Nausicaä by Charles Gleyre (19th cen...
Oedipus At ColonusThe story of the Trojan War helps the audience comprehend the extent of Odysseus' heroic character. This makes the audience view Odysseus as a character deserving of domestic happiness. For Sophocles' piece, knowledge is required to understand the irony underneath the play. Anticipation builds up as the moment of truth draws near. The expositions did not narrate antecedent events in depth. They were later related for the purpose of illustrating a character's inner qualities.
Homer and Sophocles both dealt with the restrictions on the length of their works by manipulating time. The stories could not be so long as to lose the audience's interests or diminish the dramatic effect, yet so much information was needed for the story to be a success. To condense the two texts to a reasonable length...