Ajax

Family: Greeks · Role: lord · First appears: Troilus and Cressida · Act I, Scene II

Ajax is a Greek lord who, “yesterday,” struck down Hector in battle, leaving him fasting and awake from anger and shame. Though Hector is his elder kin and later calls him his father’s sister’s son, they stand as enemies. Ulysses proposes sending Ajax against Hector instead of Achilles, and Nestor approves the plan, while Ajax rivals Achilles in pride and keeps his tent like him.

In the quarrel at Troy, Ajax is the voluntary participant while Thersites is under impress, and Ajax strikes him, crying, “You cur!” He also speaks of Ulysses and Nestor as the commanders who yoke him and Achilles to the war; later, Nestor accepts Ajax as a son when Ajax asks whether he may call him father. As the Greek commanders prepare to stand fast at Troy, Ajax remains among their forces.

Near the end of the fighting, Ajax serves Troilus as a guard and stays to conduct him home, but soon calls him a coward and stands as his enemy. Ajax then refuses to arm, disrupting the Greek military policy, before arming and attacking while roaring for Troilus; in the same battle, he captures Aeneas.