analytical essay on the odyssey

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The Odyssey

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A+ Student Essay: Homer's Portrayal of the Magical and Fantastical

In Books 9 through 12, Odysseus relates a series of thrilling and colorful adventures. As in a successful horror movie, the spine-tingling elements and vivid characters are effective not simply on their own terms, but because of their careful deployment at just the right moment in the narrative. Two key narrative choices are made in these books of The Odyssey : Homer hands the storytelling reins over to Odysseus, and Odysseus decides to create a suspenseful tale rather than a straightforward one. It is these narrative decisions that make the so-called special effects in this section so convincing.

By allowing Odysseus to tell these stories in the first-person, rather than narrating them in the third person, Homer draws the reader in and creates a sense of immediacy. He puts us on the scene, giving us the sensation that we are sitting among Odysseus’s audience. Instead of regarding the story at arm’s length, as we might when reading a third-person narration, we identify with Odysseus’s listeners. Like them, we find ourselves leaning forward to hear what will happen next. In addition to luring the audience further into the story, the choice to narrate these books in Odysseus’s voice lends urgency and proximity to the events described. Because the character Odysseus actually experienced the adventures he describes, his account of them is more compelling and convincing than a narrator’s account would be. When he describes the “sweet transports” he enjoys in Circe’s bed, or the “brains and mingled gore” covering the ground of Cyclops’s cave, the details—the special effects—are especially vivid because the speaker is not a faceless author but a participant describing what he saw with his own eyes.

In addition to his presence as first-person narrator, it is Odysseus’s incredible facility for constructing gripping narratives that makes the individual elements in his stories spring to life. He has a variety of tactics for creating suspense, one of the most effective of which involves forcing the audience to wait for key information. Instead of giving the headlines first and then filling in the story, as one would when writing a summary of Odysseus’s adventures, he sets the scene, hints that something big is going to happen, and then, after prolonging the anticipation, describes the main event. For example, he takes his time setting the scene on Aeaea, describing Circe’s lineage, the terrain of the island, and what the men found there to eat. At last, he shares the really fascinating information, the things that his audience actually wants to hear about: what happened when the men were turned into dogs and what it was like being Circe’s lover. Odysseus also has a knack for intentionally inspiring unease in his audience. Like a movie director who knows that the sudden appearance of a murderer will be even more terrifying if it is preceded by two minutes of silence, Odysseus understands the value of setting an eerily perfect scene that signals the approach of a disaster. Before he and his men go to Cyclops’s cave, for instance, he spends a great deal of time detailing the restful night they passed on the ship, the “pleasing ground” they saw upon awakening, and the “nine fat goats” they killed for food. The idyllic quality of the scene is unsettling, giving us a pleasant thrill of fear in anticipation of what will happen next.

Books 9 through 12 of The Odyssey are filled with first-rate special effects: blood and bones, cruel giants, daring escapes, sexually ravenous sorceresses, and more. But carelessly deployed, these same effects could make up the ingredients of a tawdry melodrama. It is the skill with which they are embedded in the narrative that makes them spring off the page in such a compelling fashion.

The Odyssey SparkNotes Literature Guide

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Essay about Literary Analysis of "The Odyssey"

What is polyphemos hospitality in the odyssey.

When Polyphemos encounters Odysseus he states “Strangers…who are you? And where from?What brings you here by sea ways-a fair traffic??(Book 9, lines 274-275). Polyphemos was getting the strange men that appeared in his cave and Odysseus replied with you should great us with Gift and show your hospitality. Odysseus received gift and feast from previous encounter and believes everyone should treat him as royalty. Yet, he is coming to Polyphemos demanding he should be giving courtesy. Outrage Polyphemos ate two of Odysseus men. In Polyphemos view he believes the visitor should be giving him the hospitality due to them trespassing his home thus, consuming two men. Odysseus viewed Polyphemos as being barbaric and a

Comparing Homer's Odyssey and Everyday Life Essay

The Odyssey is filled with emotion and adventure. Homer’s ability to show and give the reader a visual of each and every scene gives the story its unbelievable significance. To all the people who read his work there is something to be captured within every sentence, each one different in its own, unique way. Through tales of courage and defeat, friendship and love this book tells of all the values within the life of a single, solitary man, and his journey to attain what is true and dear to him. And this journey is known to all of us as The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a test of human devotion and trust through the gods, the mortals, and the obstacles through which they venture. No matter where they go or what they do, humans are tested for

Hospitality in The Odyssey Essay

Odysseus invited himself to an open feast of the king and elders in Phaeacia where he begged Arete for mercy. Odysseus was observed by the feasters lying at Arete's feet begging for rapid voyage home along with praying that the God's give good fortune to the feasters. Echeneus, the eldest Lord in Phaeacia responded by stating,

Xenia in the Odyssey Essay

The concept of guest hospitality is extremely important in ancient Greece. Hospitality, or Xenia, is so essential in Greek society that Zeus, in addition to being the king of the Gods, is also the God of travelers (Wikipedia). This created an obligation for the host to be hospitable to their guests, and conversely, the guests had their own responsibilities as well. If either the host or the guest was to break any rule set by Xenia, there would be severe penalties dealt by Zeus and also by society (Wikipedia). In The Odyssey, Xenia is a theme which is shown repeatedly throughout the book: Nestor and Menelaos take in Telemakhos warmly as a guest and Eumaios plays an excellent host to Odysseus, while Odysseus is disguised as a wandering

The Significance of the Host/Guest Relationship in The Odyssey

8 Works Cited

The Odyssey is an epic poem attributed to the now-famous Greek poet, Homer, written approximately in the early sixth century B.C.E. The poem shares the tale of the wily adventuring solider, Odysseus', return from the Trojan war to his wife and home in Ithaca. The poem details his misadventures, the efforts of his son, Telemachus, to find him, and revenge on his wife's suitors. While many themes run through this poem, the most prevalent is that of hospitality. The Host-Guest relationship is significant in the Odyssey as it acts as one of the main thematic devices used by Homer and examples of good hospitality versus bad hospitality and their results serve as the main plot elements throughout the tale.

Xenia in the Odyssey

One of the most important themes in The Odyssey is the concept of xenia, which is the old Greek word for hospitality. In modern times, hospitality is something we rarely think of, and the first thing that comes to mind is the hotel industry, but in ancient Greece, xenia was not about hotels, or just about etiquette, it was a way of life with many benefits in a world that was still mostly savage. Xenia was more than just being polite to strangers. It was a set of rules and customs that defined the guest-host relationship between two individuals, two groups of people, or an individual and a group. Some basic rules of this relationship were that the guest could not insult the

The Odyssey And Its Themes Essay

Homer's great literary classic, The Odyssey, represents and illustrates many emotional and mental values. All of these values can be classified under three different main themes that are constant throughout the epic tale. These themes are: A boy's struggle to be a man, a king's struggle to reclaim his kingdom, and a man's struggle to return home. As one reads this book it will become more and more evident to them that a man's struggle to get home is the most important theme throughout Homer's adventure.

The Good And Bad Of Odysseus Essay

Homer values the characteristic of hospitality because the characters who do not demonstrate this characteristic typically suffer fatal or near-fatal injuries. In the Odyssey, Penelope (Odysseus’ wife) was hosting an event to make one of the suitors (potential marriage partners) her new husband because she had given up hope that Odysseus would not return home. The men who were at her house would just eat and drink, and showed no hospitality (21.70-78). In the Odyssey, Odysseus had attended this event disguised, and became aware of Penelope’s discourteous guests. Odysseus then goes on a “rampage” and slaughters all of the guests except for a few men who Telemachus (Odysseus’ son) swore their loyalty (22.16-529). Additionally, in chapter 21, Antinoös was the first to be killed because of his abrupt and rude manners, and distinctly

Quotes For The Odysseus

Explanation: This is great example that people valued hospitality greatly because Odysseus was disguised at the beggar which is considered the low end of society, Eumaues still offered him shelter and food and did what he could to care for the beggar. Furthermore Eumaues told Odysseus what was going on with the kingdom while he was gone. Not only that but Eumaues helped him enter the halls as a beggar.

The Odyssey and Its Themes

Homer’s great literary classic, The Odyssey, represents and illustrates many emotional and mental values. All of these values can be classified under three different main themes that are constant throughout the epic tale. These themes are: A boy’s struggle to be a man, a king’s struggle to reclaim his kingdom, and a man’s struggle to return home. As one reads this book it will become more and more evident to them that a man’s struggle to get home is the most important theme throughout Homer’s adventure.

Hospitality In The Odyssey Essay

Hospitality shaped Greek life. This unspoken code, highly valued in Greek society, established responsibilities for both guests and hosts. Demonstrating generosity and kindness, honorable hosts offered their guests extravagant feasts, luxurious baths, and lavish housing. In response, gracious guests showed courtesy and respect to their hosts by refraining from abusing the hospitality extended towards them. Hospitality reveals the moral character of both hosts and guests in the Homerian epic The Odyssey.

Culture and Society in 'The Odyssey'

Finally, perhaps the most vital and well-known aspect of Greek culture is its religious beliefs and ideologies. Deeply pious in the gods, the Greeks believed the Zeus guarded the world with other Olympian gods, and these higher beings determined each individual’s future. Fate and destiny were believed in, and sacrifices were constantly committed in order to please the gods and gain their favor. Prayers to the gods for aid and help were common. Prophecies were numerous, although accurate ones were rare. And of course, the Greeks believed in the Underworld, a dreadful land with Hades as its ruler. “The Odyssey”, being in a Greek lifestyle, is naturally filled with references to these religious beliefs and thoughts. Odysseus and his companions often made sacrifices to the gods. He visits the Underworld to speak with the blind prophet Tiresias who accurately predicts Odysseus’s travels. Because of the prophet’s words, Odysseus is able to make his journey safely.

Hospitality in Greek Culture through Homer Essay example

The final aspect of positive hospitality that is shown in the Odyssey, is by Eumaus, the old swineherd of Odysseus. Eumaus uses his very appropriate upbringing (he was kidnapped royalty) in order to provide help to Odysseys (in disguise as a beggar) all the help and wealth he can afford to share, in his meager setting. Odysseus used

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“The Odyssey” by Homer could best be explained as a man on a mission. The king of Ithaca, Odysseus, is shipped off from his family, and his hometown to fight in a war against Troy. He develops many heroic traits over the ten years he is away. He just desired to get back home once and for all. Throughout his excursion back home, he meets many things/people. One of those things he meets on his excursion is an disrespectful giant with literally one eye, called a Cyclops. Odysseus then meets a witch goddess that casts spells on Odysseus and his men, which actually made him, and his men lose track of time. Later, Odysseus meets a nymph who falls madly in love with him and in turn takes possession over the poor guy and holds him as a prisoner on her island.

First, what started it all, Odysseus is known as the mortal who won against Troy because he built a huge wooden horse as a peace offering, but he and his men hid inside and then when they least expected it they began striking Troy’s soldiers after a celebratory meal, which then ended the war of Troy. This scheme itself shows Odysseus crazy good intellect that he has inside himself. He also establishes himself as a somebody, so that people will remember his name. On their excursion Odysseus and his men come to an island where they come across a one-eyed giant Cyclops, Polyphemus, son of Poseidon. While on this island, Odysseus represents patience and intellect like no other mortal in many ways. He knows there is no way they can beat the Polyphemus, or get the big ole boulder from the only door of the cave that Polyphemus had put there.

Instead, Odysseus makes puts together a strategic arrangement to blind the Cyclops by creating a spear, so that they would be able to sneak out without being captured and eaten. Though, they all had to wait until the Cyclops was drunk from wine and asleep to arrange their arrangement. Odysseus first uses his crazy good intellect by giving himself the name of “Nobody”, so when the Cyclops screams that “Nobody” is killing him all the other Cyclops would think he’s some crazy lunatic. Odysseus’ incredible self control is shown when he is waiting for Polyphemus to sleep and putting the spear in his only eye at the right moment after he had to anxiously wait. Since he did this to Polyphemus, he upsets Poseidon, which only makes his excursion even harder.

Odysseus’s toleration for his toughness is one of his main admirable traits that he developed. Not only was he physically tough, but he was also mentally tough. When Odysseus is on Aeaea where the goddess Circe lives, it not only took Hermes to help out, but it also definitely took a lot of mental exhaustion for them to get off of Aeaea. Odysseus was given a plant to basically shut her powers off, turn his men back into guys instead of pigs, and was able to find out from Circe how to get off her island since she was keeping them hostage. When leaving the island, Ogygia, where Calypso, the beautiful nymph, held him hostage he had to show his mental toughness to go up against her. Odysseus could have stuck around Ogygia and been with Calypso eternally been really satisfied, but he had been mentally tough and decided to go home to Penelope.

Coming home to Ithaca, Odysseus represents toughness, some crazy good intellect, and a heck of a lot of patience all at the same time. He had to wait and non selfishly deciding to not go running to his family knowing they could all be murdered, he represents heroic patience. His physical and mental toughness are represented when he went back home and won against all the men trying to take Penelope’s hand in marriage that caused Odysseus’s family unjustly. Odysseus shows his heroic traits all at once when he strung his bow and won against all those men in the competition for Penelope’s hand in marriage while masked in disguise, and murdering each guy.

Even though he was basically alienated for ten years from his life, Odysseus shows the reader how a man on a mission can conquer any challenges thrown his/her way. He developed many heroic traits over the ten years he was away. Somehow he was able to stay with a goal on his mind and find a way back home to his family. Without his crazy good intellect, a heck of a lot of patience, and amazing mental and physical toughness to beat a Cyclops, angry gods, nymphs, witch goddesses, nasty guys trying to steal his wife, he probably would have been alienated from his family for eternity.

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Essay Service Examples Literature The Odyssey

The Odyssey: Critical Analysis

The Odyssey contains more than 12,000 lines and is divided into 24 volumes. The poet USES flashbacks to describe Odysseus’s 10 years of sea adventures in the 40 days before his arrival at home. The thrilling experience of these 10 years contains many ancient myths, reflecting the fantasy-processed natural phenomena and the struggle and victory of the ancient greeks against nature. The story of Odysseus’ victory over Polyphemus, the giant, in volume 9, highlights his wit and bravery. This epic is the foundation work of western literature, which is the oldest extant western literature except for the epic of Gilgamesh and the Iliad. After the Trojan war, the Greek soldiers returned home one after another, only the resourceful Odysseus did not return at sea.

The most essential characteristic of Odysseus is self-improvement, which makes this work full of stirring tragic colors. One third of the Odyssey depicts thrilling scenes such as the victory over the Cyclops, the passage through the sirens island and the passage through kalubuti, which fully shows the aggressive spirit of human beings in their childhood when they exert great wisdom and courage and fight against nature indomitable. The protagonist from the sea travel to return home, a total of 13 times experienced the disaster, the sea god as the embodiment of the merciless nature, he finally swallowed up all the partners of Odysseus, leaving him alone from home. The land along the coast was also full of dangers and traps, filled with ogre giants and witches who used witchcraft to harm people.

The Greek heroes were all ‘knowing the destiny’. Through the words of gods and prophets, they knew their unchangeable destiny in advance, and the so-called ‘tragic consciousness’ was exactly reflected in this action of ‘knowing the unchangeable destiny’. Odysseus had foreseen from the sorceress Circe that the terrible six headed monster Scylla would devour his six sailors, but he did not listen to the witch’s advice. He still dressed in gold, and with a sword in his hand, was ready to fight it out, though the fear was enough to drive the rest of the crew out of their wits and throw the OARS away. In front of the nature and gods, the Greek hero is not humble Confucianism weak, they did not fear a desperate struggle, god can use interference, admonish way influence to people, but in the end people’s behavior depends on their personality and ability, gods also appreciates and wisdom, brave the heroes said special sort, so don’t have a puppet in the Greek world. Although Odysseus did not spare his youth and life for the honor of his life and death like Achilles, he needed more perseverance to face the complicated hardships and fight fearlessly. Odysseus’ indomitable fighting spirit is actually a paean. Interestingly enough, the epic depicts the underworld of sitriphus, who tries as hard as he can to push a boulder up a hill, and fails every time.

The image of a man who never gets discouraged and never stops fighting seems to enliven the theme of the epic. The great difference between the Odyssey and the illyons is that the former tells of heroes willing to shed their blood for immortal glory, while the latter tells of heroes desperate to survive. In the epic, whenever they escape some terrible disaster and survive, they are always filled with two emotions: joy at their luck and sadness at the death of their partners. The greeks did not think much of what was going on in the lower world; their ideas of hell would be blurred, as if it were only a gloomy, melancholy, dreamy pit. Achilles said, ‘I would rather be a servant, a poor man, alive than rule over all the souls of the underworld.’ In fact, the greeks put too much focus on the secular life, the Achilles’ pursuit of honor, and the essence of Odysseus’ struggle for survival is the same: affirm the secular life, love life. Achilles pursuit of honor on the battlefield is a mortal can display life extraordinary outstanding, the only way to power, and the repair of hard trip, choose death even more easily than choose survival, dangers galore, and the sailors were killed in the jaws of a giant may be better than experienced countless hardships and finally meteorite sea, more lucky? Therefore, although the struggle for survival of si is closer to the instinct, it still shows the strength of man himself and the unremitting pursuit of the value of life.

To explore the theme of the Odyssey, we should consider the experience of Odysseus floating on the sea and his struggle with the suitors after returning home. At two-thirds of the length of ‘the Odyssey’ (actually less than two-thirds, because some of it is about theremacho’s search for a father), Odysseus’s struggle with the suitors can still be reduced to a celebration of heroes. Engels pointed out: ‘ancient tribal tribal war, has begun to change to the land and sea for livestock, slaves and treasure and ongoing robbery, into a normal trade, in a word, wealth was honored as the highest welfare praise and reverence, the ancient clan system being abused to justify the violent plundered wealth behavior.’ For the ancient greeks, it was a heroic act and therefore a righteous act for the clan leader to seize wealth by his physical strength and martial skill. Achilles in the Iliad is revered not only because he is the most feared Greek hero of the trojans, but also because of the great wealth he plundered. Agamemnon, on the other hand, was blamed for seizing undivided wealth (as were female slaves) as commander in chief of the allied forces. ‘Bascellus.’ The first rage of Achilles was to defend what he had, and to be able to defend his wealth effectively was certainly a heroic act. Similarly, in the Odyssey, Odysseus effectively defends his property by killing his suitors, which is also a heroic act, a righteous act; And the behavior of suitors who seek to seize wealth by force of marriage and squander other people’s property is undoubtedly an unjust and despicable act. Here the poet praises the former and condemns the latter. Naturally, such ‘heroic actions’ and ‘righteous actions’ are very different from our standards. However, ‘in the early stages of human civilization, the relationship between people is different from the day after that, so the moral standards are also different; At that time, a person can only rely on their own hands and mind to overcome the dangers everywhere, to save themselves; Cunning paranoia is not considered improper behavior in that situation.

The moral character described in Homer’s epics is not only not comparable with ours today, but also quite different from the standards of feudal society. ‘But don’t worry about that. Those who read these two epics only feel the youthful spirit of the poems and are inspired by the heroism of the epics.’ One of the hallmarks of Odysseus’ character was his resourcefulness, which, in its most extreme manifestations, made him at times cunning and suspicious, good at deceiving, trusting no one, and testing even the goddess. In fact, his wisdom is another form of power. Facing the vast nature, man’s own physical strength is insignificant, while wisdom shows man’s more essential strength. Odysseus’ deception has saved his life many times. In the fight with the Cyclops, he greatly used a deceptive means, the clever pseudonym that he ‘tiger’s life’. In fact, it was the sinister nature of the world that made him overly cautious. Song of the sirens of glamor, meet the ear moment sweet smiling face, and the giant water better ridge girl on the island, are in fact implied dangers in trap, will never so little, he must pay attention to by the risk of unpredictable, Odysseus paranoid and cunning in the world full of deception and deceit can be said to be the necessary intellectual, his test of Athena, because during these long on the way, he did not feel the help of the goddess, and thus lose completely rely on and trust in the goddess, and try many times, his wife is because Agamemnon had made him concerned.

The purpose of Odysseus’ cunning and humiliation is to achieve the ultimate goal of being weak. There is a unity of softness and firmness.It is also a tradition in western literature that the witty citizens of the middle ages were filled with the use of wisdom, especially the use of wit and cunning deceit, to overcome those far superior to themselves. In fact, this wisdom is the essential power of the world, the worship of wisdom is also another aspect of the Greek warrior culture. The pursuit of power, manifested as outgoing, tough, and even aggressive characteristics, does not value the perfection of personality, but emphasizes individual strength; The cultivation of morality is characterized by introversion, self-discipline and moderation, emphasizing the unity and harmony of the whole more specifically, the theme of the Odyssey is the celebration of heroes. It is a tribute to the heroes who are determined to win in the natural and social struggles and rely on their individual strength, good fighting skills, courage and resourcefulness, and it shows the good wishes, vigor, heroism and optimism of human childhood. In addition, although the Odyssey contains many early myths, its formation is later than the Iliad in terms of the social life and struggle it reflects.

The epic focuses on the struggle for and maintenance of private property through the fight against the noble youth after the return of Odysseus. More than once the poem accuses the young suitors of trying to seize the property of Odysseus. This reflects that the epic was formed at the beginning of the formation of private property based slavery relations in Greek society. In connection with this, the epic’s handling of family relations also reflects the formation of monogamy in Greek family life. His wife, Penelope, had been waiting for her husband’s return for twenty years. In the last three years he resisted the intimidation of hundreds of young suitors. The poet portrayed her as a kind, loyal and chaste woman in order to embody the moral norms of the new family system formed in her. Another view is that the theme of ‘the Odyssey’ is ‘a celebration of slave ownership and private ownership.’ This opinion is open to question. It is true that Odysseus ‘possessed a great deal of property, and many slaves, male and female, of whom he had a different division of Labour,’ and was free to brutalized those whom he thought disloyal, ‘but that was after his return to the island of Ithaca. And before I go home. He was persecuted by the sea at any time of the weak, he appears in front of the reader, not the face of brutal slave owners, but rebelled against the fate, the use of wit and courage to overcome natural hero, according to the statement of ‘the history of European literature’, ‘the epic poetry, this part accounts for about a third of the book, this is no small proportion, the Odyssey as the theme of the song of slave owners and private ownership, this part will not be able to permeate content.

Poseidon, the brother of Zeus who is the god of sea, the god of earthquake and the god of horse in Homer’s epic, is the ruler of the sea. In the Iliad, he not only participates in the disputes of gods, but also participates in the decisions of mortal things. He supports the side of achaea and firmly opposes troas. But in ‘the Odyssey,’ the work is more of a male overbearing god, the one who keeps Odysseus from returning home. Odysseus was almost driven back to the edge of death by him. But for the rescue of Enoch, Poseidon stopped and left, and Athena stopped some of the wind and waves, he would have died in the west. Even if Poseidon did not dare to kill Odysseus directly due to the will of other gods, he could make Odysseus suffer the fate of wandering away from his homeland. For Odysseus, however, his rocky experience is as much a spiritual as a physical ordeal. Therefore, the battle between Odysseus and Poseidon is not simply seen as an act of last resort for a smooth return. In the face of Poseidon do, in fact is the visualization of the sea is volatile, the disaster of block, Odysseus have the courage to challenge the limit, overcome evil female soren, overcome the temptation of beautiful sirens siren song, across the sea monster scilla and card lyu3 bu4 dease settlement, get rid of the sea goddess card Lv Pu to retain which seven years, finally reunited with his family. What Odysseus did not only reflected the further enhancement of the inner strength of human beings, but also expressed the desire of human beings to try to understand and control the sea. More importantly, it conveyed the most important idea to human beings: they believed in themselves and could control their own destiny.

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The Odyssey Literary Analysis

“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices. There is a copious amount of major characters in the story. Some of them include Odysseus , the main character, who is a soldier and returns home after a twenty-year absence. Some of his family includes Laertes, his father, Penelope, his wife, and Telemachus, his son. There are many gods that Odysseus must battle on his journey home, including Zeus, who is said to be father of all gods, and Poseidon, the god of the ocean who punishes Odysseus and his crew by giving them a very difficult trip home after they blind his son, Polyphemus, or the Cyclops by blinding him after stabbing him in the eye. Another major character is Calypso, a sea goddess who is in love with Odysseus. Some of the major relationships in the story are the relationship between Odysseus and his men, because they view as a hero and are willing to do anything for him. Odysseus also has a very close bond with Telemachus, his son, and his loyalty to his father can be seen when he travels to Sparta to look for his father when he has been absent for so long and near the end when he helps his father defeat the suitors. An important negative relationship that Odysseus has is his relationship with the suitor Antinous. When Odysseus returns, Antinous and his men are trying to take over his house, ... ... middle of paper ... ...y in the past. The tone in the story is very different in the 2 parts. In part 1, it could be said that the tone is one of excitement and danger, because it is following Odysseus on his endeavors against the ocean and the gods. In part 2, the tone could be one of sadness because Odysseus must disguise himself as a beggar, and he cannot reveal his identity to his family and they cannot be reunited. They tone was also kind of mysterious, because the readers wonder what will happen when he converses with his family in disguise, because the reader knows about the disguise but his family has no idea who it is. In conclusion, the “Odyssey” is one of the greatest literary works ever known and this literary analysis should help the reader to understand the important components of the novel such as theme, characters, relationships, symbols, motifs, literary devices, and tone.

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Analysis of the “Odyssey” by Homer

Introduction, gender roles.

The “Odyssey” is an epic poem depicting Odysseus’s ten-year journey after the fall of Troy. The narrative has more than one perspective, following both Odysseus retelling his story and the view of his son, Telemachus. The “Odyssey” is an example of ancient poetry that had a despicable influence on global literature. Various themes have been incorporated into the poem, as it touches upon such topics as hospitality, punishment, mortality, and more. The epic also contains multiple depictions of everyday life in the ancient Greek world, including women’s societal roles. However, despite ancient Greece’s patriarchal society and the predominantly male perspective of the epic, the “Odyssey” contains numerous cases of women presented equally influential as men. Overall, the “Odyssey’s” modernity is revealed in the overarching themes explored in the text, the use of symbols, the complex characters, and the poem’s representation of women.

The use of themes in the “Odyssey” gives the epic the feeling of a more modern text. One of the main themes present in the “Odyssey” is that of hospitality towards guests. The entire narrative arc of the “Odyssey” is about Odysseus’s delayed return after the Trojan War, creating a degree of tension regarding how he will be received at his home. Hospitality is intertwined with a religious meaning through Zeus, who, in the text, acts as a protector of travelers, often reliant on others’ helpfulness. Zeus punishes those mistreating and ignoring strangers and travelers who come to them and rewards those treating newcomers well. Zeus is often seen as the greatest of the gods, so it is significant that this specific action, hospitality, falls under his jurisdiction.

Another important theme is that of community, as the text emphasizes the importance of a greater good over individual glory. One of the main points of view characters in the epic is Telemachus, the son of Odysseus, reinforcing family importance. Indeed, the entire epic’s plot revolves around Odysseus’ desire to return home after the Trojan War, instead of seeking out new adventures for personal glory. The “Odyssey” depicts everyday life among the ancient Greeks, particularly the polis or city-state. The text contains many examples of the dangers of selfish or uncivilized behavior presented as an affront to both gods and humans. The epic argues for every mortal knowing their place and working towards the good of the group they are part of, whether family unit or city-state. Odysseus’ trials during his attempt to return to his family are, in the end, presented as an acceptable price to pay to be back among them.

Another vital theme in the “Odyssey” is the concept of mortality, contrasted with the gods’ immortality. The legendary Achilles, after his death in the “Iliad,” says to Odysseus, “Better to be a hireling of a stranger, and serve a man of mean estate whose living is but small, then be the ruler of all these dead and gone” (Homer 179). This emphasizes the importance of actions taken while still alive and also highlights the emptiness of the immortality post-life. Odysseus himself rejects stagnant immorality in the text, choosing to continue his voyage home. Mortals are encouraged to strive to achieve greatness during their lifetimes, as gods’ unethical behavior is presented as static and undesirable. Overall, these various themes reflect the modernity of the “Odyssey”. The narrative feels less linear and more diverse as the author experiments with the representations of ideas and values.

The use of symbols and symbolism also helps the “Odyssey” resemble a modern text by ascribing deeper meanings to mundane items and actions. One of the most important symbols in the “Odyssey” is food consumption, which has negative implications. Throwing a feast for a visitor represents traditional hospitality; however, eating food frequently has adverse associations in the “Odyssey.” It portrays a lack of control or submission to temptations, especially during the scene where Odysseus waits in the Cyclops’ cave and observes his men consume the lotus’ fruit. The other negative characters from the story, suitors, are also continually eating. Thus, whenever Telemachus and Penelope describe their unwanted visitors, they notice how the suitors kill the palace’s cattle. Therefore, eating is shown in the unique light, as instead of representing hospitality, it usually symbolizes a lack of discipline.

Furthermore, another crucial symbolic element in the text is the use of ships as the primary means of transportation. While common in the Greek world, among the islands and peninsulas around the Mediterranean, ships also have a symbolic value in the “Odyssey.” Firstly, going on a journey to the sea means putting oneself in god’s realm, in this case, Poseidon. This represents the Greeks’ worldview regarding gods, where mortals should always be aware of and honor the deity. A ship during a storm is at the mercy of the gods, meaning no amount of human ability can save you. Ships also represent craft technology, hallmarks of a civilized person. Odysseus himself is described as a skilled ship maker, as the text says, “He made a mast and sail-yard fitted to it; he made a rudder, too, with which to steer” (Homer 79). This identifies ships as a source of pride for the Greeks, both as a representation of their technology and skill, as well as a symbol of freedom. Ships give their crew the ability to go wherever they want if they are brave and adept.

Constant character development presents the “Odyssey’s” modernity, as it was not particularly common in other ancient texts. The epic poem is especially notable due to its memorable characters. First, Odysseus is the protagonist of the “Odyssey” who has the defining characteristics of a leader, including strength, bravery, dignity, a longing for glory, and faith in his authority. However, his most distinguished trait is a sharp and profound intellect. This quality is especially visible during his encounter with Cyclops, where Odysseus tricked him by lying about his name, “My name is Noman. Noman I am called by mother, father, and by all my comrades” (Homer 140). Consequently, apart from the traditionally recognized features of a conventional ancient hero, Odysseus is famous for his intelligence. Overall, Odysseus’s cunning thinking saves him in various challenging situations. Interestingly, Odysseus is regarded to be such a well-known protagonist due to the character growth he undergoes. Therefore, he is incredibly unique due to his intellectual abilities and personal development, resulting in patience and maturity.

The other essential character in the epic poem is Telemachus, the son of Odysseus and Penelope. He is another character in the story that experiences character development, as the audience can witness his presence since he was an infant. Telemachus is particularly interesting because he matures due to the life-changing events occurring in the palace. Moreover, he is dutiful and loyal to his family by continuously anticipating the return of his father. Telemachus’ adventures are intertwined with protecting his mother and learning more about his father’s departure, which helps him obtain Athena’s goodwill. Overall, Telemachus is an important character, as part of the story is told from his perspective to represent the young and emerging hero of Ancient Greece. He is not merely as strong and intelligent as his parents, but also has inherent positive qualities, including loyalty and stamina.

Apart from the central character resembling epic heroes of the era, the “Odyssey” is filled with Greek gods remarkably relevant for the audience. The central goddess of the story is Athena, as he assists both Odysseus and Telemachus throughout their adventure. As goddess of wisdom and battle, Athena’s guidance and support are necessary for developing the story. The original audience can understand the mightiness of the protagonist because of his close relationships with gods. Thus, even though Odysseus is a strong hero capable of various positive deeds, he would not be able to succeed without gods’ help, which is an essential narrative for the Ancient Greek culture. Therefore, Athena’s constant occurrence symbolizes the idea that people can never be more robust than gods, as divine guidance is essential for their achievements.

On the other hand, Poseidon is the central antagonist of the story, as he is continuously attempting to interfere with Odysseus’s adventures. The polytheistic beliefs of Ancient Greeks suggest that different gods can often conflict with one another. Therefore, another critical character Zeus often steps in as a mediator in various situations. Moreover, Odysseus cannot battle god of the sea on his own, as he consequently gives up the idea of winning the divine creature. Athena and other gods help Odysseus to overcome the threat coming from Poseidon, which also reassures the concept that a mortal cannot conquer gods.

In the “Odyssey,” women, relegated to the position of a wife in the “Iliad”, are at times presented as more intelligent than their husbands, representing the modernity of the poem. Helen, the cause of the entire Trojan conflict, comes off as more astute than her husband, Menelaus, king of Sparta. Despite the suffering and friction caused by her elopement with Paris of Troy, she seems to hold a position of respect in Sparta and with her husband. Helen easily recounts episodes from Troy’s siege, speaking freely and as an equal to her husband and the audience in front of Telemachus. This indicates Helen’s ability to maintain her position as queen despite various reasons many Greeks might have to hate her. Moreover, Clytemnestra successfully removes her husband Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, conspiring with her lover Aegisthus to murder him. This can be seen as a successfully enacted revenge for Agamemnon sacrificing their daughter, Iphigenia, for favorable winds. While morally dubious, it does present women with agency and the cunning to enact their plans. Both episodes show women interacting and changing the world around them, as equals in power to men.

Furthermore, women in the “Odyssey” are portrayed not only as men’s equals but at times as being more perceptive. Odysseus describes Penelope as “Lady, a heart impenetrable beyond the sex of women the dwellers on Olympus gave to you…For certainly, the iron is the heart within her breast” (Homer 363). The description of his wife Penelope is filled with the consistent respect, as she is continuously described as his equal. This description is particularly important, as the “Odyssey” focuses on representing the main protagonist Odysseus as a great hero of the story. He is presented as brave and strong, because gods frequently communicate to him, which symbolizes great honor. Thus, when the protagonist compares his wife Penelope to himself at the end of the story, the audience has a greater understanding of women’s role in Ancient Greece.

Apart from Penelope, other female characters in the story are portrayed as more influential. For example, Phaeacian king Alcinous is presented as less significant than the queen Arete. When Nausicaa is guiding Odysseus to get the appropriate help, she suggests he find a royal residence, where the king resigns and then “passing him by, stretch out your hands to our mother’s knees…If she regards you kindly in her heart, then there is hope that you may see your friends” (Homer 98). Thus, this situation indicates that the queen Arete is the one to make decisions on whether Odysseus deserves help from their kingdom. Therefore, the audience can conclude that the queen was commonly considered more influential than the king in Ancient Greece, elevating the understanding of the perception of females.

In conclusion, the “Odyssey” has some hallmarks of a modern text, including the use of themes, complex characters of both genders, and symbols. The themes of hospitality, mortality, and community, among others, help tie the narrative of the “Odyssey” together and connect it to the lives of its original audience, the ancient Greeks. It also ascribes symbolic meaning to items such as ships to deepen the implications of the various actions that take place during the story. The text has numerous complex characters, from Odysseus and his son Telemachus to the multiple gods of the Greek Pantheon. The female characters are as well developed as many male characters and are often portrayed as equals, if not superiors. All these elements work together to give the “Odyssey” the atmosphere of a modern text.

Homer. The Odyssey . Translated by George Herbert Palmer, The Riverside Press, Cambridge, 1891.

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“The Odyssey” by Homer Essay

The Odyssey is the story of an old man (Odysseus) returning home and a young man (Telemachus) venturing out in search of himself. Telemachus, throughout the story, considered the heroic Odysseus as his model.

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Throughout the story, there is a constant struggle of the growing Telemachus to imitate the actions of his father and then eventually become like him that he comes to an end of his journey. In the beginning of the poem, Homer does not give any indication to the readers that Telemachus will eventually go on a journey like his father.

Telemachus’s headway towards this goal actually shows how difficult were the goals and ventures of Odysseus. The text of The Odyssey presents a single framed narration of the hero, Odysseys, and the journey of a child, Telemachus, into manhood. This essay will demonstrate the comparisons and contrasts the tale draws between the two central characters of father and son.

There are distinct similarities between the character of Odysseus and Telemachus. The resemblance are so close that in one account Penelope had to reverse the procedure in identifying the true identity of her visitor as Odysseus.

In Odysseus 4, Helen’s description of Telemachus actually shows the close physical resemblance between the two characters. However, as a character in the book, Telemachus is often found to move under the shadow of his father’s heroic feats.

Odysseus is hailed a hero for his heroic adventures and conquests in the battle of Troy. Telemachus too tries to emulate his father, and like him, goes out on a voyage, but fails to attain full respect like his father. Therefore, a continuous struggle is observed in the text wherein there is continuous comparison between the two characters.

The writer, the readers, does it and even by Telemachus himself who felt that, he could never match up to his father’s valor. In Odyssey 2 , the episode in which Telemachus leaves a sword in unlocked room that helped the suitors to possess arms to combat the former.

Odysseus, though had made mistakes, could not be expected of making such a careless mistake. Eurymachus states that Telemachus could never muster the courage and conviction to face the threats of the suitors. In another instance, Leocritus points out that Telemachus may not venture out in a journey even after continues encouragement from his elders.

Homer’s epic poem portrays the character of Telemachus as a son who takes change of situation due to an absent father. Only till the father returns to take back the reigns. Therefore, to a great extent the character of Telemachus and his adventures hs been belittled in the text. However, Telemachus does show a sense of pride in his family and blood when he says that he will not shame his family.

Odysseus is critical of Telemachus when they reunite after the former’s return to Ithaca. Telemachus expresses his doubt on their reunion if the man who had transgressed from a beggar to the state of a hero could really be his father, to which Odysseus answers with impatience that had he not been the real father he would not have returned to Ithaca after twenty years of toiling.

In general, the characters of telemachus and Odysseus reflects on that of an obedient son tied by his duties and a gentle father happy to reunite with his family.

The poem stresses on equality and a cordial relation between Telemachus and Odysseus. However, it cannot be overlooked that the poem is more about Odysseus, who fought at Troy, and his grand heroic adventures and that of a mediocre son who lived a mundane life in the island of Ithaca encompassed by his family duties.

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Odyssey Rhetorical Analysis Essay

A long way gone rhetorical analysis essay.

Imagine being involved in a bloody massacre and watching your community dissipate into the dusk. Picture dodging the piercing bullets as they whisk past innocent ears. Envision your home turning into a battle ground, breaking up into military bases—flipping the world upside down. (nice capture tactic) This was peoples’ lives for many years, beginning in the 1960’s, during the Civil War in Sierra Leone. (need a transition---how does Beah relate to civil war aforementioned—I think I follow and understand but you did not explicitly state, which is always necessary when essay writing) A Long Way Gone is a memoir written and lived by Ishmael Beah. He writes with an intense tone and strong demeanor with his diction,

Impulsiveness In The Odyssey

In the beginning of the book Odysseus is impulsive and arrogant. After Odysseus blinds and defeats the Cyclops, he cannot contain himself. Out of pure impulsiveness and the inability to be humble, Odysseus yells out to the Cyclops, “If any man on the face of the earth should ask you/ who blinded you, shamed you do so–say Odysseus,/raider of cities, he gouged out your eye,/Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca!” (Homer 9.556-562). Odysseus is so impulsive he has to scream out his name to the gods and the Cyclops. Odysseus’ impulse overtakes his actions, and rather than waiting for the right time to do something, he cannot contain himself and must get it out. In the beginning of the Odyssey, Odysseus cannot control his impulses, which leads

How Is Odysseus Selfish

In the novel The Odyssey, written by Homer, Odysseus is portrayed as a bad leader because of his selfish decisions and bad character. Odysseus makes a selfish decision when he leads his crew to stay in Polyphemus’s cave thinking he would offer gifts and Odysseus would “accept (his) help, or any gifts/” he had to “give” (9.726-727). This is a selfish act because he is putting his crew in danger for something that would only benefit himself. In the end, many of his people died and no one benefited. Once again, Odysseus displayed selfish acts when Circe told him “ he will be the only survivor of their long journey” (Homer 764). Odysseus is extremely selfish by betraying his crew. His crew believes that Odysseus is trying to help them return home, when he is actually only concerned about himself.

Argumentative Essay On The Odyssey

Odysseus is an arrogant egotistical warrior who hardly ever takes the blame for his own actions. Since he does not take responsibility it shows his weaknesses that could be used against him if this were a war. Odysseus’s weaknesses are shown equally in the literature and the movie. In some ways the literature showed it better or explained it better than the movie did. But in some ways the movie outlined his weaknesses than the movie because it is more visual than when you are reading the story.

The Transformation Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

The Odyssey by Homer revolves around the character, Odysseus, and his ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. As the epic’s idol, he displays the combination of a clever, handsome, and courageous man popular among the mortals as well as the gods. Essentially, he embodies the ideals of the ancient Greek culture, being adorned with many favored characteristics of the era. However, an intriguing aspect of Odysseus lies in his personality. As the protagonist, he does not manifest the entirety of a stereotypical hero because Odysseus has a fatal flaw—his arrogance. Fortunately, his wisdom progresses over his journey, showing his growth as a character. This change can be referred to as “Eagle Wings,” composes books IX, XII, XVII that highlight contrasting sides of Odysseus's self-restraint, and especially his development throughout the epic.

Father-Son Relationships In The Odyssey

Throughout all of human history, various pieces of literature usually reflect the nature of people and the current culture of the time it was written. A topic that was frequently written about in Greek Mythology were family dynamics and relationships between family members. More specifically, father-son relationships were an extremely prevalent topic in Greek Mythology. In particular, The Odyssey touched upon this topic greatly. The basic structure of father-son relationships have stayed the same like how the parent are supposed to take care of the children. But as general family dynamics and culture changed, the interactions between fathers and sons have altered greatly. In ancient civilizations there were less loving relationships between

Temptation In The Odyssey Analysis

TS1 (Thesis): In The Odyssey, Homer depicts Odysseus’ real foe as the theme of temptation with displays of hubris and lustrous goddesses, which portrays the importance of being vigilant to not submit to temptation.

Odysseus 'Weaknesses In Homer's Odyssey'

In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer reveals that Odysseus’ encounter with the Cyclops magnifies his curiosity and hubris, allowing him to defeat the Cyclops despite his weaknesses.

Homelessness In The Odyssey

Odysseus avoids a possible conflict by using his tact. He makes his wife seem humble while flattering Kalypso. He also focuses on the point that no paradise can replace home, showing her that his choice to leave is independent from his feelings for her. Kalypso is satisfied by his response and lets him leave. Had he not had his tact to rely on, he may have been trapped on Kalypso’s island forever.

Heroism In The Odyssey

Heroism, tends to be difficult to define and remarkably ambiguous in literary works. In the Odyssey, however, Homer clearly defines a hero as a humble, determined, and loyal individual; thus, according to Homer, it is not enough to claim to be a hero, but it is also important to exhibit those qualities that Homer values as heroism. Odysseus, despite claiming heroism, upholds these traits inconsistently, as seen in his taunting of Polyphemus. In contrast, Telemachus, Odysseus’ overlooked son, dramatically grows up over the course of the epic and ultimately reveals his truly heroic qualities by the end of the poem. Thus, because Odysseus claims to be a hero, but fails to remain humble, determined, and loyal throughout the epic, he is not a hero.

Conversation Between Athena And Odysseus In The Book 13

The conversation between Athena and Odysseus in the middle of book 13 reveals how each of them feels and thinks about the other at this stage in the epic. When Athena is first coming to meet Odysseus, after he has landed on Ithaca, she decides not to appear as herself to Odysseus, but first as a “young man… a shepherd boy”, and she then changes back to herself (13.252). She does this to get an honest opinion from him, as if she had appeared as a god, he might not have been honest with her. She also wants to hear his story, and see if he is actually thinking about her. After he does not “recognize” her because of her “endless” shapes, she is angry with him and accuses him of “never getting tired of twists and tricks” (13.340,56,32). She is evidently

Tim O Brien Rhetorical Analysis Essay

As Tim O'Brien discusses Curt Lemon's death, he effectively highlights the underlying paradoxes of a war story's truths by telling the same story in three accounts that each differ in diction, mood, tone, and sometimes imagery. For example, in the first paragraph, O'Brien utilizes a neutral, objective tone as he briefly lists the events before, during, and after Lemon's death. How so? O'Brien implicates his staunch neutrality in the middle of the first paragraph, where he nonchalantly recants, "He [Curt Lemon] was playing catch with Rat Kiley, laughing, and then he was dead." Here O'Brien seems to be playing with the audience's emotions, as he intentionally uses phrases such as "playing catch" and "laughing" to indicate vibrancy and child-like

Bachelor's Degree Rhetorical Analysis Essay

A bachelor’s degree just to drive a taxi cab? It might be the future of many college graduates according to Marty Nemko. In a June, 2008 edition of the Chronical of Higher Education in an article titled “America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree” Nemko argues that a four year college degree may not be worth the cost, and not the right choice for most high school graduates. For past generations, it has been expected that to be successful one must attend a four year university. Two year degrees, technical, and trade schools were looked down upon. Nemko wishes his reader to learn a different truth. He wants to educate the educators who have misguided today’s youth into thinking that four years is the only successful path to take. He writes his article to alert parents and students that a four year college education is not for the majority of high school graduates. His argument is well formatted, as he establishes both his credibility to the reader and uses statistics and citations from other credible sources

Odysseus 'Eurylochus In Fagles' The Odyssey

The epic poem, The Odyssey, written by Homer (Fagles translation) has many different archetypes within the story that causes both the story and the journey to move on to the nest destination. In the same time causes the hero, Odysseus, to continue his journey either by some better or worse situations. In the aforementioned poem there is a character called Eurylochus. He is one of Odysseus’ crew, and he represents more than one archetype within the story. He is included in the poem so he will be represented as an ally and a foil for Odysseus to highlights the leadership of Odysseus. This will examine both the straight meaning and the deep meaning for what happened with Eurylochus and reasons he did what he did. One of

Heroism In Homer's The Odyssey

The main conflict Odysseus runs into is the Cyclops. The Cyclops traps Odysseus and his crew in his cave and devours four of Odysseus’ men.”Neither reply nor pity . . . made his meal of the men.” Odysseus who became enraged by this stabs the Cyclops in the eye. “Just so that eyeball hissed around the spike.” Odysseus shows rash behavior because of the Cyclops killing of his men. The conflict is resolved when Odysseus and his crew are able to escape the Cyclops. The result of the resolution was that no more of his men would be killed by the Cyclops. Odysseus ran into conflict but wisdom and cunning helped him resolve them.

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A Literary Analysis of the Theme of Home in Odyssey by Homer

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IMAGES

Odyssey Analytical Essay Outline
The Journey of Odysseus and Telemachus Essay Example
The Odyssey Response to Literature Essay
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The Odyssey Essay

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