Archetypes In The Odyssey

Archetypes of the Odyssey The Odyssey is a work of art that expresses the thoughts, views, and fears of ancient Greece that are shown through archetypes. Those archetypes are some of the primary tools to learn about ancient Greece. The Odyssey was written by Homer and it shows the ten year journey Odysseus took to get back home to Ithaca from Troy. There are three archetypes that have been found to reoccur throughout the course of the story. These archetypes will be used to explain their importance to the Odyssey and Greece. Three of the most important archetypes in the Odyssey are the hero, monster, and greed archetypes. The hero archetype is likely the most constant archetype in the Odyssey. A quote from Odysseus when facing Scylla

That’s why it is such a reoccurring theme in the Odyssey. For instance, on the island of Helios’s cattle, one of Odysseus’s starving men said, “better to open your lungs to the sea than to waste away to skin and bones.” Here, all of the men were starving and greed came over them. They killed and ate the cattle knowing that they would die later. This shows that the Greeks looked down upon greed and even thought that you could be killed if you were greedy. While still on their boats before entering the cyclops’s cave, Odysseus said, “let’s see what else this man has to offer.” Odysseus declined taking the cheese that was outside the cave and went inside to get more goods. This resulted in a huge portion of his crew dying. Yet again, the Greeks believed bad things would happen if you’re greedy. Back in Ithaca Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, bumped into a table and a suitor said, “Nudge my table will you, you nosing rat.” The suitor has been filled with thoughts of riches and has been eating free for months. Days later, Odysseus kills that man along with all of the other suitors proving that nearly every act of greed in the Odyssey is followed by death and despair. Now you have seen that the Greeks wanted nothing to do with greed, let’s go over all the archetypes that have been shown