In every story the main character will face difficulties and hardships that only strengthen them.The Odyssey is no exception to the rules Odysseus's journey home was not a simple walk in the park for him and his crew.Along the way he learned that he has to be more cautious and encounters something that only makes him stronger.
The first example is how Odysseus learns on his way home he has to be more cautious about what he does.When Odysseus and his men stop and enter the cave of Polyphemus the assume he will be like any greek person and be a nice host to them.Before Polyphemus comes home Odysseus and his men help themselves to his wine,cheese and lay in his bed.All is going well until Polyphemus returns and seals off the entrance to the cave.Odysseus
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The final example actually comes from when his crew members doubt Odysseus and make a fatal mistake.When Odysseus goes to Aiolos the goddess of winds Ailos gives him a bag of wind that he tells him to not open.Odysseus tell his men to not open the bag but of course they do.Odysseus falls into a deep sleep and as he is sleeping the shores of Ithaca are visible all crew men are excited to at long last return home.But they still need to see what is inside the bag.They all believe it to be riches and Odysseus had lied to them so he could keep them all to himself.The crewman take the bag and open causing the ship to be destroyed and Odysseus learn who the loyal crewman are.
Odysseus quickly learns who he can actually trust and who he can’t.If it had not been for greed Odysseus and his men would of returned home.
After reading this essay one can see how The Odyssey main character Odysseus faces struggles and hardships that only make him stronger.He learns to be more cautious than he was and he truly shows how much he wants to return to Ithaca and learns who is faithful to
In The Odyssey, Odysseus portrays an important trait to the story, perseverance. His perseverance really stands out as something that he has and always will have. On his long journey home, he never gives up and just stays where he is, no matter how tempting. He always manages to push through and keep getting closer to his goal of returning home. An example of when he does this is when he is faced with the challenge of getting past Skylla and Kharybdis. He knows that either path will kill at least some of his men and possibly him, but he knows he has to keep going. "And all this time,/ in travail, sobbing, gaining on the current,/ we rowed into the strait---Skylla to port/ and on our starboard beam Kharybdis, dire/ gorge of the salt sea tide." (Homer, 12. 301-305). In O Brother, Where Art Thou, Everett also showed his perseverance. While trying to get back to his wife, he also faces many obstacles that he must get through. There were many people and things keeping him from where he was going, but he pushed through and got there anyway. His greatest obstacle to get through was when he came upon the sirens. He went down to the river and the sirens got the men drunk enough to fall asleep. While asleep, Pete was turned in by the sirens, but the other men hadn't been turned in yet. They woke up and were forced to get out of there as fast as they could with a frog they thought was Pete. Delmar wanted to stay and try to change Pete back but Everett told him they needed to persevere and keep going, and they did. Another trait that both of these men show in their stories is their cleverness. Odysseus show...
In the Hero’s journey, The Odyssey, the main protagonist, Odysseus, changes in a way which helps him gain self-knowledge. Odysseus ' experiences transformed his personality from how he was in the beginning to the end, by leading him through a heroic journey, also known as a quest. The real reason for a quest never involves the stated reason, and this is no different with Odysseus. As the story developed, many of Odysseus’ sides were exposed through the challenges he faced. Out of the countless dangers and obstacles every step back home, him and his crew have only acquired minimal character changes. Even though they are minimal, they are those which take many decades to achieve.
There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.
One's integrity is frequently tried through petty needs. Odysseus' crew succumbs to their inability to resist hunger. Although Odysseus instructs them not to kill the Sun's kine, hunger overpowers their sense of responsibility. Their ramshackle integrity gives out and hopes begins to waver among the crew. Some thinking "...to die by hunger...is the most pitiful of all" (120). The crew becomes so corrupt that they would rather, "...open-mouhted in the sea, give up...life at once than slowly let it wear away..." (120). The reader can see that the integrity of Odysseus' c...
Author Ursula K. LeGuin once said, “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” The Odyssey is an epic poem told by Homer that is about a hero named Odysseus who faces many challenges on his journey home from the Trojan War. Even though Odysseus is a smart and strategic man, he still has many lessons to learn on his journey.
Odysseus was an epic hero depicted in the Homer's The Odyssey. He responded to the call to travel to Troy to help Agamemnon get Helen. He encountered great confrontation along the way. He fought the Cicones, the Lotus Eaters, the Cyclops, Polyphemus, the Laestrygonians, the witch goddess Circe, the lonely Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, the Sun, and Calypso. He and his men traveled great distances under severe circumstances. Odysseus answers a second call to return home to his family. He returns a more mature warrior and a wiser man. Because of this he is able to conquer the suitors and reclaim his palace and his family. As in all Greek literature, the epic hero Odysseus answers a call to action, suffers through great confrontation, and returns with a better understanding of life.
Odysseus’ repeated attempts to prove his own excellence cost his comrades greatly. Book nine, the cyclops saga, is a prime example of this. In spite of his crew’s requests, Odysseus refused to leave the cave of Polyphémus before the cyclops’ return, “But I ignored their counsel, though that course would have avoided many griefs for us. Instead I had to wait to see that man, to find if he’d welcome me” (Homer 176). Odysseus did not ruminate over the possibility of the cyclops being a threat to him or his crew, his only concern was meeting him. If Odysseus were to listen to his crew, or even just mull over the situation, he could have avoided making that poor, impulsive decision. And when he was later presented with the conflict of ridding his house of the suitors, Odysseus did just that. His usual impetuous style would not have produced the same triumphant results. After revealing his identity to Telemachus, Odysseus requested he “describe the suitors, so that I may learn how many and what sort of men they are. As I deliberate in my stout heart I then can see if just we two alone…[can] face their force, or if we must seek help” (Homer 325). Not only did this precaution validate Odysseus’ betterment from reckless to cautious, but it also exhibits his progression from impulsive to patient. Odysseus chose to stop and consider his predicament instead of jumping right into battle. The hardships
"Odyssey" is an epic story that has been a significant piece of literature since it was first composed and will remain so for ages to come. One of the reasons it has been so is because of the hero, Odysseus.
The Odyssey is a tale that has changed literature and storytelling. In this tale Odysseus is a Soldier from the battle of Troy trying to get home to his island of Ithaca, where he is king. His wife and son must wait ten years while he is trying to make his way home. In Odysseus’s absence wooer’s, or better known as suitors, learn of his absence and travel to Ithaca to win his wife’s hand in marriage. These men come every day feasting on Odysseus’s food and wine, and give his servant’s orders. His son Telemachus, does his best to keep the suitors from ruining his fathers house but he is only a boy, and doesn’t receive the respect of an adult. Telemachus then has a visit from the god Athena, whom Odysseus is friends with, who advises him to travel to find out about his father. In his travels he hears that Odysseus may still be alive. Meanwhile Odysseus goes through a series of adventures and hardships that prove his wisdom. It is interesting in contrast of the Iliad, even though Achilles was much stronger and a better warrior, Odysseus was portrayed as a greater hero due to his wisdom. He uses this wisdom to escape from the Cyclops.
In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus’ heroic deeds are recounted through a narrative, written by Homer, that describes his arduous journey of his return from the Trojan war to his homeland of Ithaca. Loyalty, patience, and determination, are necessary traits to survive the perilous, painstaking journey that Odysseus embarks upon to return to his native land. Loyalty is exhibited when Odysseus goes to rescue his crewmen on Kirke’s Island despite the probability of jeopardizing his own life. Odysseus presents patience throughout the entirety of his journey, but most specifically when his crew opens the bag of wind, which causes much regression on the embark homeward. Determination is displayed when Odysseus is on Calypso’s island.
In the Odyssey, written by Homer, Odysseus learned a lot about himself and what he had to do to become a better overall human. The adventures he goes on, I think, opens his eyes to a world in which he thought he was invincible.
Odysseus accomplishes many heroic deeds while on his journey in The Odyssey. For example, when Odysseus’s men get captured on Circe’s island, Odysseus goes by himself to rescue them because “Necessity drives [him] on” (239). Even when he faces death, Odysseus still travels to save his men, no matter the cost. This act of heroism not only brings his men back, but it also gives them a chance to rest and enjoy Circe’s hospitality. Also, when Odysseus reaches the land of Polyphemus the Cyclops, Odysseus tricks him by getting him drunk, saying, “Here cyclops, try this wine, to top off the banquet of human flesh you’ve just
“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.
The challenges that Homer give the protagonist is all a test of character. Odysseus continues to pass the obstacles with flying colors, but his arrogance is the one flaw that is in dire need of correction. Some of the many challenges Odysseus overcomes on his voyage home is defeating the Cicones, surviving the Island of the Lotus Eaters, outsmarting the Giant Cyclops, saving his men from Circe, Traveling to Hades, passing between Scylla and Charybdis, escaping Calypsos’ Island and many more. Odysseus survives these obstacles and uses his smarts to escape near disaster. Often times he was the only one to survive these things and his crew often lost their lives due to their own stupidity. “‘We left the island and resumed our journey in a state of gloom; and the heart was taken out of my men by the wearisome rowing. But was our own stupidity that had deprived us of the wind.’”(P127 L75-79) Odysseus shows how he is an extraordinary man by being much smarter than his crew and the men that follow him. As a part of this stripping of Odysseus, Homer shows that Odysseus is a collective symbol of Everyman. On the one hand Odysseus is a great warrior, who is extremely intelligent, noble, and a great man. Although he has many god- like qualities he is still human. He shows that he is human and like every man, because of the fact that he still has major flaws. The
Homer’s The Odyssey is a Greek story that follows the journey of its primary character, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus encounters many challenges in his journey home, from encounters with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the witch Circe and even the ghosts of dead Greeks. Meanwhile, his household in Ithaca is being threatened by suitors of his wife, Penelope, all wanting to inherit Odysseus’ possessions in the belief that he was already dead. Like many epic heroes, Odysseus possesses many admirable qualities. Three good characteristics of Odysseus are—cleverness, bravery and strength—here are some supporting instances from the epic that demonstrates Odysseus possession of such characteristics.