Theme Of Deception In The Odyssey

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The Odyssey, an epic poem by Homer, was written towards the end of the 8th century. It follows the epic hero, Odysseus, and his twenty year voyage home to Ithaca. After helping Greece win the Trojan war, he faces many challenges before returning to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. Throughout the story, Homer captures many different concepts of the human being. He presents the universal life lesson that that not all circumstances one must face in life are exactly how they seem, no matter how they appear physically, and being unaware of this deception can bring pain and loss. The Sirens, the Lotus Flower, and Odysseus in disguise are all symbols of the daily deceptions we all face, as a way to teach readers that even if something or …show more content…

In the epic poem, they trick Odysseus and his men with their beauty, almost killing them with the sound of their voices. “Square in your ship’s path are Seirênês, crying beauty to bewitch men coasting by; woe to the innocent who hears that sound! He will not see his lady nor his children in joy, crowding about him, home from sea; the Seirênês will sing his mind away on their sweet meadow lolling.” (Homer 12, lines 48-54). The reader learns how sirens symbolize the physical deception we all face, reminding them that one should be careful to not judge someone solely based on physical appearances, as they can be deceived. By wrongly doing so, one might face grief, as not all people are exactly how they …show more content…

He tricks the suitors into underestimating him, and then when they least expect it, kills them. “You yellow dogs, you thought I’d never make it home from the land of Troy...You dared bid for my wife while I was still alive...Your last hour has come. You die in blood,” (Homer 22, Lines 37 - 43). By assuming Odysseus was dead, the suitors were oblivious when he returned to Ithaca disguised as a beggar. Unaware of that is was him, they were rude and insulting to who they thought was an old man. The suitors assumed that because of his physical appearance, Odysseus couldn't hurt them. They were later proved wrong, and lost their lives. If the suitors had been more aware of his deception, and hadn't judged Odysseus based on his looks, this may not have

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