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Literary analysis essays on the odyssey
Critical analysis of the odyssey
Critical analysis of the odyssey
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The Odyssey: A Discussion of the Final Volume, Book XXIV
Homer’s epic, The Odyssey is the classic story of the homecoming of the warrior and king Odysseus. It is one of the most enduring pieces of literature known to man. The lessons and tales from the epic are unforgettable.
However, there are several difficulties that the contemporary reader has with The Odyssey. These include issues such as difficult language, tangential stories, and the verse style it was written in. However, the focus of this paper is the final volume of the epic. This volume, Book XXIV, is usually noted as rather anticlimactic. Many believe that it is simply an epilogue (having the epic really ends in Book XXII when Odysseus killed the suitors.) Some scholars believe that the final book is not even Homeric. This essay shall discuss why Book XXIV is a good conclusion and how it relates to the rest of the story, which would provide a case for it being Homeric.
In Book XXIV, entitled "Warriors, Farewell," Homer does not seem to want to have a grand ending, but rather neatly wrap up all of the loose ends. There are three major parts to this book, they include: the voyage of the suitors’ shades to Hades and dialogue between Agamemnon and Amphimedon; the story of Odysseus and Telemakhos visiting Odysseus’ father, Laertes; and the start of tje feud between the families of the suitors and the house of Odysseus and Laertes (which could have torn the country of Ithaca apart) which was stopped by the Zeus and Athena.
Homer starts Book XXIV in Hades as Agamemnon and Akhilleus greet the shades of the suitors that Odysseus killed in Book XXII. One of the shades tells Agamemnon of how Penelope was faithful and how Odysseus returned to take his revenge. Agamemnon, who upon his homecoming after the Trojan war was killed by his adulterous wife, was surprised by this tale. This is perfectly consistent with the earlier depiction of Agamemnon in Hades (Book XI) in which he tells Odysseus to beware of Penelope for she may have been unfaithful. This meeting between Agamemnon and the shades of the suitors makes sense since the story of Agamemnon was one often referred to during the epic. This sort of finishes off the Agamemnon story.
The introduction of the suitors’ shades also serves to yet again reinforce the theme of hospitality.
way. I will put each piece of potato into the 5 test tubes and add the
“The Odyssey” is an epic written by Homer between 750 and 650 B.C. It is the tale of the main hero’s, Odysseus’s, journey home to Ithaca from Troy. It takes place after the Trojan War and is the sequel to “The Iliad.” Odysseus and his men set sail from Troy and come across the lair of the lotus eaters. After escaping, they run into the cyclops,
Book 5 ends foreshadowing what trouble may lie ahead for Odysseus as Poseidon intends to thwart every attempt that Odysseus makes at trying to get home.
Homer, . The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar, Straus and Girous, 1998. Print.
Investigation to Determine the Effect of a Range of Different Concentrations of Sugar Solutions on the Potato Cells
1. Assembled the test tube rack with 4 test tubes. Placed 7.0mL of potato solution in each test tube. Gathered 4 of each 300mL beakers filled about half filled with tap water for the water baths.
The research question asks how the solute concentration in the solution would affect the change in weight of the potato. The hypothesis posed in this lab was if the potato is placed in a 0.0M solution then it will increase in weight and if the potato is placed in a 0.2-1.0M solution then it will decrease in weight. The results yielded from the lab supported the hypothesis. When the potato is placed in a 0M solution it will increase in mass because there would be less solute in the environment, therefore making it hypotonic, causing the cell to swell up and get bigger. When the potato is placed in a solution that is 0.2-1.0M it will decrease in mass because there would be more solute in the environment, therefore making it hypertonic, causing the cell to lose water and possibly plasmolyze.
Homer’s epic, the Odyssey, is a heroic narrative that follows the adventures of Odysseus, the powerful King of Ithaca. The main story involves Odysseus’s return journey to his homeland after the Trojan War. However, Homer skips around in the action periodically to give the reader a better understanding and interest in what is going on in the epic. Homer takes his audience from the present action involving Telemakhos’ search for news of his father’s return, to the past where Odysseus tells the Phaiakians of his tragic journey home after the war. The events in Homer’s epic are not in order but still prove more effective at guiding the reader through the narrative. Although the events in the Odyssey are not in chronological order, the story line is enriched by Homer’s use of the in media res method because it introduces characters that were not involved in Odysseus’ adventure, because it shows the urgency of Odysseus’ return to his kingdom, and because it allows the reader to become more interested in the opening chapters without having to wait for a climax in the action.
The experiment was centered on the question: What is the concentration of sugar in a potato? This question is an important one to understanding how we digest potatoes and could be used for nutritional information. In order to find the answer to this question we cut a potato into 5 pieces, placing each in a different solution of sugar and water of about 150ml. Then we waited 30 minutes to see if the effects were hypotonic or hypertonic, giving us a reasonable percentage to how much sugar a potato has naturally. We predicted that the solutions with 0%, 1% and 5% sugar would create a hypotonic environment, increasing the weight of the potato pieces. While the 10% and 15% solutions would create a hypertonic environment, causing the potato to lose weight. This assumes that a potato is naturally between 5% and 10% sugar.
...journey is less cyclical than Achilles' but similarly ends with his regret for the ravages of war. Odysseus is a flawed character, much like man himself, and his actions can only be fully accounted for by attributing them to the gradual progression of his soul. He is gifted, yet possesses shortcomings; insightful, yet blind; driven, yet lost. Achilles is divine, yet mortal; rational, yet contradictory; kind, yet vicious. Still, together they represent the ideals of Greek mythology and the weaknesses of mankind. They are in control of their own actions, but subject to fate. Through both heroes, Homer manages to convey some of the most fundamental features of human existence.
The epic poem called The Odyssey, which was written by the poet Homer, is one of the many classical stories from Ancient Greek culture. It tells the story of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and his journey back home from the war with Troy, which had occurred in Homer’s other epic Greek poem, The Illiad. Odysseus faces many trials and quests in his journey home and to take back his kingdom from the suitors, such as meeting the witch Circe, blinding a Cyclops named Polyphemus, dealing with Poseidon, and staying with the goddess Calypso. The poem has many themes that are relevant to it. One such theme is the factor of redemption. Redemption is usually a typical subject in any kind of religion, like the Greek religion and Christian religion. The story of Odysseus has an underlying message of him receiving redemption from the Greek gods. The Odyssey is a tale of redemption because it deals with Odysseus being forgiven by the gods after having to go through many trials and wrongs to rightfully claim back his wife and the throne of Ithaca.
“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.
Homer’s literature served as a moral messenger to the people of ancient Greece. The Odyssey by Homer demonstrates the character development of Odysseus, the epic hero, and his journey of self-discovery. Odysseus was a great, wise, noble, and well respected war hero to his people. Odysseus had one tragic flaw that was demonstrated by his actions throughout the book. The author Homer continued to strip Odysseus of his arrogance throughout the story, by throwing challenges his way, making him pay for his mistakes, and allowing him to continue to overcome obstacles. The main purpose of Odysseus journey also to reach his home a more humble man. Reading Odysseus’ journey also served as a way to look at morals. The
"The Odyssey" is an epic poem. In "The Odyssey", the reader can find at least four characteristics, which help prove it is an epic poem. One characteristic is the vast setting that Odysseus experiences throughout his journey. Another is Odysseus's larger-than-life, imposing stature. So are the superhuman deeds Odysseus completes on his long arduous journey. Also, "The Odyssey" is based around a central hero whose actions determine the fate of his kingdom.
middle of paper ... ... In Homer’s Odyssey, both Odysseus and his son Telemachus embark on long, difficult journeys; Odysseus trying to return from Troy to his home in Ithaca, escaping Calypso and the island of Ogygia, and Telemachus from Ithaca to Pylos and Sparta in search of his lost father. While The Odyssey tells of the courage both men demonstrate during their respective travels, their quests are the results of the intentions and desires of gods. Odysseus is trapped in exile on Ogygia by the will of Poseidon, whose anger Odysseus attracts when he blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, and by the love of Calypso, who wishes to make Odysseus her husband.