Archetypes In The Odyssey: The Archetype In The Odyssey

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Myths recur across cultures and times because they are narrative and iconic manifestations of psychological archetypes which are themselves universal across times and cultures. An archetype is a universal symbolic pattern that is a motif, theme or character or image that repeats itself in many different cultures. It can be compared to a blueprint or a prototype that gets re-visited many different times. Some of the most popular examples are stories of great floods, initiation, creation, the underworld and motherhood. Archetypal characters and stories appear consistently in myths across many various cultures. Archetype myths explain the nature and creation of the world how life came about. Humans are very curious when it comes to the topic …show more content…

In the beginning of the epic, he is left in a situation of uncertainty. With his father gone, he has not yet taken full responsibility of his position in Ithica and experience imbalance with his people even though it is his inheritance. He is in the stage of life where he is too young to take control of the situation. It can be said that it is his baby step towards adulthood. However his character changes when the Greek goddess Athene meets with Telemachus, his personality shifts from being insecure and uncertain to a confident, balanced, independent man as she tells him to search for his father. Everyone including the suitors begin to take notice. This behavior signifies a fundamental and important transitional role in the initiation process as this action represents a new establishment in Ithica. This moment marks his progression into adulthood. His journey into adulthood/manhood is a perfect example of the “initiation” archetype. This is symbolic in a way that evidently shows how everyone in life has to go through multiple steps to be the “perfect” human being. Even gods have to go through the same procedure but differently. Only when you are met with crisis and problems you can learn from your weakness and build your

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