Pain and Suffering in The Odyssey and the Gospel of Matthew
In the "great works" of ancient Greece and of Christianity, suffering alone is portrayed as something to be feared. Both Homer's Odyssey and the Gospel of Matthew contend that suffering is virtually unbearable when the sufferer has not outside support. If, however, the tormented can find support from others, these teachings continue, suffering becomes more tolerable. Both agree that we wish to find supporters when we are tormented. Unfortunately, these sources diverge on how one finds such support. Homer teaches that one can find support by knowing that all of mankind suffers together, ultimately tormented by the gods. The Gospel of Matthew, however, teaches that by placing faith in God, the tormented can find support from God. More, it teaches that God hears the calls for help from humans and, if asked in true faith, will give support to all sufferers.
To illustrate the teachings of these two works, one short passage from each is sufficient to give the kernel of the respective teachings on this subject:
Rag of man that I am, is this the end of me?
I fear the goddess told it all to wellÄ
predicting great adversity at sea
and far from home. Now all things bear her out:
he whole rondure of heaven hooded so
by Zeus in woeful cloud, and the sea raging
under such winds. I am going down, that's sure.
How lucky those Danaans were who perished
on Troy's wide seaboard, serving the Atreidai!
Would God I, too, had died there—met my end
that time the Trojans made so many casts at me
when I stood by Akhilleus after death.
I should have had a soldier's burial
and praise from the Akhanians—not this choking
waiting for me at sea, unmarked and lonely. (Homer V.309-323)
"He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said 'I am God's Son." The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.
From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, "This man is calling for Elijah." At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.
In the Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus's main goal was to reach home. Even though all of his thoughts were turned towards his home and family, he learned many lessons along the way. Odysseus's greatest learning experiences were in his journey, not his destination.
Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus’ power was gained through the power of others resulting in three phases of understanding: self-determination, courage, and having a greater vision in life. In order to understand these three phases, one must be able to conquer predominance from those less useful than others. Although Odysseus was physically strong, he was not who he was mentally, without the help and guidance through the gods. Odysseus was like one who has no friends, but when he meets up with more people, he becomes popular. One who was alone and meets new people, has more friends and finds out more interesting subjects about daily life. They are the ones who have more predominance than others because they know more people and have much more interesting subjects. Odysseus was like this because he didn’t know much without the help and guidance from others.
between the two authors, they share similarities towards the message they try to send out.
In part one this essay proposes that an arms embargo is simple to initiate, primarily because it meets the demands for action in circumstances of conflict and violent repressions, and requires minimum political consensus among the UN member states. Nonetheless, the failures of many arms sanctions during the past two decades could either maintain or alter this situation. Furthermore, the second part of this essay will argue, with specific references to the EU’s sanctions against China and Syria that embargoes are not difficult to lift per se, but their removal ofte...
A time to remember those who died, those who served, and those who carry on.” ~Unknown. Servicemen make sacrifices daily. During 9/11, the Manhattan firefighters were responding to a gas leak when they heard the explosion from one of the twin towers. Policemen and firefighters from all around New York and surrounding areas came to help rescue the victims. They searched through rubbish and raced with time to check the buildings before and after the buildings collapsed. There were clouds of smoke, dust, and debris flying through the streets; blinding the bystanders. Hundreds of servicemen died that day, including military personnel in the Pentagon who were also hit by the hijackers. I had a cousin named Johnnie Doctor Jr who was in the Navy. He was killed in the Pentagon. I never got to know him, but from what I heard he was a great person to be
Homer's The Odyssey can be truly considered as one of the best epic poems of all time. Odysseus' journey in returning home becomes a test to prove himself. Only on the testing grounds of life can one discover inegrity, loyalty and perseverance. Homer's craft is so profound that theme's found in the poem still pertains to man today. The Odyssey is truly remarable in that Odyseus' character, his morals, and his views are stil admired by people today.
Similar to an elaborate dish, a literary genre consists of multiple necessary “ingredients,” called epic conventions, which classify a text into a particular category. Homer follows an impeccable recipe in his magnificent work. Labeled as an epic, The Odyssey by Homer portrays the Greek hero Odysseus years after his victory in the Trojan War and his awaited journey back to Ithaca. As the plot develops it is evident it is no effortless feat for our hero to return home. The godly Odysseus encounters adversities in the forms of Cyclops, sea monsters, alluring flowers and formidable Greek gods with varying conceptions of him. These characteristics distinguish the Odyssey and its episodes as an epic and bestow Odysseus with the title of an epic
Violence in literature may take any form, whether it be natural disaster like and earthquake or a human based disaster like war (Campbell). In Homer’s The Odyssey both types are found… whether it’s Odysseus’s hardships like making it home or dealing with the wrath of the god Poseidon. Every violent scene has its own reasons, some are more reasonable than others. For instance, the gods were angered by the disobedience of the mortals. This is more reasonable than the killing of the Cyclops. While we always relate violence to men and the gods, women also had their moments of rage, but their violence wasn’t necessarily due to anger. Moreover, violence in The Odyssey is based on jealousy, territorial rights, and last getting revenge. Overall, violence is what makes The Odyssey so intriguing.
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.
Trip, D. (1999), “The Christian view of suffering” [Online], Exploring Christianity. Available from: http://www.christianity.co.nz/suffer4.htm [Accessed 18 April 2008].
Brains over brawn, who will win this battle?Homer's tale of Odysseus' adventures in “The Odyssey” show that being intelligent and cunning can be far better than having physical strength. Being physically strong certainly has its advantages, but not in all circumstances. Strength in intelligence shows new meaning of strength. Odysseus is amused with himself when he defeats Polyphemus. His great skills with a bow outweigh the others abilities. Knowledge of the placement of his bed win his beloveds heart.
Coming over from Taiwan nearly six years ago, the freedom of the American society still dazzles me. The extensive freedom of the U.S. citizens is a result of those American soldiers who fought bravely during wars to “insure domestic tranquility and provide for the common defense” (Constitution 1) of the United States. I want to honor and thank the soldiers, especially those who unfortunately will never be identified by family members.
Kimberly Ann Elliott, Institute for International Economics, "Evidence on the Costs and Benefits of Economic Sanctions," Statement before the Subcommittee on Trade of the House Ways and Means Committee, October 23, 1997. The text of her statement can be found at http://www.iie.com/sanctns.htm.
Jesus was beaten, mocked, and spit on before His crucifixion. A crown of thorns was placed on His head, and he was stripped while also being forced to carry His own cross. He was led to Golgotha where he would be crucified, and offered a mixture of vinegar, gall and myrrh to drink but refused. Stake-like nails were driven through His hands and feet, crucifying him to an old rugged cross between two convicted criminals. Jesus talked to people from the cross, and even called out “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” At that point, darkness covered the land. A little while later, as Jesus gave up His spirit, an earthquake shook the ground, ripping the Temple veil in two from top to bottom. (Matthew 27:32-54)
Nietzsche found Schopenhauer’s response to suffering unsatisfactory, so he turned to the Greeks. The Greeks were also aware of the inherent suffering of existence, yet they did not deny the will or acce...