Life is a Journey. When I was a little girl, I used to like to imagine how different my life would be if I were a princess. I wanted the big cupcake dresses, the beautiful sparkly tiaras, and castles (or mansions) to be staples on the journey I call life. My reality, however, wasn’t much like a princess’s. I didn’t have such glamorous things in my life growing up because of the fact that there was no way that I was ever going to be royalty. My life was more similar to that of a warrior’s such as Odysseus’s from the book The Odyssey. More specifically, his life during his journey back home to Ithaca because it was full of difficult obstacles that he had no choice but to overcome. Life can get tricky. One day can be fantastic and the …show more content…
This guy was the Circe in my life. I didn’t expect to make new friends so quickly when I started high school because of how shy I am but to my surprise I did. Just as Odysseus didn’t know that he was going to encounter Circe “the nymph with lovely braids, an awesome power too who can speak with human voice, the true sister of murderous-minded Aeetes”, I encountered Beto, the brother of my sisters best friend who had the ability to make people feel comfortable around him.( The Odyssey p.234) We hit it off within the first two weeks of high school, just as Circe and Odysseus hit it off as soon as the nymph saw Odysseus was immune to her potion “I’m wonderstruck-you drank my drugs, you’re not bewitched!". I thought he was the best thing to ever happen to me. In my eyes he was close to perfect and we were the ultimate best friends but our friendship only lasted for about a year and a half. At the time, I wanted nothing more but to be with Beto the majority of the day and to just hang out with him because he was what I considered to be good company. However, he was just a distraction that I should have ignored because he was just keeping me from my goal, which was graduating high school. When we were together things were perfect. There was constant laughter and no awkward moments of silence which is amazing because of how awkward I …show more content…
A similarity between my journey and Odysseus’s journey is that I didn’t go through my battles alone. Odysseus had help along the way from gods such as Athena who helped Telemachus regain hope that his father was still alive, she helped Telemachus find a crew, and she assisted with the encounter of king Alcinous (The Odyssey p.86 & book 6). My family has been with me through all of the good and bad situations in my life, they are like the Athena in my life. They’ve helped me as much as they could and sometimes I fail to see how much they do for me just as Odysseus didn’t see how Athena had been helping him along the way. However, when I do realize that I’ve been helped I try to show my gratitude. My way of showing gratitude is much different from that of the books ways. Instead of animal sacrifices I try to do something like cook for my family or bake for them. My friends would be like the crew from the Odyssey. They too have been with me and we’ve been through many things together in life. We have a bond that could never be broken such as the bond between crew members. However, Odysseus’s was not there from the beginning and didn’t make it to the end with Odysseus. I’ve accepted the fact that friendships sometimes are temporary so you have to ride out the bad times and enjoy the good times with friends because you never know when a friendship could
As seen throughout The Odyssey, a hero is perceived as a person who achieves great success never before seen and whose legacy lives beyond their years. Since The Odyssey was written around the eighth century BCE, the people that we view as heros in present day tend to embody different traits than the heroes of that time. Even though the word, “hero” does not have one specific definition, a hero is generally categorized as someone who is idolized for their bravery and does anything necessary to defend their people. Although Odysseus embodies the Homeric ideals of heroism in that he accomplishes triumphs that others have not, his successes are the product of divine intervention and his actions were primarily selfish; therefore, he is not a true
Throughout literature characters have relied upon entities greater then themselves to furnish them with aid as they meet the many challenges they must face. The Odyssey is a tale of Odysseus’ epic journey and the many obstacles that bar his return home. But Odysseus is not alone in this struggle and receives aid from many gods, especially the clear-eyed goddess Athena. There are times when Odysseus beseeches the gods for aid, but other times he is too foolhardy to receive aid from even the immortal gods. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus’ journey revolves around the cyclical phases of his dependence, independence and his return to reliance upon the gods’ aid.
It helps to understand that we should be kind no matter what happens in a friendship. I always want to feel generous with my kindness. In the Odyssey Circe went behind Odysseus back by adding vile in the drinks after seating Odysseus men on thrones. “On thrones she seated them, and lounging chairs, while she prepared a meal of cheese and barley and amber honey mixed with Pramnian wine, adding her own pinch, to make them lose desire or thought of our dear fatherland.” (Homer 10.27-31) This is an example of the bad hospitality Circe gave to her guest. By this we can tell that we couldn't trust her in a friendship. In order to have a great friendship you need to have trust, support and
This was a major step in the hero’s journey because it helped Odysseus discover and meet new friends, mentors, enemies, challenges, skills and new knowledge. This self-knowledge began with Odysseus not having any friends who trust him whatsoever. The main reason to do so is, in book nine, Odysseus doesn’t make any new friends considering the fact that he has a problem with letting his hubris get into the way of letting him believe someone is actually good enough to be friends with him. Here, it is clearly articulated that he was too boastful for him depend on anyone. This is major because not only does he avoid dependence, but he also avoids trust put on him. If he is too selfish, no one will believe his word, as they will think it’s all for himself and not any for them. The part of the epic which identifies this is when Odysseus gives specific instructions to his crew to not open the bag which was given by Aeolus. Only Odysseus knew that the bag contained powerful winds which could help them reach Ithaca, but this is hidden from the crew. They had already identified Odysseus as selfish, so they expected the bag to be full of treasure, and how mankind is, they wanted some too. To the readers’ surprise, this all changes the minute he enters Ithaca. He is welcomed by his dog, Argos, and was helped a kind shepherd who filled in Odysseus
The Hero’s Journey describes the typical adventure of the archetype known as The Hero, the person who goes out and achieves great deeds on behalf of the group, tribe, or civilization. After reading the epic poem The Odyssey, by Homer, and watching the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, by the Coen brothers, they both show evidence of the Hero’s Journey. The Hero’s Journey is based on Joseph Campbell’s A Practical Guide to The Hero With a Thousand Faces. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is projected as the “hero” while in O Brother, a man by the name of Ulysses Everett McGill can be seen as the “hero”. Elements of The Odyssey and O Brother are shown through the stages in the Hero’s Journey like the Approach to the Inmost Cave, The Supreme Ordeal, and Threshold Crossing.
Odysseus and the Heroic Cycle in Homer's Odyssey. & nbsp; "The hero with a thousand faces" written by Joseph Campbell, describes the path a person takes as he journeys through the heroic cycle. Throughout the Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus is portrayed as a hero. Odysseus fulfils the requirements of the Heroic Journey. " A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonderâThe hero comes back from his mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons upon his fellow man"(J.C.30) Odysseus accomplishes the heroic cycle through the steps of Departure, Fulfillment, and Return. & nbsp; Odysseus' departure from Troy is the beginning of his long heroic adventure. What of those years of rough adventure, weathered under Zeus? "
“Our life’s journey of self-discovery is not a straight-line rise from one level of consciousness to another. Instead, it is a series of steep climbs, and flat plateaus, then further climbs. Even though we all approach the journey from different directions, certain of the journey’s characteristics are common for all of us.” Author Stuart Wilde’s impression of journeys and their shared commonalities supports the claim that all journeys have a motive and an outcome. In the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus sets off to defeat Troy, leaving his wife and child behind. After accomplishing his goal, Odysseus faces many problems while trying to return him and his crew back home to Ithaca. Similar to Odysseus’s physical journey, the goal in
In the Odyssey the people of Ithaca are accustomed to hospitality. In Odysseus’s lengthy journey home he learns to maintain modesty. Odysseus’s family never give up on him throughout his entire 20 year journey, and they kept Ithaca for him when he came back. The Greek values of hospitality, humility, and loyalty are conveyed in The Odyssey.
Although the heroic journey of Odysseus and Luke Skywalker resemble one another with similar heroic steps, the difference in Odysseus’s journey distinguish him as the exemplary epic hero.
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.
Odysseus, the protagonist of the Odyssey by Homer fits the outline of an epic hero because he is courageous, quick-witted, and a natural leader. Odysseus isn’t only known for his muscles, also his clever mind. He is one of the great heroes that possesses both brains and brawn. He is also a hero with outstanding skill and bravery. It is no wonder why many teachers refer to Odysseus as a powerful hero. I believe Odysseus is a hero because he is clever, can overcome obstacles, is very brave, a leader but like all great heroes, he has his weaknesses.
We all change throughout our lives as we learn from our experiences and Odysseus is no exception. Odysseus lives though some crazy things and through his experiences, he learns more about himself and some of his traits change—for the better—by the end of the Odyssey. Odysseus’s experience with the Sirens shows that he’s learning to trust people outside of himself and that he’s learning to be a better leader. Throughout the epic, we see Odysseus struggles in accepting the “gifts” that the gods give to him. Odysseus likes to be in control of what happens in his life, and because the gods are a higher power than him, he does not have complete control and learns to accept this through the course of his journey. Odysseus’s experiences facilitate his learning and changing into a better person and leader; by the end of the epic, he is more accepting of the twists and turns that are thrown at him by the gods and more trusting of people.
In Homer’s Odyssey Odysseus shows his yearning for adventure and that challenging himself brings him happiness through his actions not his thoughts. Even in the clutches of a raging cyclopes Odysseus’ accepts the challenge at hand and persevere through the loss of some of his men. “My name is Nohbdy,” he tells Polyphemus who is drunk from the liquor Odysseus had given him before. The giant “reeled and tumbled backward,”. He son fell asleep and the next stages of his plan fell into place. When the sharpened log was hot enough for his liking he and a few other men “bored that great eye socket,”(380). Instead of letting his men die while he cracked under the pressure Odysseus remained calm and allowed himself to think. Having achieved his goal of defeating the mighty cyclopes he rejoiced in his valiancy. Odysseus exuded happiness when most of his men got out alive. Odysseus’ habits of getting his men into seemingly inescapable predicaments continues on the island of Cersei. At the gate of the witch’s island his need for adventure takes the best of his judgement. Against the advice of Eurylochus Odysseus “rushes to save his men from the enchantress,” (387). Odysseus’ need for thrill and excitement draws him onto the island. He knows that he will suffer the same fate but makes a decision in the heat of the moment that could've made him unable to return home, but he wasn’t thinking of home, he purely wanted to get his men back. Throughout his journey Odysseus perfectly represents the bond between a man’s adventures and the challenges they bring to
The Odyssey, an epic, was written by Homer, a renowned Greek epic poet. The prequel to this book is The Iliad and leads off with the end of the Siege of Troy and the disappearance of Odysseus.
Women play an outstanding large role in "The Odyssey" by the Greek poet Homer, although it is much of a tale of a man's heroic quest."The Odyssey" by homer is majority move around Odysseus's quest to return back to his home and wife, Penelope, so that he may be reunited with her someday and take control over his place, which was overrun by suitors. In the presence of the many suitors, Odysseus's son, Telemachos attempts to regain authority but he finds this difficult and he started his own journey under the guidance of Athena. The most parts of the story of "The Odyssey" focus upon the adventures of Odysseus as he endeavors to get back home, which he finally does in the end.