AJ Hamrock
Mrs. Jenkins
English 1
19 December 2016
The After Effects on Odysseus's
Could one of mythology’s greatest warriors who survived all odds fall victim to common disorders? In Homer’s famous poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus is the king of Troy and leaves to fight in the Trojan War. The war is 10 years long and after that, he embarks on his historic journey back home. From encounters with the gods, magical beasts, and other kingdoms it takes him another 10 years to come back home to his wife and son. While he was gone he faced his toughest challenges yet and life-threatening events. Odysseus can fall victim to common disorders as stress (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. Odysseus had to make some very serious and extremely stressful decisions
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Being the king of Troy, having depression would be terrible. Odysseus might try to commit suicide, because of PTSD and all the overwhelming responsibilities of being king again. In the article, The Odyssey and PTSD, it said, “He withstands the ruinous song of the Sirens, who long to lure him to his death” (Dominic, 3). The sirens are another metaphor, but they are for suicide when the soldiers just can’t handle the punishment of war anymore. In the story, Odysseus commands his crew to tie him to the ship’s mast so he can’t jump overboard. This is interesting because he already knew that they would run into the sirens and told his crew to put cotton in their ears, so they would not hear the sirens dangerous song. Depression could also make you very anger at times, sometimes even at small inconveniences. In Stress on Troops Adds to U.S. Hurdles in Iraq it stated, “built-up anger resulting from combat stress increased the likelihood that the troops would lash out on civilians” (Carey, 3). Odysseus needs to keep his people under control, and if he hits a civilian there would be riots. They would say Odysseus is not fit for king if he can’t control himself. All his anger would not allow him to make decisions clearly for his kingdom or his self. Along the way, Odysseus had to make crucial choices most of them ending up with some of his men dead. Dr. Morgan said, “you quickly get to a point where the only thing that’s …show more content…
He could start to panic that he and his forces are just not ready yet to fight again. In Stress on Troops Adds to U.S. Hurdles in Iraq it stated, “40 percent of soldiers rated uncertain redeployment dates as a top concern” (Carey, 2). Odysseus is just getting his kingdom back in order, and another war or attack will destroy the government and the citizens. With all that pressure on him again, it would make him jumpy and want to rush different tasks. This would make the entire kingdom panicked and frightened. Having all this anxiety all the time would give you acute stress disorder (ASD). A report claimed, “Almost 30 percent of soldiers who were engaged in “high combat” were discovered to be suffering from “acute stress” (Carey, 2). Having acute stress would make Odysseus depersonalized. This means that Odysseus would make decisions or have emotions that he would not normally have. This could lead to reckless actions or dangerous ruling which he would never do if he was alright. Having acute stress also has other negative effects, such as concentration problems. A Harvard University study shows that acute stress leads to, “Exaggerated worry about health, safety, money, and other aspects of daily life” (Harvard University, 1). Odysseus already has enough things to worry about, and not being able to concentrate would make matters even worse. Not being able
There where several parts of The Odyssey that lead me to choosing my topic, but there were two specific pieces that were the most influential. The first was in Book 9 when Odysseus seemed to have completely lost control, “Again I began to taunt the Cyclops-- men around me trying to check me, calm me,” (Homer, 226-227). This was really the first major pert that showed me something had changed about Odysseus due to the war. Many PTSD victims can get caught up in the moment of things not even remotely related to their trauma yet they still lose control and do things they wouldn’t have done originally. The next part that showed me PTSD in The Odyssey and lead me to choosing my topic was when Odysseus and his son reunite at last after 20 years and Odysseus did something he didn’t tend to do before he
One of Odysseus's many qualities is determination. He remains determined throughout the entire saga to get back to his family. During Odysseus's Odyssey he encounters many obstacles, beast, god, and nature. Odysseus must get through all of these hardships before he can make it back to his family and home. On his way back Odysseus is next to Charybdis and she swallows his boat. He must holds on to the branches of a fig tree to survive, "But I clung grimly, thinking my mast and keel would come back to the surface when she spouted. And ah! How long, with what desiree, I waited! Till, at the twilight hour...the long poles at last reared from the sea"(12.560-64). Odysseus shows his determination to get home, because it would be easy for him to just let go and drown, but no Odysseus hangs on so he can see his wife again. Once he is at home he finds suitors at his house. Odysseus kills one of them and the others beg for mercy, ??Not for the whole treasure of your fathers, all you enjoy, lands, flocks, or any gold put up by others, would I hold my hand??(22.65-67). Odysseus is determined to get revenge on all of the suitors and he will not be satisfied until they are all dead. Without his strong will and determination Odysseus would not have made it through his trials. Although determination is a must for a journey such as Odysseus?s cunning is also just as essential.
Odysseus shows that he has PTSD through re-experiencing and hyper arousal of emotions. During Odysseus’ travel home he experiences hyper arousal of emotions when he slaughters the suitors for merely nothing, as well as not being able to control his emotions or actions. “ How could he? In that revelry amid his throng of friends who would imagine a single foe---though a strong foe indeed---could dare to bring deaths pain on him and darkness on his eyes?”(955.240). “ Odysseus’ arrow hit him under the chin and punched up to the feathers through his throat.” (955.245). There was no struggle that had ensued beforehand and even though Odysseus had killed the suitor he had prominently thought against it the arrow had released suddenly and the thought
Some of these are brought out in different situations, both positive and negative, such as Menaleus's mention of his father, which caused a sudden out-burst of tears, and the proud and accomplished feeling he received from leaving Sparta.. Odysseus's situation was only slightly different. He, like Telemachos had his worries about family-life, and his kingdom at stake, but also had concerns about his wife, possibly triggered by the mention of Agamemnon's by Proteus, who was killed by the hands of his own wife.
Kite Runner After Talibans lost control of Kabul, there was a survey done in Afghanistan. About 42 percent of Afghans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Badkhen, 2012). Amir is a wealthy Pashtun child who lived in Kabul, Afghanistan. He had servants Hassan and Ali. Hassan and Ali were Hazaras.
All of his heroic deed would have been in vain and no one would have even remembered him. He could not have fought the suitors and proved himself . The act of returning was always the ultimate goal for Odysseus and the temptations of happiness, beauty, immortality, and eternal youth were much harder for him to pass up every time he had to put his life on the line and fight an army or evade a monster. He could have given in to any of the temptations at any time and never had to endure the pain and strife that came from his homeward journey. Without his heroic resources to help him escape the temptations by battling his way out or using his wit to escape he holds on and endures and finally returns.
With the Odyssey, Odysseus learned a big lesson in humility. The greatest example of this is in the last five books or so within the story. He has to dress, act, and live like a beggar in order to regain everything he had lost. While he was a beggar, the suitors treated him horribly. Antinous, leader of the suitors, was the worst of them all. He was the first to mistreat Odysseus and planned to kill Telemachus. He was also the one that would abuse him physically and verbally for some time to come. Also, if that weren’t enough, he planned a boxing match for Odysseus to be in to watch him get beat up. All this was happening and the other suitors were most likely following their leader in whatever he was doing. Odysseus had to control himself the whole time this was happening. If he had lost his temper, the suitors would have killed him, his son, and most likely taken over the kingdom. That didn’t happen though. Odysseus learned self-control and humility. He may not be perfect at it, but going through all the humility made him a better man. Along the same topic, he was a king going through this humility. It would be one thing for a peasant to go through it, but a king? This made it even harder for Odysseus. He had rank above all the suitors and could rightly kick them out of his kingdom. Instead he waits for the right time and kills them all. The “pre-journey” Odysseus would of thought of himself invincible and probably would have died trying to get his kingdom back.
Going to his journey home, he no longer needed to reach the olive fields with stones that warm in the sun as his child plays, and his wife helps with the harvest. His journey has changed to get his vengeance and in the end die so he can reunite with his family. I bring this up because dieing is a change as is the change Odysseus goes through by essentially becoming no one, a regular Joe so to say. This is what I believe...
Odysseus was within arms reach of home but because of how naive he was he was forced to keep going on his journey. After all of Aeolus’ hospitality and such a powerful gift Odysseus is still mindless at what this meant and because of him not being cautious, he could not complete his adventure. It’s surprising knowing that after being on a powerful god’s bad side and being forced back to sea, that Odysseus can be even more of a fool.
Odysseus wouldn’t of taken ten years after the Trojan war to get home if it wasn’t for his prideful trait. Pride causes Odysseus suffering all throughout the book. For example, once Odysseus was on his way off the island of the Cyclops, the epic says “I would not heed them in my glorying spirit, but let my anger flare and yelled: “Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes son, whose home’s on Ithaca.” After Odysseus and his men escape Cyclopes island, Odysseus pride kicks in and he tells off the Cyclop that he blinded. Telling the Cyclop his real identity, and his business. The Cyclop prayed to his father Poseidon (sea god), which Poseidon is still upset and still hold a grudge towards Odysseus, because Odysseus did not thank the gods after he won the Trojan war, and because of his pride, he said he did it all on his own. This would only cause more trouble for Odysseus and his journey home to extend
The Odyssey by Homer is an epic about a man’s return home after fighting in war. The protagonist of the epic is Odysseus, but interactions with and stories of his fellow veterans abound. The story of Agamemnon’s death upon returning home is retold and referred to numerous times and serves as a warning to Odysseus of the dangers that could exist for him in Ithaka. The ghost of Agamemnon is encountered by Odysseus in the land of the dead and is quite changed from the friend he knew and fought with at Troy. Despite his high place in life and exploits in war, Agamemnon demonstrates the suffering of the returning veteran.
The challenges that Homer give the protagonist is all a test of character. Odysseus continues to pass the obstacles with flying colors, but his arrogance is the one flaw that is in dire need of correction. Some of the many challenges Odysseus overcomes on his voyage home is defeating the Cicones, surviving the Island of the Lotus Eaters, outsmarting the Giant Cyclops, saving his men from Circe, Traveling to Hades, passing between Scylla and Charybdis, escaping Calypsos’ Island and many more. Odysseus survives these obstacles and uses his smarts to escape near disaster. Often times he was the only one to survive these things and his crew often lost their lives due to their own stupidity. “‘We left the island and resumed our journey in a state of gloom; and the heart was taken out of my men by the wearisome rowing. But was our own stupidity that had deprived us of the wind.’”(P127 L75-79) Odysseus shows how he is an extraordinary man by being much smarter than his crew and the men that follow him. As a part of this stripping of Odysseus, Homer shows that Odysseus is a collective symbol of Everyman. On the one hand Odysseus is a great warrior, who is extremely intelligent, noble, and a great man. Although he has many god- like qualities he is still human. He shows that he is human and like every man, because of the fact that he still has major flaws. The
In Homer’s Iliad, the reader can see there are many situations that show Achilles has symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, known as PTSD. The Iliad is a story of the Trojan War, which was started by Agamemnon of Mycenae to attack Troy. Agamemnon was forced to give up a girl that he had taken in a raid, and then takes Briseis from Achilles as a trade for the girl. Then, Achilles becomes angry and wants to kill Agamemnon, but removes himself from the war. In The Iliad, Achilles emerges as the victim of war, as well as its brutal perpetrator through his violence and the events preceding it. Achilles experiences a combination of events which typically trigger PTSD, including betrayal, witnessing the deaths of comrades, and surviving the
There is nothing more satisfying then the moment when your head hits the pillow after a long, stressful day or week. When people are faced with problems and stress, they are often very uneasy until the problem is solved, or the problem doesn’t require anymore attention, making one feel “free” of the weight they’ve had to deal with. In the story of Oedipus Tyrannous, Oedipus was continuously tortured by his fate, and continuously tried to avoid the catharsises that eventually occurred. Throughout the play Oedipus is hassled as he is trying to run away from his problems, and at the same time rule the city of Thebes. It can be argued that Oedipus possesses more freedom at the end of the play than the beginning when it is learned that he is at fault of Lias’ death, as he has become aware of his fate, is
Achilles, a very valuable warrior and great fighter was a very significant part of the Trojan War. He wasn’t fighting for a family back home or anything of that nature, he was simply fighting because it was his destiny. He knew going into the battle that he was going to die, but he trusted that fighting was the best thing for him and something he had to do. He took his destiny seriously, even though he knew it meant he was going to die. Odysseus, on the other hand, was fighting a very different battle. He was fighting to get home. Throughout the entire poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus displays his longing to be back at home with his wife and son. He is constantly fighting with the gods, monsters, and beast to try and make it back to Ithaca. These two characters are fighting for two very different reasons. One fighting because it’s his destiny and what he’s meant to do, and the other because he longs to see his family once again. It’s plain to see that the motives behind the fighting is different for both of these