Students might moan and groan when you hand them The Odyssey. “It’s so big; it’s so confusing”, they could say. But, if you look a little deeper, The Odyssey is a perfect example of epic poetry for the Greeks. To the Greeks, an epic hero has a massive significance. It symbolizes everything they look for in a leader and the qualities he/she should posses. Odysseus, being an epic hero, is an essential part of making The Odyssey an epic poem. To be considered an epic, the writing must contain an epic hero, use elevated language, show values of the culture, and other crucial elements that make up this style of writing. Universal themes, a hero of larger-than-life status, and prophetic actions make up The Odyssey, a classic epic poem written by Homer. Universal themes are just one component that make The Odyssey an epic poem. Throughout The Odyssey, some clearly shown themes are, cunning over strength, loyalty, dangers of hubris and maturation of a journey. In this example, the theme cunning over strength is shown. A sacred part of Odysseus and Penelope’s marriage was their bed. Odysseus built it himself from the trunk of an olive tree and it is unable to be moved. Penelope says, “Make up his bed for him, Eurykleia./ Place it outside the bedchamber my lord/ built with his own hands.” (202-204). Odysseus is enraged and contradicts her by yelling out details about the bed only he would know. Penelope’s trick has ensured her that she has her husband back. Another prominent theme is the dangers of hubris. Kyklops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laërtês’ son, whose home’s on Ithaka! (548-552). Odysseus was so close to being free and safe.... ... middle of paper ... ...ep well to seaward; plug your oarsmen’s ears with beeswax kneaded soft; none of the rest should hear that song. (46-49 and 57-60) Without Circe’s warning, Odysseus would have never been able to resist the Sirens’ powerful song. The prophecies are very helpful for keeping Odysseus safe. Without their foreshadowing, he might have never lasted long enough to make it back to Ithaka. These three components are certainly crucial in making up Homer’s The Odyssey. Without prophetic deeds and actions, universal themes, and an epic hero, The Odyssey could not have been awarded the title of an epic poem. It is obviously important to include these elements mentioned in this paper and others that combine to make an epic poem. Works Cited Homer, and Robert Stuart. FITZGERALD. The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998. Print.
Often through great literature, there is an epic hero. In the Odyssey, Homer tells the story of one man’s journey home from the Trojan War. The protagonist of the epic poem Odysseus is often regarded as a great hero. However, Odysseus is not quite the glorious soldier that people often see him as. Odysseus shows that he is an antihero through his pride, disloyalty, and bloodthirstiness.
The Odyssey is an epic home it was written by homer in the classical Greek. The story is about the main character Odysseus a Trojan war hero and his journey to return home to Ithaca conflict and obstacles are throughout the story and affect different characters many of the characters experience some form of reciprocity by the end of the epic and get what they
There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.
The fall of Troy in the 12th or 13th century BCE and the pursuit of historical/documentation gave inspiration for the composition of Homer’s the Odyssey. Epic poetry is seen by many historical scholars as Homer’s forte. His use of Odysseus as a centralized heroic figure, the heavy involvement of the Greek Gods, plentiful examples of repetition/enumerations, and Homer’s invoking of Zeus’ nine daughters the Muses are all glaring characteristics of epic poetry. These characteristics incidentally make excellent mnemonic devices. Evidence such as the way Athena speaks to Zeus: “Father of us all, thou son of Cronos, high above all lords…” in (Homer, Odyssey Book 1 line 45) which is repeated throughout the text is indicative of the poem’s auditory
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.
Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, tells the story of Odysseus’ journey to his home in Ithaca, ten years after the Trojan War. Throughout Odysseus’ journey to reach home, he proves that he is an epic hero by overcoming many extraordinary circumstances that test his loyalty, ability to resist temptation, and the power of his cunning over his strength.
The Odyssey is filled with emotion and adventure. Homer’s ability to show and give the reader a visual of each and every scene gives the story its unbelievable significance. To all the people who read his work there is something to be captured within every sentence, each one different in its own, unique way. Through tales of courage and defeat, friendship and love this book tells of all the values within the life of a single, solitary man, and his journey to attain what is true and dear to him. And this journey is known to all of us as The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a test of human devotion and trust through the gods, the mortals, and the obstacles through which they venture. No matter where they go or what they do, humans are tested for certain characteristics everyday of their lives, whether they realize it or not; and The Odyssey is just one of those many miraculous tests.
Homer. ?The Odyssey,? World Masterpieces: Expanded Edition. Maynard Mack ed. Ed. Coptic St.: Prentice, 1995.
...ontained winds to return home. If he were wise, he would have gotten out of Circe’s bed sooner and set sail for home. Odysseus heals from his emotional wounds , but fails to become the hero he was meant to be because he did not complete the last step of the hero’s journey.
Homer. The Odyssey: Fitzgerald Translation. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998. Print.
The Odyssey by Homer is an action-packed epic poem with many heroic movements of their main character Odysseus. The Odyssey Part 1 has many different shocking, arrogant and heroic events Odysseus does. This story is known worldwide and many people have interpreted and translated it to there languages over the ages.
In conclusion, the “Odyssey” is one of the greatest literary works ever known and this literary analysis should help the reader to understand the important components of the novel such as theme, characters, relationships, symbols, motifs, literary devices, and tone.
Picture this: a hero of great legends who travels to the underworld and back to get directions to his home from a blind prophet. It sounds like quite an impossible journey, but that is exactly what makes Odysseus all the more fascinating. The Odyssey, an epic poem orally transmitted by Homer, a Greek poet who wrote The Iliad, had to contain some variety of attributes that Greeks valued in a person. That one embodiment of what the Greeks found intriguing in a character is Odysseus. Odysseus is known as what is called an epic hero. An epic hero is a protagonist of a story that represents the most important attributes of a civilization. Odysseus, being based in ancient Greece, is the embodiment of intelligence, loyalty, and strength.
Homer is credited for writing epics that generate source materials for the modern world. The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer are captivating stories with fascinating heroic characters. The Homer stories share with classical mythology typical recurrent motifs. The two Homer epic poems focus on the Trojan War, and its result. The epic poems contain the Greek mythology featuring the Greek gods, goddesses, mythological creatures, and the Greek heroes, and heroines. In addition, the principal motifs typical of classical mythological hero stories are; the dominance of fate, evil fighting against the gods, and death. In both the classic mythology, and he modern fiction hero stories, the heroes always have a helper in their expedition, but ultimately, they have to stand alone, face the darkness, and conquer it in order to become victorious.
Lawall, Sarah N. “The Odyssey.” The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. 8th ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. 206-495. Print.