The Role Of Mortals In The Odyssey

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When I was young, it was easy to wish for infinite days on earth and beautiful youth for all eternity. As time passes, and more knowledge is gained, this wish starts to diminish. Reading the Odyssey really highlighted the differences between mortals and immortals. Over the course of the story we discover how different characters develop in these categories. A mortal is a human being that has a time-span on their life. They will die eventually and are usually at the mercy of the immortals. Mortals tend to have a more compassionate nature, and have significantly less power than the immortals. One example of a mortal in the Odyssey is Penelope, Odysseus’s wife. In the story, Penelope waits for 20 years for Odysseus’s return, and refuses to …show more content…

These beings can be part human or completely mythical and tend to mess with the lives of the humans. They usually have the magical capability of disguising themselves, as Athena does throughout the story. The first example of an immortal woman in the Odyssey is Athena, the god of wisdom in Greek mythology. Throughout the story, Athena plays a part in Odysseus’s journey and helps him return home. She has the ability to disguise herself as a mortal/human when really she is not. “So he spoke in prayer, and from nearby Athena came to him likening herself to Mentor in voice and appearance.” (Book 2) This is a quote that shows how Athena can disguise herself to help the mortals. Another example of an immortal in the story is Calypso, the beautiful sea nymph. Calypso uses her magic to hold Odysseus on the island of Ogygia as a sex slave for seven years. She loved odysseys but eventually let him go. Her holding him hostage shows that immortals like Calypso had power over the mortals. “She loved me excessively and cared for me, she promised to make me an immortal and all my days to be ageless, but never so could she win over the heart within me.” (Book 7) Immortals were ageless and Calypso wanted Odysseus to be hers forever, so she promised to make him an immortal as well but Odysseus

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