Picture a water-logged, bearded man floundering about in the ocean, yet never failing nor drowning. This is Odysseus, King of Ithaka, trying to survive. In The Odyssey by Homer, characters in the story were impacted by significant events, and emerged either more joyful, or more depressed than before. Telemakhos journeyed on a long voyage to find his father, enduring much pain in the process that eventually lead to reunion with his father. His father, Odysseus himself, the great Greek hero, suffered practically all his life, yet he returned to his home as the rightful king. These men’s experiences exemplify the fact that suffering leads to maturity. A mature one learns from their mistake, as painful as it may be. Odysseus underwent many trials, but one in particular impacted him greatly. When Odysseus and his crew were escaping from the Kyklops' island he taunted the beast –his defeated enemy –saying, “O Kyklops! Would you feast on my companion… Kyklops, 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!” (159-160). The Kyklops prayed to the god Poseidon, his father. Poseidon sent a giant stone to destroy Odysseus’s ship, and …show more content…
When Penelope left her room to go downstairs and see Telemakhos upon his return, she saw –in place of a boy –a man. She asked him quietly, “Telemakhos, what has come over you? Light-minded you were not, in all your boyhood. Now you are full grown, come of age, a man of royalty” (343). Such a comment revealed that Telemakhos had finally matured to fill in his father’s place as king. In his father’s absence, Telemakhos has to deal with the suitors. Enduring the pain –from the mockery of the suitors to the unbelief of his mother –eventually helped him mature into a fine young man full of wisdom and
Odysseus returns from a great victory of the Trojan War and the enormous amount of pride he gains gets him into a lot of trouble. As he returns home, he lands on the island of the Kyklopes. He insists that they meet with the unknown host, with the prospect of receiving gifts. His pride and craving for more treasure leads him and his men into trouble. They get trapped in the cave of the Kyklops and uses his wit to escape. He spoils the victorious moment when he taunts at Polyphemos. He taunts, “Kyklops, 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 Ithaka!" (IX, lines 548-552). Not only did Odysseus...
In the Hero’s journey, The Odyssey, the main protagonist, Odysseus, changes in a way which helps him gain self-knowledge. Odysseus ' experiences transformed his personality from how he was in the beginning to the end, by leading him through a heroic journey, also known as a quest. The real reason for a quest never involves the stated reason, and this is no different with Odysseus. As the story developed, many of Odysseus’ sides were exposed through the challenges he faced. Out of the countless dangers and obstacles every step back home, him and his crew have only acquired minimal character changes. Even though they are minimal, they are those which take many decades to achieve.
By traveling far from home and risking his life to learn about his father, Telemakhos is forced to mature at a tremendous rate. He learns more from his trip than he could have by staying at home with the suitors. From Nestor and Menelaos he learns courage, bravery, and how to be both a man and a host. He learns that he must fight against what the suitors represent, to stop them from claiming what is his.
...ks, the distaff and the loom, and keep the women working hard as well.. I hold the reins of power in this house'” (Homer 89). With a shock, his mother followed his order and this shocked some suitors as well. “Discreet Telemachus took command: ' You suitors who plague my mother, you, you insolent, overweening... You must leave my palace! But if you decide fare is better... carve away'” (Homer 89). He still hasn't quite won yet because he wasn't able to actually throw them out by himself, so the suitors still look down on him. However, a huge change was shown through Telemachus. He actually gained the courage to say something, which is a really good sign. After he said something, he finally took action to go look for his father himself. Without a doubt, Athena's visit was the element that allowed Telemachus begin doing something about his life and make some changes.
“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
Homer’s The Odyssey, a magnificent story of lust, deceit, greed, and heroism, still fascinates scholars and casual readers alike today in the same way it fascinated its audience at the time it was written. The Odyssey, a journey of determination, patience, and virtue, tells the tail of Odysseus, the main character, on his voyage home to Ithaka after the end of the Trojan War. Odysseus goes through many unforeseen trials and tribulations, which exemplify his character. During these different happenings, Odysseus makes decisions that do not correspond to his character.
When his crew entered into the area of the Sirens his true arrogance comes out. To avoid the Siren’s sound, Odysseus comes up with a brilliant plan that saves him and his crew. Instead of continuing to escape the Sirens, he is overly proud of his epic rescue says “But even from there my courage, my presence of mind and tactics saved us all” (12; 229-231). Finally, the biggest mistake Odysseus makes is when the Cyclopes traps the crew in his lair. Odysseus devises another brilliant plan and saves his people. Arrogance comes over Odysseus and he says “Cyclops if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so- say Odysseus, raiders of cities he gouged out your eye, laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca” (9; 558-562). The need to claim the defeat of the cyclops is an ego boost that he found more important than quickly escaping. As a result, more of his crew's lives are
A hero accepts who he is as an individual, but strives to change himself for the better. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, the main character Odysseus is a valiant king who embarks on a life-changing voyage. While traveling from Troy back to his home in Ithaka, King Odysseus overcomes daunting obstacles, and in doing so discovers his place in the world. Odysseus is truly a heroic figure because he demonstrates courage, improves his character, and wins the support of the gods.
The. " In disguise as an old friend of Odysseus', Athena travels to his manor in Ithaka, now overrun with noisy, lustful suitor's intent on marrying Odysseus' wife, Penelope. Odysseus' son, Telemakhos, unhappy among the suitors, greets Athena warmly as a stranger and invites her to their feast. As the suitors devour Odysseus' oxen, Telemakhos says he believes his father - whom he does not know at all - is dead. "(gradesaver.com/
Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplified the key traits needed to be an epic hero. The poem depicts Odysseus as an extremely strong man; at one point, he even defeats the towering cyclops Polyphemus. His ingenuity in creating the trojan horse unearths his slightly latent intelligence. Along with strength and cunning, Odysseus a strong sense of selflessness. He bared a trepid ten year journey and longed for his child and wife. Unfortunately, all of Odysseus’s traits are tarnished by his infidelity, ruthless behavior, and the massacre of men. Though he was, without a doubt, heroic, his lovely wife is the true, unsung heroine of the Odyssey.
Odysseus has had more than just ups and downs; he has been through war, separation from loved ones and dealing with needy gods, but most of all dealing with Irus, the beggar. Irus is not a given name, for this fat beggar received his nickname from the fact “he was always running errands for someone.”(18.8). Giving him recognition amongst the town folk, just like Polyphmeus, being recognized as Poseidon’s son. In a way it was a repeat of the earlier trial given to Odysseus, seeing if he can pass it again without letting his pride get in his way again.
Although Telémakhos first appears "a boy, daydreaming" (I, 145)truly a far shot from what he wants to be, a warrior and hero like Odysseus, of whom he daydreamsAthena stirs him into action and thereby sparks his initiation into the world as a man. In the shape of Mentês, Athena advises Telémakhos to stop sitting around and daydreaming, and to start looking for his father, or at least news of him. With her description of Telémakhos as Odysseus' boy by his looks, Athena makes Telémakhos realize that even though he may be young yet, he is no boy: "The way your head is shaped, the fine eyesyes, / how like him! We took meals like this together many a time." (I, 252-254)
The Hero’s Journey is never an easy one. This particular journey, as detailed in Homer’s The Odyssey, is one of struggle, loss, heartache, pain, growth and triumph. It is comprised of many steps that Odysseus has to overcome and battle through in order to achieve his final goal of reaching his home and his loved ones. From the Call to Adventure to the Freedom or Gift of living, Odysseus conquered them all. The story begins in the middle of the story, as many of the oral Greek traditions did, with the Journey of Telemachus to find his father. Although Telemachus has not yet met his father, it is almost as if they are journeying together, where the end of both of their journeys results in being reunited. Telemachus journeys from being a boy to becoming a man, while out in the sea Odysseus is battling Poseidon to return to the home that wife that he loves and the home he has left behind.
When Odysseus left Ithica, Telemakhos was only an infant. Now twenty years later, Telemakhos is faced with the hoggish suitors and shows little sign of hope for the future. In fact, when Athena approaches him as Mentor, he gives this grim description of his situation: "they eat their way through all that we have, and when they will, they can demolish me" (I.297-298). Telemakhos is rightfully anxious about the problems at hand. He doesn't remember his father, whom he refers to as "a man whose bones are rotting somewhere now" (I.199), and holds out little faith "in someone's hoping he still may come" (I.206-207). This shows Telemakhos' realization of the scope of his problems at hand. He is not naive to the suitors intentions, and seemingly too him, he is left alone to contend with them. It is here that Telemakhos displays emotional immaturity and a lack of confidence. Though he may realize the necessary strength of one who could overtake his enemies, he cannot identify these capacities within himself. Fortunately, Athena's encouragement comes just at the right time. She encourages that he "call the islanders to assembly, and speak your will, and call the gods to witness: the suitors must go scattering to t...
The relationship of father and son between Odysseus and Telemachus allows their progress in maturity to be linked. It creates an intangible journey that, although separated by distance, could be shared. Therefore, when the journey they share becomes tangible, “a boy daydreaming,” (5), can become the “true son of King Odysseus (301).