Summary of The Odysssey Book XI

1467 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: essay on the odyssey books 1-12

In The Odyssey, we learn about the famous journey of a man named Odysseus and his travels back home from Troy. King Alcinous is curious about Odysseus' life and why he needed all the help to get back home to Ithaca. Eventually, Odysseus tells about his journeys that got him all the way to the Phaecians. When Book XI starts, Odysseus arrives at Oceanus and is on his way to the Underworld. Why does he have to go to the Underworld? Well, when Odysseus and his men were traveling from island to island to see how to get back home, they arrive on an island where Circe lives. Odysseus' men are invited into Circe's home for a feast. He sends a group of twenty two men and his buddy Eurylochus. They all follow Circe and enjoy the feast. What they do not know is that the food contained some of Circe's magical powers in them. Eurylochus knew this all along, and was very careful in making sure he did not get tricked. Eventually, Odysseus' men became pigs from Circe’s evil magic. Eurylochus tells Odysseus what had happened on Circe’s island and household. Odysseus meets Hermes and gives him herb moly to protect himself from Circe's powers. It prevents him from forming into an animal even when coming into contact with her magical liquid. Odysseus continues on to his journey and arrives at Circe's home with caution. When Odysseus and Circe meet, he draws his sword to make a peace offering. He comes up with an idea to sleep with her only if she transforms his men back to humans. Circe agrees to the proposition and Circe offers them to stay in her island for a year. After about a year, Odysseus asks Circe for help to go back to his home in Ithaca. Circe accepts, but in order for him to go back home, Circe explains that he needs to visit the Underwor...

... middle of paper ...

...p of Teiresias of Thebes and Agamemnon, Odysseus gained much more knowledge of things that may occur in the future. He receives tips and information of what lies ahead of him in the future. The position of Book XIV plays an important role as it is near the heart of the epic. It helps to tie in the poem all together and brings all of the various setting introduced to the reader in a more manageable chunk. The break in the story helps us remember who he is talking to and the purpose of this long narrative. His narrative is almost three books long, and this break keeps the reader entranced and makes it easier for them to remember everything that is going on. Odysseus’ journey to the Underworld not only will change the things he does in the future, but it helps explain the backstory of his life and why he is in the current position he is in.

Works Cited

THe odysesused

Show More
Related

  • How important is Book 11 to the overall meaning of The Odyssey?

    3231 Words  | 7 Pages

    It is Circe who tells Odysseus of the trip which he and his men must

    Read More

  • Odysseus Lessons Analysis

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...s, a prophet, and Circe, a Nymph, that he would be the only one to survive the voyage home. First, Scylla takes and eats six of Odysseus’ men and after they stop on Helios’ Island, the men eat Helios’ cattle. He tries in every way he knows to keep his men alive, but they did not abstain themselves from eating the cattle, so they perish.

    Read More

  • Odyssey Hero's Journey Essay

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Odyssey, Odysseus Journey is the main part of the story but there is more too it . The Odyssey has parts from a form of writing called the hero's journey. There are many types of the hero's journey stories . The Odyssey followed the Hero's Journey quite closely in its progression though the story and its arch. One thing is being able to understand the concept of The Hero's Journey makes it so much easier to to understand The Odyssey and other stories like it

    Read More

  • The Nature of Women Portrayed by Circe and Calypso in The Odyssey

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    These two female characters are especially enticing to Odysseus because they are goddesses. Though it is evident that Odysseus longs to return to Penelope in Ithaca, it sometimes appears that he has lost vision of what life was like with a wife, a son, and with thousands of people who regard him as King. Although his experiences on the islands of these goddesses were similar in that he was retained from Ithaca for the longest periods of his adventure, these goddesses and the ways that Odysseus reacts to his experiences with them represent two very different aspects of Odysseus' life and disposition in life. When Odysseus and his men arrive on Circe's island, they are still in fairly good shape. In Book X, lines 194-196, Odysseus says: "I climbed to a rocky place of observation and looked at the island, and the endless sea lies all in a circle around it." I believe this illuminates a very important aspect in Circe's tendencies. She doesn't seem to want to cause any real harm to the men, but wishes to encircle these men with her food, wine, and lust. She seems to be obsessed with lust and material possessions, and it is my belief th...

    Read More

  • Central Conflict In The Odyssey By Fitzgerald's 'Odyssey'

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    In all stories, a central conflict is paramount in creating an interesting narrative that keeps readers engaged throughout the totality of a tale. The different ways in which different writers can achieve this through literary devices while telling the same story speaks to the diversity of literature, and to the fickle nature of translation, as exemplified through The Odyssey. One great moment of contention is on Circe’s island. Shewring acknowledges Odysseus’s resistance to Circe’s magic, “…Never has any other man resisted this drug, once he has drunk it and let it pass his lips. But you have an inner will that is proof against sorcery. You must surely be that man of wide-ranging spirit, Odysseus himself; the Radiant One of the golden wand

    Read More

  • Jacob and Odysseus: Their Roles as Heroes

    519 Words  | 2 Pages

    Like Jacob, Odysseus connived, manipulated, and deceived. On his journey home from the Trojan War, Odysseus uses his trickster ways to get himself out of trouble. One famous tail was his encounter with the one-eyed Cyclopes Polyphemous. Odysseus and his crew landed on the land of they Cyclopes. They made themselves at home, eating the cheese and goats of the Cyclopes, fully expecting him to be hospitable. Instead, Cyclops began eating then men as though they were animals themselves. Odysseus and his men were trapped in the cave and Polyphemous rolled a stone over the entrance so no one could exit. Odysseus connived a plan and gave the Cyclopes some wine. When he got drunk and passed out, Odysseus poked out the eye of Polyphemous and completely blinds him. Odysseus and his men escape the cave by clinging to the bellies of sheep (Odyssey, Ch. 9). He also disguised himself as a veteran of a Trojan war to Eumaios, a loyal servant, and as a beggar to his wife and son.

    Read More

  • The Odyssey

    537 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Self Discipline In The Odyssey

    475 Words  | 1 Pages

    Again Odysseus shows a lack of self discipline while with the witch Circe. Odysseus chooses to stay with Circe instead of trying to make it back to his wife, Penelope, and his kingdom of Ithaca. In the Odyssey it says "he enjoyed the many pleasures of Circe." (Page 913). This proves that Odysseus, once again has no control over himself when he is tempted. He choose the beautiful witch over his very own wife who has been waiting for years for him to return.

    Read More

  • Circe: The Character Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

    719 Words  | 2 Pages

    The men exploring find the stone house that belongs to Circe and all of them go in but one. The men drink her magical drink and they all turn into many different animals. The man waiting outside see what happens to them and runs back to the ship to tell Odysseus. He brings bag one of the men back to prove to Odysseus that he is not lying. Odysseus decides to go and try to save the rest of his men. Odysseus is forced to climb up a mountain to get to the top. On his way up Hermes visits him and gives him a magical plant that protects Odysseus from Circes magical drink. Odysseus arrives and drinks Circes drink and doesn’t turn into an animal. Odysseus asks Circe to turn his men back to men. She tells Odysseus that she will turn them back once he takes her to bed. Odysseus agrees and his men are turned back into men. They end up staying for five years thinking it has only been five

    Read More

  • Adversity In The Odyssey

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • The Purpose Of Book 24 In Homer's Odyssey

    744 Words  | 2 Pages

    The two epics occur sequentially and have intertwined plots. Since the start of the Iliad there has been a ceaseless conflict. Our two main heroes, Achilles and Odysseus, have been fighting and experiencing death through the Trojan War, and trying to make their way home. Now, finally, there is a pause - a moment of peace. Achilles has earned his kleos through the Trojan War, and Odysseus has earned his nostos through his homecoming. This final book reinforces that idea and sums it all up together. At the end of the Iliad of course we knew that Achilles was to be immortalized through it, but we did not know his final fate. This is told to us more so and given closure when the Achilles and Agamemnon argue over one another’s death. Here also we learn about Achilles’ funeral, literally and figuratively closing the book on him as a hero. The story is summed up for Odysseus as well in this key book. He is now back to his prior social standing, has defeated the threats of the suitors, and no longer has to dress up like a beggar. Odysseus has seen his son, his wife, and now his father, arguably the three most important people to him, and has reclaimed his identity. The question of the angry families of the suitors is answered and ultimately all is well. For the first time in two epic poems, and more than a decade, there is not some huge

    Read More

  • Women in The Odyssey

    1471 Words  | 3 Pages

    The image of seductresses is a recurring motif in The Odyssey. These women are a temptation to Odysseus. They attempt to keep Odysseus from accomplishing his goal: his homecoming. Circe is a bewitching goddess. She entices Odysseus’ crew into her palace with her enchanting voice. However, after she feeds them, she promptly turns them into pigs. Circe also succeeds in enticing Odysseus; he stays with her one year as her lover. It is so long that his crew declares that it is “madness” (326). They say that it is “high time” that Odysseus thinks of his homeland (326). Later on, Odysseus and his crew encounter the sirens. Knowing the danger they pose, Odysseus has all his men’s ears stopped up with wax. However, Odysseus wishes to hear their song; so he asks his crew to tie him to the mast. The song of the sirens is so sweet and enticing. Their “ravishing voices” almost make Odysseus forget his desire to return home (349). His heart “throbbed” to listen longer; he signals for his men to let him go free. The grea...

    Read More

  • The Folly Of Human Nature In Homer's Odyssey

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    Upon the isle of Circe, the crew had been tasked under Eurylochos to discover the circumstances of the witch at the center of the island. But only Eurylochos returned to tell the tale of their capture, how Circe, “asked them to come in; they all followed her, in their innocence … but she put deadly drugs in the mess, to make them wholly forget their native land” (117). The rest of the crew gave into the temptation of the beautiful Circe, drawn into her house despite warned caution in their scouting. It also stands as a bit of irony that the man who would lead the crew into their eventual demise was the only one to stand strong and suspect that not everything was as they appeared with Circe. Among the lotus eaters, the crew was tasked with learning more about the island’s native people. But upon finding them the men, “tasted that honey-sweet fruit, they thought no more of coming back to us with news, but chose rather to stay … and chew their lotus, and [say] good-bye to home” (102). The lack of caution among Odysseus’s sailors leads to their loss of individualism as they attain a death of a sorts, unable to live as men and incapable of attaining kleos. These reckless and unwise actions taken by each of the sailors was done in their greed for an immortality through remembrance but ultimately provided nothing but their

    Read More

  • Odysseus Character Development Essay

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    Homer’s literature served as a moral messenger to the people of ancient Greece. The Odyssey by Homer demonstrates the character development of Odysseus, the epic hero, and his journey of self-discovery. Odysseus was a great, wise, noble, and well respected war hero to his people. Odysseus had one tragic flaw that was demonstrated by his actions throughout the book. The author Homer continued to strip Odysseus of his arrogance throughout the story, by throwing challenges his way, making him pay for his mistakes, and allowing him to continue to overcome obstacles. The main purpose of Odysseus journey also to reach his home a more humble man. Reading Odysseus’ journey also served as a way to look at morals. The

    Read More

  • Circe: The Dread Goddess

    549 Words  | 2 Pages

    Along the trail, Odysseus met Hermes in the guise of a young man. Hermes told Odysseus that he could entrap Circe and free his companions if he obeyed the gods orders. Hermes reached down and pulled a plant called ’moly’ from the ground and explained that mere mortals found it difficult to dig-up but he, as a god, could do all things. Odysseus took the ’good medicine’ and went boldly into Circe’s house. She welcomed him as another victim and gave him her vile potions but the ’good medicine’ gave Odysseus protection. When Circe thought the drugs had taken effect, she struck Odysseus with her wand. The wand was supposed to complete the transformation process but Odysseus drew his sword and sprang upon her. The astonished Circe surrendered instantly. She released the twenty two pig-men and ceremoniously anointed them with another one of her potions.

    Read More

More about Summary of The Odysssey Book XI

Open Document