Analysis Of Homer 's The Odyssey

In the “Odyssey”, Odysseus goes through obstacles throughout the book that a normal man couldn’t subside. One example is in book 9, his main obstacle that he is trying to face is to escape from being held hostage in a cave by a Cyclops better known as Polyphemus. Odysseus is a archetypal hero, he is also a role model, with an ambition to get to his homeland Ithaca. He goes through resisting temptation and using his intellect and physical strength to get him there, no matter the obstacle nor the negative flaws that he faces. Odysseus put himself and his men in that situation by being curious and wanting to know what kind of land his ship and the winds led him to. This was selfish of him because it cost him some of his men, but a leader and hero has to play that role and some lives will be dealt with on the way. Odysseus says, “The rest of you will stay here while I go with my ship and crew on reconnaissance. I want to find out what those men are like, Wild savages with no sense of right or wrong Or hospitable folk who fear the gods” (Homer 429). Saying this quote alone makes Odysseus a humble man due to the fact that not even a piece of land is going to slow him down on his journey back home.

In November of 1922, a British archaeologist named Howard Carter discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamen after searching for years in the Valley of the Kings in Thebes, Egypt. King Tutankhamun was an 18th dynasty pharaoh from the New Kingdom (ca. 1570-1069 BCE). He became pharaoh around ten years old and died at around nineteen years old. This tomb was an important find because it was one of the only intact royal tombs found in the Valley of the Kings. His tomb consists of the Passageway, Antechamber, Annex, Burial Chamber, and Treasury. The Antechamber was the first room that Howard Carter and other archaeologists discovered after making a hole in the sealed doorway of the tomb. One of the objects found in the Antechamber was a wooden painted box depicting various militaristic conquests.

In the Epic, “The Odyssey", spoken by Homer, conveys a heroic tale of an epic hero named, Odysseus, who faces many challenges as he sails to get home. One of the tasks Odysseus faces is, "The Sirens", who challenge Odysseus 's will power. Another challenge Odysseus encounters is, “The Cyclops", who torments and slaughters some of Odysseus 's men due to his curiosity. One of the hardest threats he had to confront was, “The Land of Dead" which tested his self-restraint, and revealed his human weaknesses of sorrow. The Epic Hero, Odysseus, struggles with many challenges such as, the taunting Sirens, the brutish and cruel Cyclops, and one of the arduous territories Odysseus has ever crossed, The Land of the Dead.

Throughout the Odyssey, the hero, Odysseus is portrayed in two different and contradicting lights: the wise hero and the capricious leader blinded by his own pride. The epic writer, Homer, embodies the theme of hubris throughout Odysseus’ journey home. The idea of hubris, a trait of excessive pride, significantly develops personalities of characters within The Odyssey, and Homer ultimately creates a statement about excessive pride. The dual portrayal of Odysseus leads the reader to ultimately perceive him as a flawed hero who is responsible for his fate.

Human nature drives individuals to define the most perplexing concepts; however, understanding the true meaning refers to more than its denotation. The definition of justice proves to be a conflicting view point, dating back to Socrates’s attempted explanation in Plato’s The Republic. Within the first book, Socrates finds himself exposing the flaws behind three definitions of justice proposed by the traditionalists of Athens. Through Socrates’s ridicule of physical attributes equating to justice, he disproves these perceived virtues and conveys the necessity for a lack of physicality.

In Homer’s historic epic The Odyssey the protagonist, Odysseus, is venturing home to his native land of Ithaca. Throughout the story Odysseus is faced with many great challenges and is forced to make many decisions that will greatly affect his life and that of everyone around him. Each decision is crucial to his survival and his journey home. Homer portrays many patterns that are susceptible throughout the tale. One of the major themes that he portrays is that temptation can befall any man, even Odysseus. Many times throughout the story Odysseus and his men fall or are delayed due to the sweet temptations that the world offers them. These temptations do not end even after Odysseus

In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, certain characters are granted with the ability to make decisions for themselves, while others must deal with external factors, whether it be fate or divine intervention, that predispose their lives. Similarly, women are predisposed with the inability to make choices for themselves while men are born with the right to uphold power and enforce control over the female gender. Contrary to these gender stereotypes concerning power in a Homeric world, Homer instills Penelope with complete control, while leaving Odysseus with none. It is this distribution of control in Penelope that enables Odysseus to complete his nostos and re-identify himself, therefore pushing the boundaries of gender norms.

Brains over brawn, who will win this battle?Homer's tale of Odysseus' adventures in “The Odyssey” show that being intelligent and cunning can be far better than having physical strength. Being physically strong certainly has its advantages, but not in all circumstances. Strength in intelligence shows new meaning of strength. Odysseus is amused with himself when he defeats Polyphemus. His great skills with a bow outweigh the others abilities. Knowledge of the placement of his bed win his beloveds heart.

On a ten-year voyage across cold and choppy seas with nothing but the bitter wind at one’s back, physical strength is a necessity. The chances of successfully trekking home with weak limbs are not great. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is the epitome of power. His brawny physique undoubtedly grants him the strength to swim, climb, run and even kill his way back to his wife. But Odysseus cannot return home on physical force alone, as many of the obstacles he faces are mental. Perhaps the greatest of these obstacles is temptation. The "battle-weary" man’s odyssey is brimming with temptations of the mind, body and soul that he must not only grow out of, but conquer, in order to return home and stake his glory.

Literature is one of the most powerful and revealing aspects of a society. In ancient Greek society, Homer’s The Odyssey provides a detailed insight into the values of this intricate culture. In particular, this epic discusses the ways in which the deathless gods influence the fates of the mortals. The overall impact of the gods’ power is the mental straining that emerges from the unrelenting conflict of man versus immortal. Likewise, the actions and misfortunes of others also catalyze this extremely significant and powerful mental battle. Homer’s The Odyssey reveals the values of ancient Greece by portraying the intrapersonal struggles between a person’s self-determined honor and his/her worthiness in the eyes of the Gods. This underlying

Telemachus, who is the son of Odysseus was seen to be insecure and immature that had trouble in making decisions in his life. He had trouble coping with the idea of losing his father and letting others to rule Ithaca. It is noticeable from the beginning of The Odyssey, written by Homer that Telemachus finds himself in a complicated situation where his life is seen to be in danger. He is a character of being distance from people. The idea of Telemachus becoming his own father, threatens suitor’s control in Ithaca. Homer describes Telemachus as a teenager who has not found himself and is on a mission to become an adult as his father. Telemachus wants to be seen as a powerful and respected man. Before his mission, Telemachus meets with Athena who gives him courage to go and find his father. The meeting with Athena makes Telemachus more confident in making decisions. His mission to find his father and meeting with different kings and queens changes Telemachus into a secure and confident man. The people that he met during his mission made a tremendous change in his life in becoming more than he expected.

A hero isn’t shaped by his strengths but by the values he possesses. Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, reveals the moral and ethical constitution of the ancient Greeks. Over time, certain cultures have grown to value a number of human characteristics. Those who acquire such values become respected heroes. After the fall of Troy, the protagonist of the epic, Odysseus, set sail for his home, Ithaca, where his faithful wife and son were waiting for him. Over the course of his journey, Odysseus faced some of the most ferocious opponents known to the Greeks. Even through this formidable journey, Odysseus and his family have stayed true to the diverse aspects of the ancient Greeks. The Odyssey exemplifies the human ideals of hospitality, loyalty and

Mother Teresa once affirmed, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." This statement rings true in the case of society who judges against Hester Prynne before she can express her nature. Throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the people of Boston are torn between a law and their own morals as they grow to see the true character of the women they've condemned and show that it is possible for her to change when they’re given the chance to examine the truth.

It is an unspoken truth in Homer’s Odyssey that “home“ is something good. All that Odysseus seems to want throughout the poem is to come home again, but that is one thing he is not granted from the god Poseidon for nearly ten years time. On the first page of the Odyssey we learn that all his friends-in-arms had the fortune of returning home “while he alone still hungered for home and wife.“ (The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald; Book I, line 21-22). The original intention of this paper was to ask the question: What is home? What is it that Odysseus yearns for so long? But reading through the Odyssey again, it came to mind, that this question might go beyond the constraints of this essay, considering that Homer describes not just Odysseus’ home, but also shows the reader (or listener) glimpses of the homes of Meneláos, Nestor and Alkínoös. Throughout the Odyssey one of the most central themes of this poem is the topic of “homecoming“ illustrated through the struggle of Odysseus to get home again. Odysseus desire for his home is so overwhelmingly strong “that he longs to die“ just for the sight of seeing “the hearth smoke leaping upward from his own island“ (I., l. 78-80). And yet after years and years, after his long and troublesome passage home “trials and danger, even so, attended him even in Ithaka, near those he loves“ (I., l. 26-30). This hints right at the beginning of the Odyssey at something essential in it: even after a voyage full of

As Odysseus travels from one Greek city to the next, the native citizens inquire about his identity and family. Although Odysseus has not seen his native land in twenty years, he defines himself as the product of family: either the son of Laertes or the father of Telemachus. Odysseus is treated like family in the foreign lands he visits. Telemachus embarks on an adventure of his own and is accepted by Nestor and Menelaus, especially because his father suffered through the Trojan War along with the two kings. Family is at the heart of decisions, central in society, creates a frame of reference for individual members of society, and is a source of learning. Family, the central theme in The Odyssey, connects individuals, cities, and gods to one another and is a driving force in decisions and emotional reactions.