A trip to hell is not unique to Homer’s The Odyssey, but rather this journey is found as an archetype in multiple cultures. If you look at any story from any culture, there is always a low point or valley in the story where a hero must dive into the unknown to prove themselves as a hero. This also serves as a stage to show the hero their own mortality and enhance their bravery. What results is that they emerge from the hardships as a brave and justified hero. There is no place that maintains these circumstances of death and decay better than the underworld. Additionally, what makes the hero a hero is the fact that he or she has gone to the place of no return for most people, and has come back after conquering some form of evil. This gives the …show more content…
As stated by Elpenor in the underworld, “...O my lord, remember me, I pray, do not abandon me unwept, unburied, to tempt the gods’ wrath, while you sail for home; but fire my corpse…” (187). Even after death, Elpenor is still pleading with Odysseys to give him the proper burial procedures. This shows that the planes of existence for the underworld and the overworld are so connected that your actions in one place will follow you to the other. Due to his lack of burial procedures, Elpenor will constantly roam the halls of hades as a disturbed spirit, unable to fix his own problems because death is an eternal disease. As a result, Elpenor must rely on Odysseus and his crew, his only lifeline, to help resolve his sins for him. Additional evidence comes from when Tiresias claims that “But anguish lies ahead; the god who thunders on land prepares it, not to be shaken from your track…” (188). Odysseus is not safe from death either, as it follows his crew closely. Thusly, because of the prophecy given to him by Tiresias, Odysseus knows how to avoid this death, but lack of informing his crew will result in this issue following him back to the overworld where Poseidon wreaks havoc on his ship. What this shows Odysseys is that death is constantly looming over every man’s head, not just his own. In the end, the meaning of …show more content…
Achilles asserts to Odysseus to inform his son that “Better, I say, to break sod as a farm hand for some poor country man, on iron rations, than lord it over all the exhausted dead” (201). While we have been shown what the meaning of death is, the meaning of life is naturally the opposite; to live as long as possible. This is exactly what Achilles wants to instill in his children, and inadvertently, in Odysseus. Achilles was a great warrior who experienced both glory and cunning as a soldier so in death, he would have expected great honor. Instead, he regrets his life and wishes that he had spent more of it rather than dying an untimely death in war. Achilles also reiterates to Odysseys that he must spend his time with his family because while living is crucial, it is only worth something if spent in the company of loved ones. Similarly, Tiresias also stated that “But if you raid the beeves, I see destruction for ship and crew. Though you survive alone, bereft of all companions, lost for years” (188). Life is something worth preserving because it has the potential to be lived with other people. Tiresias is simply explaining Achilles point that Odysseus must return to his family by explaining that losing all his crew is a fate equal to death. Having no one to interact with, neither living or dead would make Odysseus insane, and would cause more detriment than would the benefit of life provide. In
Among the plethora of archetypes that present themselves in Homer’s The Odyssey and the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is the character of the Blind Prophet. This character is an older man who has the gift of foresight, yet lacks the gift of physical sight. In the ancient epic poem, the hero Odysseus travels to the Underworld during his time on Circe’s isle to consult the blind seer Tiresias. In the film, Ulysses Everett and his hunting group of companions encounter a nameless blind soothsayer upon the railroad tracks after they first escape incarceration.Tiresias warns Odysseus of the trials ahead on his journey, including the Sirens and the monstrous Scylla, giving advice on how to best surpass them. The film’s blind seer describes a “long
Heroes, as depicted in literature, often undertake the most difficult tasks. They place themselves in mortal danger in order to bring back knowledge and treasure for themselves and their societies. Their stories follow what premier mythologist, Joseph Campbell calls the “Hero's Journey”. The Hero’s Journey archetype is the typical sequence of events any hero will go through in order to become who he or she is. As verbally stated by Campbell, a hero’s journey will always start with the departure, develop into the initiation and end with the return. Homer's The Odyssey with Odysseus as its hero, is a classic example and closely follows the complete cycle of the hero’s journey. In The Odyssey, Odysseus goes through a tough departure from his known
Character archetypes play a part in the epic by moving the story along. They all help to assist Odysseus by giving him guidance, never leaving him, and by providing a reason to come home.
Why do you think Odysseus told his crew that they would be fine, But in reality they would possibly die. He was scared that they would leave him and he would die alone. So basically, he wanted his men to die and him not die. The only real problem is that he didn't want to die at all so his men would die for him. Who does that to people that have a wife a kid and a family, a real idiot that’s who. The only person who could just sit there and do nothing but watch someone get killed right in front of them is Odysseus.
Ancient Greece was full of mystery. They told of mystical, almost supernatural, heroes and monsters. One such story was told of a warrior named Odysseus. A king who ruled over the kingdom of Ithaca, but sadly left for war, leaving both his family, and his kingdom. Fighting for almost a decade, Odysseus set off on a long journey towards home. Through thick and thin, and through all of the bloodshed and fighting, he finally has a happy ending at home. At what cost though? His men, his ship, himself? Odysseus was put into the category of a hero, one of the many archetypes modern readers use to identify main characters and all other concepts in literature. All heroes experience the fright and thrill of adventure in
The magnitude of his punishment could have been much more severe; however, the Lord was with Joseph and sheltered him from other endangerments, such as the Pharaoh’s temper. Whilst this was occurring, Joseph remains steadfast in his faith and loyalty to the Lord and discerns the importance of demonstrating his courage to individuals in a foreign land. Similarly, Odysseus embodies the heroic quality of courage as he embarks on his journey back to Ithaca, years after the Trojan War, destined to be long and perilous. With his newfound sense of confidence and nerve to rebuff Calypso’s offer of immortality, Odysseus longs “for home, long for the sight of home. If any god has marked me out again for shipwreck, my tough heart can undergo it. What hardship have I not long since endured at sea, in battle! Let the trial come” (Odyssey, 87). Predestined to return home following the Trojan War, Odysseus understands his fate and the ominous obstacles he will withstand. Nevertheless, he assumes the challenge and departs from the island of Calypso. Travelling in foreign waters, Odysseus heavily relies upon Athena to safeguard him from other greater beings, such as Poseidon. (need more evidence/support)
In book five Odysseus is presented with a very great and tempting barrier. Calypso confronts him with this statement, “But if you only knew, down deep, what pains are fated to fill your cup before you reach that shore, you’d stay right here, preside in our house with me and be immortal.” She promised him that he would possess a trait that no other human in the odyssey has, immortality. Even though her offers are very tempting and would be self fulfilling, he promptly rejects because all he wants is to go home and the love of his life, Penelope. This act alone shows that he was willing to give himself and up for a greater cause. He showed great discipline and faithfulness to reject Calypso’s offer and to continue on his journey home. At the beginning of the epic, Odysseus did have one flaw that could have been detrimental to his homecoming journey and that was self-glorification. By the end of the Odyssey, Odysseus overcame his pride and tempered it with patience because at the end of the day he didn’t really know that Penelope would be waiting on him, but he was willing to put in the effort to find out what was at the end of the road.
In Homer’s Odyssey, the idea of fate is more significant than the idea and sense of duty. Odysseus’s journey begins when Poseidon learns that Odysseus blinded his Cyclops son, Polyphemous while trying to escape from his capture. This enrages the already hot-tempered sea god, damning Odysseus, his men, and his voyage. Poseidon attempts to delay and keep Odysseus from his home, Ithaca. His anger towards Odysseus is so great that Zeus has to step in to save him from the sea-god. Zeus, after Poseidon complains to him about the Phaenecians aiding Odysseus, states “Since for Odysseus now I vowed that he his home should win through many a misery yet utterly bereft not his return; for such your purpose was and decree.” (Homer, Book 13, st. 45) Zeus, in the Odyssey, acts as the hand of fate by preventing Poseidon from further stalling Odysseus’s return home. This is unlike Jupiter in the Aeneid, who dispatches Mercury to remind Aeneus of
The Odyssey is an epic poem that showcases the heroic actions contrasted with the grave disasters of Odysseus, a tragic hero on his way home from the war in Troy. The author, Homer, shows through Odysseus’ actions that even a hero such as he, has flaws. Flaws that if not acknowledged and learnt from, can spell grave disaster in the journey yet to come. Many Greeks recognize Odysseus as the most renowned hero of the Trojan war, thanks to his own accounts of his years away from Ithaca. Following the Greek beliefs, many believe that Odysseus couldn’t have kept himself away for so long, for only the gods can do something like this, and Odysseus can’t be the cause of the crew’s deaths, only the gods could be so cruel. While
Ancient Greeks’ history consisted of monsters, creatures, gods, goddesses, fights, and battles. It shows that Ancient Greeks were very imaginative and creative. There were three main archetypes that were used in Homer’s epic ,The Odyssey, which show different aspects of Ancient Greek culture. Those three archetypes were: the hero/father figure archetype, the monster archetypes, and the search for love. The hero archetype explained the Ancient Greeks’ love for thrill and adventure; Odysseus went on many thrilling adventures while on his journey. The monster archetypes represented the Greeks’ love of horror; Odysseus’ men have died due to the monsters and creatures. There were also love stories that show the Greeks’ passionate and emotional
Archetypes of the Odyssey Ancient Greece was full of mystery. They told of mystical, almost supernatural, heroes and monsters. One such story told of a warrior named Odysseus. A king who ruled over the kingdom of Ithaca, but sadly left for war, leaving his family. Fighting for almost a decade, Odysseus set off on a long journey towards home. Through thick and thin, and through all of the bloodshed and fighting, he finally has a happy ending at home. What will he lose as a result? Odysseus is in the category of a hero, one of the many archetypes modern readers use to identify main characters and all other concepts in literature. Therefore, all heroes experience the fright and thrill of adventure in most of their tales.
This edict of Zeus summarizes the journey Odysseus makes in order to return home. He endures dire hardships to make the journey home, yet he still chooses to continue forward. Although Odysseus accepts this hardship as a mere speed bump, many people today would not prevail through such adversity. A knack for finding the easy way out has seemed to blossom as the one uniform skill possessed by most young people today. With today’s technology, a person rarely spends an afternoon by himself, and if so, would not like it. With this in mind, choosing to continue on with the journey in present times would be much harder of a decision to make than in ancient times.
Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus is warned many times of the perils and difficulty of his journey. All through these times it seems that Odysseus will never get home, but he never loses hope. In Book 11, Odysseus ventures into hell to meet with the great prophet, Teiresias. Teiresias prophesizes, 'But anguish lies
Homer’s epic poem, “The Odyssey” reveals many aspects of ancient Greek life and culture through character and plot. Through each of the tales circling the life of Odysseus and the Greek people, Homer depicts the history, legends, values, and merits of the ancient Greeks. Greek culture is known to be one of the most flavored and thorough in history, and each facet of it—from religion to ideology to mentalities and beliefs.
The Odyssey of Homer is filled with various adventures, sought-after revenge, and harmful temptations. The war hero, Odysseus, traveled for three years, always trying to achieve his homecoming. In Odysseus’ fourth year, Zeus destroyed his ship, as well as his companions, while they were out at sea. After these losses, Odysseus alone was washed up onto the island of a nymph, Kalypso. She took him into her palace and came to love him. After time, she desired to make Odysseus her husband, offering to make him immortal as well. Yet, Odysseus declines her offer of immortality. After years of fighting in battle, then years of suffering following the war, his noble rejection seems remarkable. Homer’s readers are forced to wonder, why does