Home and Family vs. Fame and Glory
The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer are the two major heroic epics of ancient Greece, and the oldest surviving European poems. The poems were originally part of the oral tradition, then written down between 750 and 650 B.C.E., and finally fixed in the 500’s B.C.E. The Iliad tells the story of the ten year long Trojan War fought against the city of Troy by the Achaeans. The Odyssey focuses on king Odysseus, who fought in the war, and his journey from Troy to his island home Ithaca, which takes him ten years. The poem touches on the themes of family, hospitality, temptation, fame, and the power of cunning. Odysseus possesses strength, courage, and confidence, but what he is most known for is his cleverness. Although Odysseus wants to return home to his wife Penelope, his son Telemachus, and his kingdom, his journey back is fairly long because of how easy he is captivated by adventure. As it is, in The Odyssey, Odysseus goes through an inner conflict between his priorities of home and family and his strong desire for fame and glory.
Odysseus conveys a profound and sincere love for his island home. When Odysseus recites his journey to the Lord Alcinous, he describes his home as glorious, saying that “no sight is sweeter to [him] than Ithaca” (385). Moreover, even though beautiful goddesses such as Calypso and Circe have kept him in their homes, they “could not persuade [him] or touch [his] heart” (386). He expresses an intense desire to meet
Most people think of a hero as a strong, superior, good-looking person that could never make a mistake. However, in a story called The Odyssey, a connection to real life reveals imperfections to be common in heroes. Each person has their low points and highlights, regardless of their “rank”. The author and epic poet, Homer, exemplifies our main character, Odysseus, to take on this idea of a hero throughout his writing. The time period took place in Ancient Greece, allowing Greek culture to relate to the poem. Different aspects of such culture and history may have influenced the works and creativity of Homer as well. A major point includes The Trojan War because it focuses in on Odysseus’ journey to bring Helen back home by devising a plan to destroy warriors in the city. Acknowledge this factor when reading The Odyssey, for not only evidence of heroism, but also other major points of archetypes, in which the device reflects the insights of readers in modern time and what is seen from Ancient Greek culture.
This quote said by Odysseus proves he is homesick. Many people would envy Odysseus, because others come backgrounds that aren't loving or caring. Therefore Odysseus wants to reunite with, not only the land that he's most familiar with, his beautiful wife and son.
Around the 1200 B.C., Odysseus was sailing the Mediterranean Sea for the purpose of reaching home. In his long narrative poem, The Odyssey, Homer conveys how Odysseus desperately wishes to go home to Ithaca. However, he faces brutal treatment and obstacles from several different antagonists, and more obstacles appear when he reaches home. Odysseus came across many external conflicts, which he dealt with intelligence, determination, and loyalty.
Kamren Prince World Literature 1 Dr. Newman March 28, 2024 Essay 1 The Odyssey is the story that continues the epic of the Iliad, where the hero Odysseus sets on the journey back to his homeland of Ithaca. Throughout the trip, Odysseus and his crew will be tested and tested. The men that left Troy were not the same men that made it back to Ithaca. This paper aims to analyze the many obstacles that met Odysseus on his journey that sparked the need for his personal development, which made him face his flaws and learn to mature to complete his journey and become a better leader and individual.
The Odyssey by Homer is an epic poem about a hero’s perilous ten-year journey home with twelve ships and hundreds of men. During this voyage, however, Odysseus and his men face the wrath of Poseidon, the wiles of Circe and the Sirens, and the peril of the monsters Scylla and Charybdis. In the end, Odysseus loses everything except his determination to return home to his beloved wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. Even though he experiences many difficult challenges, Odysseus is a hero who exemplifies the Greek cultural values of bravery, wit, and loyalty.
The epic poem The Odyssey, written by Homer, centers around the main protagonist Odysseus and his long journey back home. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, returns home after defeating the Trojans in a ten year war. On his way back, he angers Poseidon, god of the sea, by blinding his son, Polyphemus the Cyclops. Due to Odysseus’ actions, Poseidon refuses to let Odysseus reach home, and Odysseus and his crew are forced to go through a series of obstacles throughout the epic. Through this adversity, Odysseus must show his heroic attributions in order to survive. Homer portrays Odysseus as a hero by giving him characteristics such as: craftiness, loyalty, and bravery.
Vrishank Sharma Gina Downey English 110 11 April 2024 Homer's Odyssey is an ancient Greek poem still read today. It tells the adventures of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, after the Trojan War. Lasting ten years, his journey is full of obstacles. In the poem, women have important roles. Some help Odysseus, like Athena and Penelope, while others, like Circe and Calypso, create problems for him.
Odysseus, king of Ithaca, was probably on of the greatest warriors in the history of Ancient Greece. It is said that the poet, Homer, wrote the story of the Odyssey. In this story, Odysseus and his crew are trying to make their voyage back home to Ithaca after they have fought with the Trojans. During the long journey, Odysseus will show some of his character traits which include his bravery, cleverness, and wisdom that will assist him with the situations he encounters on his journey home.
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
In Epic Poem “The Odyssey” Odysseus is the protagonist. Odysseus’ over-the-top ego caused him to lose his men and his son’s childhood, but taught him a valuable lesson about humility. The Odyssey, written by Homer, tells the story of Odysseus and how he faced misfortune in his attempts to return home after the Trojan War. Odysseus is not famous for his great strength or bravery, but for his ability to deceive and trick. To his friends, he was a brilliant strategist. To his enemies, he was a deceiver and a manipulator of the worst kind.
Homer's epic tale The Odyssey is a story of the triumphs and downfalls that are in store for one warrior's long pillage home. Odysseus, the hero from the Trojan wars, has led his people of Ithaca and other Achaean soldiers to victory and now wishes to return home to his wife and family of Ithaca. Through his twenty year journey Odysseus is often tested not only of his physical strength, but his wits as well. The many accomplishments he achieved earned him great status and recognition throughout ancient Greece. The mistakes he made caused the deaths of many men. Consequently, we as readers are able to see the many personas that Odysseus carries with him.
The Iliad and Odysseus are two famous epic poems written by Homer, a poet who lived in the east side of Greece around the 8th century. Although around the same time everyone was talking about the Trojan war, there is a lot of expeculation on whether or not the events from the books actually did happened. Nonetheless, his poems became really famous and were translated to hundreds of different languages.
Odysseus’s strong desire to return to his family inspires foreign rulers to assist Odysseus in returning home. Odysseus states, “Nevertheless I long—I pine, all my days— / to travel home and see the dawn of my return” to Calypso (5.242-234). Odysseus stayed with the goddess Calypso as her “unwilling lover” until he leaves on a raft (5.172; 179-187). Calypso grants Odysseus leave from her island because he is in grieving over being separated from his family. Odysseus lands in Phaeacia after leaving Calypso’s island. While begging for passage home, Odysseus says, “How far away I’ve been / from all my loved ones—how long I have suffered” (7.180-181). King Alcinous
Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey follows Odysseus on his long journey home. The Epic also includes the stories of Odysseus’ family left behind: the travels of his son, Telemachus, and how plenty, of what we would now call “home wreckers”, suitors pressured his wife, Penelope, into marrying one of them. The characters are beautifully crafted and the story is truly epic. All the elements presented can bring in any reader from any century, the Cyclops, the Gods, the trickery of Penelope, and the disguises of Odysseus, are all legendary literary hooks . There are many things to learn—about writing, about the world around us, the world ahead of us, and the past behind us—from The Odyssey. (26) It is undeniably evident that this ancient text has
Homer’s The Odyssey is home to many classics within its pages. From the Cyclops, Scylla and a myriad of other creatures, The Odyssey is a classic in every sense of the word and its influence on modern day culture is plain to see. However, it wasn’t just the monsters that drew people into Homer’s tale, it was also characters. Describing the tale of Odysseus, who after winning a ten-year long war thanks to his quick wits and high intelligence. The story delves into his journey on trying to get back to his wife, Penelope and child, Telemachus. For twenty years, Odysseus sailed, fought and outsmarted many obstacles, losing most of his men in the process. And when he finally reaches his home, suitors trying to court his sorrowful wife, who