Odysseus By Homer s The Odyssey - 891 Words

In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus endures an arduous voyage filled with countless dangers. Although he is praised by comrades and countrymen as a wise, heroic king, Odysseus does not actually live up to his name as he begins this trip back to Ithaka. Through his journey though, Odysseus corrects his reckless, undisciplined, and arrogant actions, learning responsibility, restraint, and humility in the process. Although Odysseus is the captain of a fleet, he initially takes no responsibility for the welfare of his crew. When exploring unknown lands, he often â€Å"sent out two picked men and a runner to learn what race of men that land sustained.† *(147) The king delegates the task solely to fulfill his own curiosity, without consideration of any dangers his men might face, such as intoxication in the land of the Lotus Eaters and cannibalism in the land of the Laistrygonians. Due to his indiscretion, Odysseus puts his men in unnecessary peril. Not only does Odysseusâ€℠¢ decisions lead to the death of crewmates, his choices also brutalize innocent people. He lacks the control to restrain himself and his crew from pointless violence. At the first stop on the journey, the land of the Kikones, the king and his crew â€Å"stormed that place and killed the men who fought.† (146) Extending their barbarism, they plundered and â€Å"enslaved the women, to make division, equal share to all†. (146) Odysseus has no control of reason, causing irrational bloodshed and atrocities upon mere strangers.Show MoreRelatedSimilarities Between Katniss And Odysseus And Homer s The Odyssey1867 Words   |  8 Pagesend, are similar. Katniss and Odysseus both experienced the epic hero cycle and display similar characteristics. In the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen was a girl whose purpose was to find a way to support her mother and younger sister. That is until she took the place of her sister as a tribute in the Hunger Games, an annual game held by the ruli ng Capitol as punishment for previous rebellions. The only way out of the games was to kill. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus was a war hero who was tryingRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s Odyssey : Odysseus And His Son Telemachus1434 Words   |  6 Pagesspiritual growth brought about that freedom. Homer, as little as we know about him, seemed to want to tell a great story of adventure, spiritual growth and triumph. It is said that â€Å"the Greek view offers humankind the greatest hope for change, growth, and freedom, because it claims that there are no restrictions upon our growth. Humans choose their particular fate and are therefore free to see their limitations and transcend them† (Apatow 81). Homer s story explains just that, in order to experienceRead MoreCharacter Traits of Odysseus in Homer ´s Odyssey Essay508 Words   |  3 Pages 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. Read MoreOdysseus And His Throne : A Hero Of Homer s Odyssey995 Words   |  4 PagesOdysseus and His Throne Known as a hero of Homer’s epic poem the Odyssey, Odysseus was king of Ithaca and a legend amongst men. He was also an important figure in Homer’s Iliad. In Latin, he was known as Ulysses or Ulixes in Roman mythology hence there may originally have been two separate figures, one called something like Odysseus, the other something like Ulixes, who were combined into one complex personality.[1] Son of Laertes and Anticleia, Odysseus was renowned for being cunning and cleverRead MoreAnalysis Of Homer s Odyssey, The Story Of Odysseus And His Son1341 Words   |  6 PagesIn The Odyssey, the stories of Odysseus and his son, Telemachus, are explained to the reader in ways that create contrasts between the two characters. These contrasts provide an opportunity to observe how the young Telemachus developed a stronger sense of self confidence and traits that form the foundation for heroism, which is likely part of the reason why he was included in the story in the first place. The following discussion compares and contrasts Telemachus with his father, the hero OdysseusRead MoreOdyssey Death and Rebirth in the Odyssey1402 Words   |  6 PagesThe Odyssey, by Homer, is a classical piece of Greek literature. Throughout The Odyssey, the Blind Bard makes use of many literary techniques in order to lend meaning to the poem beyond its existence as a work of historic fiction and aid his readers in the comprehension of the tale. One of these techniques is the use of motifs. A motif is a recurring theme that is used throughout the work. In The Odyssey, Homer makes use of many motifs including eating/drinking, Odysseus sRead MoreHistory, Symbolism, and Characters in Homer’s The Odyssey 1118 Words   |  5 Pages In The Odyssey, it takes Odysseus twenty years to make it home from the Trojan War. On his journey home, he runs into many obstacles and creatures that he must overcome. He encounters the sirens, the Cyclops, and others. Each event in this epic poem has a symbolic meaning behind it. Homer writes about the history, symbolism, and the characters in The Odyssey. The Odyssey is about the Greek gods and heroes and their adventures (Makman). Odysseus is the main character, and he is going on a questRead MoreEssay on Archetypes in the Odessey718 Words   |  3 PagesArchetypes in The Odyssey In Homers epic poem â€Å"The Odyssey† there are many archetypes, many of which were the origin of the archetype. An archetype is a character type, place, or symbol, every culture shares. In â€Å"The Odyssey† Homer uses archetypes to evoke meaning to the story. Some examples of archetypes in â€Å"The Odyssey† are the temptress, and the father-son conflict. In the story â€Å"The Odyssey† there are a couple temptress’. Two examples are Calypso and the sirens. In â€Å"The Odyssey† Calypso keepsRead MoreWomen in the Odyssey1646 Words   |  7 Pagesimportant positions and purposes within it`s routine were filled by males. This societal organization is often times reflected in many pieces of literature of various time periods, however there are texts in which contrary to the patriarchal society models, women are given substantial importance within the plot. Homer`s The Odyssey, Heart of Darnkness by Joseph Conrad and Aeschylus`s Oresteia each demonstrate or conceal female importance in a given society. The Odyssey was written in a time when men playedRead MoreThe Odyssey By Homer s Odyssey1267 Words   |  6 PagesLife in The Odyssey In The Odyssey, Odysseus is constantly being challenged. He is being challenged, so Homer can show us the standards for life in The Odyssey. There is no doubt that Odysseus is a great man, Homer even says so in the beginning lines of the text. Although Odysseus is a great man, he also makes mistakes but not any that he doesn t pay for. We learn the representation of life in The Odyssey through Odysseus challenges. Throughout the book, Odysseus specifically struggles with arrogance