Themes And Conflicts In Homer's Odyssey

In the book Odyssey written by Homer many different themes are used to help show the reader the struggles and conflicts the Odysseus must face on his long journey home. These themes demonstrate how a character can change over a period of time, however at times it seems as if Odysseus’s desire to return home is purposely delayed due to his personal actions and choices. The themes that are shown in the Odyssey, when closely analyzed, help paint a picture for the reader on how Odysseus’s journey through epic proportions shape the context of the story and greatly affect his journey home. The journey of Odysseus begins when he leaves his home Ithaca to fight the Trojan War. The Trojan War last 10 years and Odysseus’s spends an additional 10 years …show more content…
The idea of the lotus fruit can be related to the human desire to achieve a feeling of euphoria that can be associated with drugs. Drugs can cloud the mind and lead to addiction so viewing the lotus fruit as a drug and the men as addicts helps demonstrate to the reader the status of the leadership role that Odysseus must play. Another obstacle of temptation in the Odyssey happens when Odysseus lands on the island of Ogygia, where Odysseus meets the nymph Calypso. Calypso falls madly in love with Odysseus and forces him to stay on the island as her husband and hostage. Odysseus humors Calypso at first but eventually wishes to continue his journey home and see his family. Odysseus demonstrates his ability to overcome the dangers of temptation with his never-ending desire to return home. In book 9 Odysseus states, “yes Calypso, the beautiful goddess, kept me yearning to posses me… but could not persuade me or touch my heart. Nothing is sweeter than your own country”. (Odyssey Pg. 126) This statement demonstrates to the reader that during Odysseus’s stays on Calypsos Island he never fully accepted the situation and although