Gods In The Odyssey

The creators and rulers of the universe, the supreme beings who hold the source of all moral authority; these remarkable individuals are known as the legendary Gods and Goddess. In Epics poems like The Odyssey and The Iliad both feature supernatural beings that directly cause chaos and determine the fate of the main characters. Throughout The Odyssey the Gods and Goddesses have a major role during Odysseus’ journey as well as when he returns home. A few Gods favor Odysseus and act as guides while others are cruel and strive on the destruction of heroes. Zeus, Poseidon, and Helios are three Gods that have a large influence on not only the path Odysseus has to take to get home, but his overall character and stature represent by the end of the …show more content…
While in the beginning of the poem it is unknown why he has so much hatred for Odysseus, it is however later revealed that it is a personal matter rather than just disliking him. Odysseus who is without a doubt a courageous hero saved his men from a hideous fate, being eaten by Polyphemus. By stabbing him in the eye Odysseus blinds Poseidon’s and gets back on his ship with no problem. Odysseus’ one major flaw is his self-obsessiveness and how even in the darkest of times he will find a way to boast about himself. One situation where he makes a whole lot of trouble for our epic hero happens very early in the story. Once freed from Calypso’s enchanting island Poseidon is faced with a huge storm causing a major road block in his journey back home. Without holding anything back Poseidon gives him his worse, “With that he rammed the clouds together, both hands clutching his trident… churned the waves into chaos, whipping all the gales from every quarter, shrouding over in thunderheads the sea and earth at …show more content…
Dying of starvation with the leadership of Eurylochus the crew captures and kills every last animal. Helios the sun God who is now beyond irritated begs to the king, Zeus to punish Zeus and his men. Zeus tells Helios, "Son, you keep on shining among these deathless gods and mortal men across the good green earth. And as for the guilty ones, why, soon enough on the wine dark sea I'll hit their racing ship with a white hot bolt, I'll tear it into splinters." This ultimately shows how intense and extreme the God’s unlimited power is. Average human beings could not even comprehend the amount of power the Gods hold over them. They have the power to create and destroy effortlessly.
The story of Odysseus is a long one. It’s a poem that shows the determination and cunningness an epic hero, like Odysseus, must have to in the end achieve what they have been struggling to gain all along. While the Gods almost always prevail Odysseus’ wit and strength can overcome even the most intolerable