Odysseus

As one of the first ever recorded works of Western literature, the Odyssey was influential in establishing a foundation on which literature would be based for thousands of years. Long regarded as a brilliant storyteller, Homer composed the Odyssey in, what many think, the late eighth-century BC, although there has also been speculation of it taking place in the seventh-century BC due to clues provided in Homer’s other work, the Iliad (Introduction, xxxv). The Odyssey is constructed in the style of poetry, and it is debated as to whether it was composed orally or by hand. Although the printing press was years from its creation, the Mycenaean civilization of ancient Greece used a Linear B form of writing that could have been used despite the …show more content…
The story depicts the Greek culture of the time and was performed as oral poetry for audiences. This form affects the poem because “oral poetry was chanted to a lyre, which helped sustain rhythm and metre. It is distinguished from written poetry largely by the extent of its verbal repetitiveness” (Introduction, xxvii). Odysseus’ journey is paralleled in the journey ancient Greece has taken from each civilization. As Odysseus makes progress, it is symbolic of the progress Greece has made and will continue to make. The purpose of entertainment might have affected its content because Homer could have been more concerned with pleasing the audience and making the plot seem more exciting than it actually was. Finally, because the “dark ages” were not a good time for the Greek society, reliving those times over and over again could be painful and cause the audience to dislike the …show more content…
Despite the fact that its historical accuracy is questionable, there is no doubt that there are similarities between the characters, plot, and values in the epic and of the ancient Greeks. As a talented storyteller, Homer was able to combine both fictional and historical information to create a uniquely formed epic. The society of ancient Greece is demonstrated multiple times throughout the epic, creating a clearer picture of ancient Greek life during the late-eighth and seventh centuries BC. From generation to generation the Odyssey has been passed down and will continue to be passed down for years to