Odyssey Influence On Modern Culture

Decent Essays
Once upon a time there was a heroic prince who needed to reclaim his crown and kingdom by performing a difficult task.”. This sounds lot like the Odyssey of Homer. Whether it is defeating dragon or shooting an arrow through twelve axes, the Odyssey has been a great influence on more recent novels such as Harry Potter,Hunger Games, and Lord of the Rings. During this critical analysis, I will be discussing how themes of the Odyssey are influencing modern culture.

Harry Potter

Harry Potter is one of the most famous heroes of our generation just as Odysseus was during the greek empire. Even though the theme of the Harry Potter Series is magic, both characters are involved with a supernatural/magical power. During the Odyssey, Odysseus handles

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Epic, The Odyssey, by Homer, is about the adventures and fate of a young king named Odysseus and his trusty men. After his major role in the Trojan War, Odysseus set sail for his journey back home to Ithaca. His voyage took him twenty long years due to the occurring hurdles. Odysseus gives up so much along the way in order to bring his mates and him safely back home to their families. Demonstrating, his guile and intuitive character, Odysseus sacrifices a lot to guide his men and him through tough challenges.…

    • 444 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Archetypal Pattern in Stars Wars: Episode 4 In many novels, there are archetypal patterns, this is shown prominently in The Odyssey. The Odyssey’s archetypal pattern consists of a returning wanderer, a waiting women, and a parent-less child. This archetypal model is reflected in Star Wars: Episode 4.…

    • 346 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Somewhere in 8th century ancient greek, Homer, a greek author and poet wrote one of the greatest adventure stories of all time: The Odyssey. From then on, The Odyssey has been told, revamped, and reimagined a thousand times over. O Brother, Where Art Thou? A 2000 adventure film was produced based off the great old greek tale, receiving several awards.…

    • 735 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Apollodorus’ Library is a reference work in which authors and poets can obtain information about Greek mythology to discuss in a paper or poem. Ovid’s Metamorphoses is a work of literature which contains many poems about Greek mythology. Ovid’s Metamorphoses would be a work of literature in which the author would get the small details of the god or goddess’s life from Apollodorus’ Library.…

    • 1706 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Odyssey Hero's Journey

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages

    “Great heroes need great sorrows and burdens, or half their greatness goes unnoticed. Its all part of the fairy tale”.- Peter S. Beagle. The Odyssey by Homer is an epic about Odysseus. Odysseus is the king of Ithaka and the protagonist of the epic, who goes to fight in the Trojan war. On his way back from the Trojan war, Odysseus encounters many problems due to which held him back.…

    • 829 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    It cannot be denied that almost all entertainment is a form of escape. Watching movies involving many senses can easily take the viewer on the real adventure. However, reading books demand healthy imagination because a reader is forced to think, create, and produce the world by using the author’s words. Therefore movies tend to attract us more rather than books. When great books are converted into movies, their themes of the stories and plots are altered to give the audience a new version of entertainment.…

    • 951 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Throughout the ages adventures whether they be fictional or realistic have impacted the lives of various people, no matter what their age or where they come from. Books such as Fable Haven or the Percy Jackson series broadcast various adventures through the eyes of different people and showed how it has impacted them as a whole. With this in mind, “The Odyssey” shows how a man is trying to get back home to his family, “The Cruelest Journey” has a woman trying to paddle all the way to Timbuktu in a raft, and “The Journey” has a story in the form that has no particular point of view other than encouragement, all show how some is impacted by their decisions and why they did what they did. Odysseus starts off his journey with the sole reason to…

    • 1120 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Nothing Is Original Anymore Today Although many influential pieces of world literature were made long ago, modern works still echo the great aspects that defined them. O Brother, Where Art Thou, a movie by Ethan and Joel Coen, has been greatly impacted by The Odyssey, a poem by Homer.…

    • 881 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The story of the Odyssey, tells of a cunning hero who has gone on a journey to fight in the Trojan War, to recapture a queen named Helen, who was supposedly kidnapped. Ten years later, the war is over, but Odysseus hasn’t found his way home. Maybe it’s just an inevitable force(s) that causes him to stay away from his homeland for another ten years…who knows. Furthermore, the story shows its complexity through multiple themes its surrounded around. The most profound ones are: appearance versus reality, loyalty, and spiritual growth.…

    • 1061 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Greek epic, The Odyssey, is a story of Odysseus, a war hero whom, after the Trojan War, had to find his way home to Ithaca. On his journey, he comes upon many perils, afflicting his crew and himself. His journey lasts twenty years, and the story consists of many different islands. The Odyssey can be interpreted as an allegory for the curiosity and temptations people face in life, as Odysseus must keep himself and his men from the Lotus Eaters, and Sirens, who lure them away from their voyage, and the Cyclops, who Odysseus meets out of curiosity.…

    • 878 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Wynona Ryan The Odyssey The Odyssey, an epic poem written by the blind poet Homer, is the story of the resourceful Odysseus, king of Ithaca. The Odyssey tells the tale of Odysseus’ years of hardship in trying to return home to his wife and son after victory over the Trojan war, with the interference of gods and goddesses. The epic poem was then adapted into a film, also named The Odyssey, directed by Andrei Konchalovsky in 1997. This essay is the discussion of the differences and similarities between the epic poem and epic film.…

    • 1209 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Odyssey Book Report

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Odyssey was written by Homer. The main Character in The Odyssey is Odysseus, a man of advancing age who has earned the glory and worship of his people. Odysseus spent 20 years at war and returning home. With the help of the Greek Goddess Athena and her father Zeus, Odysseus was able to return to Ithaca. Upon returning to Ithaca Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar.…

    • 819 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Allison Craig Advanced English 10 Compare and Contrast essay 6/30/15 Captivating Audiences Have you ever wondered how film writers came up with all of the ideas to make fantastic blockbusters? Many of these movies are adapted from their original books, including The Odyssey, which was written by Homer. This novel is believed to be composed near the end of the eighth century. However, the Odyssey became modified by the film writer Andrei Konchalovsky, into a famous movie.…

    • 971 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Iliad and The Odyssey The Iliad and The Odyssey are both texts written by the world famous Homer. These two text are quite popular in not only western literature but also is numerous classrooms around the world. These two texts provide different tools that are included in them to help teach many concerns and methods. Some believe that The Odyssey is the sequel to The Iliad mainly because it has some of the same characters and was written after.…

    • 1207 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Both The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey are epic poems that portray protagonists’ journeys. While reading both epics, a reader can observe characteristics and situations that parallel one another in both of the poems. Although there are differences between the two characters and their voyages, there are similarities among them that ultimately lead them to discover their true purpose. Throughout the epics, both protagonists’ perspectives on the meaning of life change based on the obstacles and challenges that they face.…

    • 1482 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays