Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, shows the hero’s journey because it describes the journeys of Odysseus and Telemachus. The first part of the hero’s journey starts with Telemachus and his struggle with the suitors. The middle of the hero’s journey consists of Odysseus as he faces tests, meets allies, and confronts enemies. The last part of the hero’s journey is when Telemachus and Odysseus come together to kill the suitors. Odysseus and Telemachus both go on a large journey starting with Telemachus in the Ordinary World.
Telemachus represents the first part of the hero’s journey when he is at home in Ithaca. Tension starts to build as the suitors violate the rule of hospitality. The suitors take advantage of Odysseus’s palace as they “ court …show more content…
On his way home from Troy, Odysseus continues his journey after Calypso's island to the land of the cyclops. After tricking the cyclops, Polyphemus, Odysseus “ plunges a glowing ax . . .the metal screeches steam” (9.438-439) into the cyclops’s eye to blind him. This represents the middle of the hero’s journey, Tests, Enemies, and Allies, because Odysseus tricks the cyclops, gets him drunk, and then blinds him. However, Odysseus does not kill Polyphemus because he still needs Polyphemus to move the boulder so him and his men can breakout. After Polyphemus moves the boulder, Odysseus is challenged on how to escape without Polyphemus catching them. Odysseus and his men pretend to be sheep so Polyphemus doesn’t catch them. In addition, Odysseus faces his biggest enemy, Poseidon. As a result of blinding Poseidon's son, Odysseus is tested with his one of his most dangerous battles. After he blinded Poseidon’s only son, Poseidon took Odysseus’ ship and “dashed it against a cliff as the winds drove [them] in”(9.321). Odysseus faces a life-threatening challenge and he must find a way to survive. This represents the middle of the hero’s journey because he faces a challenge and his biggest enemy which he is forced to overcome. Odysseus represents the middle of the hero’s journey because he faces tests, meets allies, and confronts enemies on his journey …show more content…
When Odysseus comes home to see the suitors violating the rule of hospitality, he is furious. The suitors have done so much damage that even if they were to give Odysseus all they had “not even then would [Odysseus] stay [his] hands from slaughter”(22.67) until all of the suitors are dead. This represents the last part of the hero’s journey because Odysseus must apply all he has learned from his journey home to kill the suitors. Odysseus is challenged one last time to make things the way that they were before he left. In addition, Telemachus has been in a constant struggle with the suitors ever since his father left home for the Trojan war. For most of his life, Telemachus watches the suitors court his mother, eat his father’s food and drink his father’s wines. With Telemachus fighting alongside Odysseus to kill the suitors “skulls cracked open- the whole floor awash with blood.” (22.323-324) until every suitor is dead. This represents the last and most dangerous part of the hero’s journey because both heroes must take everything they have learned and use it to outsmart the suitors. In the end, Odysseus and Telemachus survive and kill all of the suitors because they use what they had learned to defeat the suitors. Telemachus and Odysseus fight their most dangerous battle against the suitors which represents the last part of
Telemachus represents the first part of the hero’s journey when he is at home in Ithaca. Tension starts to build as the suitors violate the rule of hospitality. The suitors take advantage of Odysseus’s palace as they “ court …show more content…
On his way home from Troy, Odysseus continues his journey after Calypso's island to the land of the cyclops. After tricking the cyclops, Polyphemus, Odysseus “ plunges a glowing ax . . .the metal screeches steam” (9.438-439) into the cyclops’s eye to blind him. This represents the middle of the hero’s journey, Tests, Enemies, and Allies, because Odysseus tricks the cyclops, gets him drunk, and then blinds him. However, Odysseus does not kill Polyphemus because he still needs Polyphemus to move the boulder so him and his men can breakout. After Polyphemus moves the boulder, Odysseus is challenged on how to escape without Polyphemus catching them. Odysseus and his men pretend to be sheep so Polyphemus doesn’t catch them. In addition, Odysseus faces his biggest enemy, Poseidon. As a result of blinding Poseidon's son, Odysseus is tested with his one of his most dangerous battles. After he blinded Poseidon’s only son, Poseidon took Odysseus’ ship and “dashed it against a cliff as the winds drove [them] in”(9.321). Odysseus faces a life-threatening challenge and he must find a way to survive. This represents the middle of the hero’s journey because he faces a challenge and his biggest enemy which he is forced to overcome. Odysseus represents the middle of the hero’s journey because he faces tests, meets allies, and confronts enemies on his journey …show more content…
When Odysseus comes home to see the suitors violating the rule of hospitality, he is furious. The suitors have done so much damage that even if they were to give Odysseus all they had “not even then would [Odysseus] stay [his] hands from slaughter”(22.67) until all of the suitors are dead. This represents the last part of the hero’s journey because Odysseus must apply all he has learned from his journey home to kill the suitors. Odysseus is challenged one last time to make things the way that they were before he left. In addition, Telemachus has been in a constant struggle with the suitors ever since his father left home for the Trojan war. For most of his life, Telemachus watches the suitors court his mother, eat his father’s food and drink his father’s wines. With Telemachus fighting alongside Odysseus to kill the suitors “skulls cracked open- the whole floor awash with blood.” (22.323-324) until every suitor is dead. This represents the last and most dangerous part of the hero’s journey because both heroes must take everything they have learned and use it to outsmart the suitors. In the end, Odysseus and Telemachus survive and kill all of the suitors because they use what they had learned to defeat the suitors. Telemachus and Odysseus fight their most dangerous battle against the suitors which represents the last part of