The Traits of Being Human in the Odyssey
The Odyssey is the story of the journey of Odysseus homecoming’ or Nostos. The epic poem not only tells the story of a person’s journey, but also gives the implication of what it means to be a human. The contrast between what humans have and what the gods do not, gives the reader a suggestion of what makes humanity unique. Throughout Odysseus’ journey and his meetings with gods and other humans, the epic reveals the unique traits that belong only to humans. These traits are exemplified mainly through Odysseus and through other human characters to some degrees. The epic poem suggests that what makes the human condition different and unique in the world are humanity’s perseverance in a difficult situation, …show more content…
In the epic poem, the only being that shows to be capable of perseverance in a difficult situation is human. Many characters in the Odyssey that explicitly show this trait are humans due only humans are explicitly shown to face difficult situations. Examples include Odysseus, Penelope, and the suitors. Odysseus is the one that clearly shows perseverance as he never gives up reaching his hometown of Ithaca. The epic poem shows multiple times that divine beings offer Odysseus deals that other humans would accept. One of the offers comes from Calypso, the nymph, who offers to make Odysseus immortal if he stays with her on the island. Odysseus instead rejects this offer because his one and only goal is to return to his homeland and reunite with Penelope because he “just want[s] to go back… return to [his] home” (V, 219-220) and is willing to “ take more [suffering] if [he] [has] to” (V,224) as long he returns to Ithaca. This scene shows how Odysseus’ perseveres through suffering to reach his goal. Penelope is also a character that shows perseverance. According to the epic poem, she yearns for Odysseus’ return “with an enduring heart” (XVI, 42). This shows that she is capable of holding onto her belief that Odysseus will return for years to the point she “fooled [the suitors] for three years” (II, 115) in order to delay her marriage to one of them. Even though nobody knows …show more content…
But the epic poem also shows some of the traits that make humans distinct from other beings in the world of Ancient Greece. These traits are shown mostly through Odysseus, as he is the main human character. Through Odysseus’ life journey, Homer suggests that these traits are what make humans distinct from other living beings. The epic poem also informs the belief of Ancient Greece of that what makes humans distinctive by implicitly comparing the humans and the gods. The traits that the epic poem shows are human perseverance in a difficult situation, mortality, and self-restraint, all of which the gods do not have. These traits allow Odysseus to continue his journey and finally return to his beloved
The Odyssey is the story of the journey of Odysseus homecoming’ or Nostos. The epic poem not only tells the story of a person’s journey, but also gives the implication of what it means to be a human. The contrast between what humans have and what the gods do not, gives the reader a suggestion of what makes humanity unique. Throughout Odysseus’ journey and his meetings with gods and other humans, the epic reveals the unique traits that belong only to humans. These traits are exemplified mainly through Odysseus and through other human characters to some degrees. The epic poem suggests that what makes the human condition different and unique in the world are humanity’s perseverance in a difficult situation, …show more content…
In the epic poem, the only being that shows to be capable of perseverance in a difficult situation is human. Many characters in the Odyssey that explicitly show this trait are humans due only humans are explicitly shown to face difficult situations. Examples include Odysseus, Penelope, and the suitors. Odysseus is the one that clearly shows perseverance as he never gives up reaching his hometown of Ithaca. The epic poem shows multiple times that divine beings offer Odysseus deals that other humans would accept. One of the offers comes from Calypso, the nymph, who offers to make Odysseus immortal if he stays with her on the island. Odysseus instead rejects this offer because his one and only goal is to return to his homeland and reunite with Penelope because he “just want[s] to go back… return to [his] home” (V, 219-220) and is willing to “ take more [suffering] if [he] [has] to” (V,224) as long he returns to Ithaca. This scene shows how Odysseus’ perseveres through suffering to reach his goal. Penelope is also a character that shows perseverance. According to the epic poem, she yearns for Odysseus’ return “with an enduring heart” (XVI, 42). This shows that she is capable of holding onto her belief that Odysseus will return for years to the point she “fooled [the suitors] for three years” (II, 115) in order to delay her marriage to one of them. Even though nobody knows …show more content…
But the epic poem also shows some of the traits that make humans distinct from other beings in the world of Ancient Greece. These traits are shown mostly through Odysseus, as he is the main human character. Through Odysseus’ life journey, Homer suggests that these traits are what make humans distinct from other living beings. The epic poem also informs the belief of Ancient Greece of that what makes humans distinctive by implicitly comparing the humans and the gods. The traits that the epic poem shows are human perseverance in a difficult situation, mortality, and self-restraint, all of which the gods do not have. These traits allow Odysseus to continue his journey and finally return to his beloved