The Odyssey Essay

Essay on The Odyssey by Homer This essay will examine one of the most famous pieces of literature in the world – the epic poem “Odyssey” by Homer. The main idea of the essay will be concentrated on the complicated and controversial nature of the main character of the book. On the one hand, Odysseus is courageous, smart, insistent and self-disciplined. These features help him to achieve victories over his enemies and avoid various troubles which can cost him his life. On the other hand, a reader can observe some negative qualities which are not very common for heroes who are usually seen as flawless and exemplary individuals. These negative sides of Odysseus’s character include periodic brutality, inclination to lies in particular situations…

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…

The Odyssey, still today, is one of the most recognized epic poems of all times. An important theme evident throughout the epic poem is hospitality. Hospitality, the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers, is very important to the gods and goddesses. It is just as important for the guest to honor the host as it is for the host to honor the guest. A violation of the expected treatment of a guest or host during ancient Greek times would often result in…

In the Odyssey women are normally seemed to be not as strong and hold significantly less power than their male counterparts. In essence it is historically proven that the males are the controllers and the females are in contrast, the controlled but one cannot simply forget that women are known to have exponential influences on the men around them. With that being said female sexuality seems to be dangerous and even fearful toward men which is why I feel like this is why Homer uses this “talent”…

Homer’s description of women in the Odyssey reveals the Greek’s notion of fear in women’s beauty and of the prevailing power of men over women. Throughout the plot female characters, namely Penelope, Circe, and the Sirens, are portrayed as dangers that men overcome and devices that emphasize men’s strength. In the Odyssey, beautiful women bring danger to men with their seductive powers. The Sirens, with their alluring voices, try to lure Odysseus and his men away from their journey (190) and…

In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus is faced with numerous hardships as he voyages back to his homeland from the Trojan War. His challenges begin with the attack of the Ciconian men, the temptation of the Lotus drug, and the carnivorous Cyclops. After Odysseus blinds the Cyclops, Polyphemus, it becomes Poseidon’s mission to ensure Odysseus will never reach his home again. Several women intervene to assist Odysseus along the rest of his journey. The goddess Athena consistently plays the role as…

In almost all works of literature, the protagonist is typically either the main hero or the main villain of the story. He or she is often either the person that the audience aspires to be or the person the audience aims to avoid becoming. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus is a hero who is trying to reach and reclaim his home. Throughout his journey, Odysseus encounters all kinds of people and beings who affect both his trip home and the repossessing of his home. The majority of…

publish their translation of the classic eighth century, 12,110 lined epic poem, The Odyssey. “Since The Odyssey first appeared in English, around 1615, in George Chapman’s translation, the story of the Greek warrior-king Odysseus’s ill-fated 10-year attempt to return home from the war in Troy to Ithaca and his wife, Penelope, has prompted some 60 English translations, at an accelerating pace” (The First Woman to Translate the ‘Odyssey’ Into English, 2). This quotation clearly shows how there is…

In The Odyssey, Homer shows the transition of Telemachus from a childish and passive young man to a Man worthy of being Odysseus’ son. Through the help of Athena, he learns different character traits and qualities such as bravery that helps him to mature into a man worth the title of a prince of Ithaca. Odysseus’ son the help of Athena. He learns how to be authoritative, assert maturity and acknowledge his wrongdoing. He is also influenced by the return of his father to be more like him. These…

throughout The Odyssey by Homer, the Bible, and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft. These texts all illustrate different roles for women in society; however, there are some common ideas between the texts. Since these texts were written at different time periods, The Odyssey first, then the Bible, and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman last, a contributing factor to the differences in the views on the role of women in society is the societal norms held at the time.…