The Odyssey Essay

Odysseus is the hero of Homer 's Odyssey and is one of the most famous epic heroes to ever have his story told. We are faced with the question of whether Odysseus is smart, strong, brave or lucky. In Homer 's Odyssey, Odysseus demonstrates his superior intellect on more than one occasion. He frequently manipulates other to do his bidding without them even noticing it, not…

The main character, Odysseus, is a strong, noble, courageous leader for him and his men. He has a thirst for glory and his homecoming. Odysseus’s most distinguishing trait, is his sharp intellect. Quick thinking has gotten Odysseus out of some very sticky situations. For example, when Odysseus and his men were on Polyphemus’s island, Odysseus’ intellect freed him from the Cyclops’ cave. Another distinguishing trait is his confidence/cockiness. Some say that it is confidence, some say cockiness.…

In this passage, from book 19 of The Odyssey, Penelope talks to Odysseus, who is currently disguised as a beggar. She tells him of her woes, and her clever deception of the suitors for 3 years. However, despite this she must now choose a man to marry, at the urging of her parents, and her own desire to provide a house to Telemachus. This passage connects to several themes within classical heroism. First it introduces the concept of divine intervention and aid as Penelope states “ a divinity…

need for careful planning. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus’ retelling of his journey shows maturation in his character, from hasty doer to thoughtful strategist, that is paralleled in Telemachus’ growth from the shy boy in the beginning to the proactive man in the end. Adults that make proud decisions…

and development of solely male roles. While it is true that stories such as The Iliad and The Odyssey do feature male leads and very few, or essentially none in the case of The Iliad, non-static female characters, it should be taken into consideration that this was the desire of the Greek audience for which they were written. Furthermore, Homer altered the function of women between The Iliad and The Odyssey based upon the primary themes of the respective epics themselves.…

In “The Odyssey” by Homer, Odysseus, King of Ithaca, must go through years of hard work to return home from the Trojan War and save his people. “The Hero’s Journey” by Joseph Campbell represents the steps Odysseus took to deem himself a hero. The segments of “The Hero’s Journey” that reflected on Odysseus’ heroic nature were the Call to Adventure, Allies/Helpers, and the Tests and Supreme Ordeals. Odysseus traveled for 20 years away from his land to fight and protect his people, all while being…

Homer’s Greek mock-epic mythological poem, the Odyssey and director Robert Zemeckis’s American epic film, Cast Away portray the support mechanisms that even Herculean individuals rely on in every society. Noting that Homer starts the Odyssey in media res after his previous poem, the Iliad while Zemeckis starts from the beginning. Homer skilfully uses dactylic hexameter, epithets and repetition with ‘earth-shaking Poseidon’, and epic similes such as ‘Odysseys melted… as a women weeps, lying over…

The Odyssey, Telemachus and King Alcinous would be admired by a Greek audience for their embodiment of the Greek values; hospitality, devotion to the gods, cleverness. Telemachus shows hospitality and cleverness through his treatment and interactions with the suitors he hosts in the family house. These suitors have been taking up room, eating food, and wreaking havoc on the estate for years since his father left for Troy. Telemachus still offers an extreme amount of hospitality to the suitors…

In Homer's the Odyssey, the authors speak with certain regard, to women controlling men and holding the keys to mainly hood. This is surprising because in ancient Greece times women were regarded to as nothing and men were powerful figures in society. Homer gives all the power in The Odyssey to Athena and more importantly a woman, this is also big because it goes against the societal normals in ancient Greece. A persistent motive in The Odyssey is women controlling men. On Calypso's island,…

Moving on, Homer’s Odyssey is narrated by Odysseus himself, who speaks of his journey after the Trojan War. The story shifts from the Iliad’s fame and glory theme to the Odyssey’s family and homecoming theme. The Odyssey takes place ten years after the fall of Troy, where the hero Odysseus has yet to return to his home and kingdom of Ithaca. His home is overrun with a large amount of suitors courting his wife Penelope, who has remained loyal to her husband. Held captive at Ogygia, homesick…