Character Analysis of Odysseus Essay

For all of human history, females have fulfilled one of two major roles in society. The first is the mother-figure. This is the woman that starts out as a maiden belonging first to her father, then to her husband. In literature this is what women should aspire to — this is the prize that the hero gets at the end of his physical and moral journey. The other category of women is the harlot. This is a sexual figure that appeals to man’s baser desires. In society, that dichotomy gives rise to the…

as personal a journey when comparison to the Odyssey where Odysseus makes his voyage home to his wife and son. While there is no doubt that Vergil has created a story about Aeneas and his experiences, the end result is about much more than his legacy, it is about the legacy of Rome. In contrast, Odysseus’ story is very narrow, having the greatest effect on those closest to him. Their treks into the Underworld are not much different. Odysseus experiences a very personal journey that…

Pride and Loyalty: An Analysis of Strengths and Weaknesses in The Odyssey Many great characters throughout history exhibit the same tragic flaw-- hubris. From Oedipus to Faustus, many heroes fall victim to their excessive pride, which manifests itself in a number of different ways, including a lack of trust and a desire for power. Pride is especially prominent in Homer’s Odysseus, as it prevents him from returning home for twenty years in The Odyssey. Odysseus’s pride, while not a tragic flaw,…

and the sailors have been identified "no fragments of the Skylla torso have as yet been recognised." This depiction of Odysseus’ battle with the monster is typically considered a demonstration of his virtus. At the back of the grotto is a sculpture depicting the blinding of the Cyclops Polyphemus by Odysseus and his comrades (See Figure 2.). This well-known myth presents Odysseus in a situation where he demonstrates calliditas. A relief found on a Catanian sarcophagus from the 3rd century AD…

states that without him, the Greeks were doomed to destruction (Homer 166). He was conscious of the fact that Achilles was nursing his bruised ego, so he made an effort to acknowledge Achilles’ greatness by telling him he was their only solid hope. Odysseus then decides to focus Achilles’ attention on the poor state of the Greeks. He knows of Achilles’ love for his compatriots, as Achilles states in an earlier passage that, “…The Greeks I love best, even in my rage.” (Homer, 165). It is clear…

A Psych Analysis of Satan (A psychological evaluation of the character of Satan in John Milton’s Paradise Lost) In every epic tale, there is an equally as epic hero. This is shown in all of the classical stories: Achilles in The Iliad, Odysseus in The Odyssey, and Aeneas in Virgil’s Aeneid. Since John Milton wanted to make an English epic poem in his masterpiece of Paradise Lost, there of course had to be an epic hero. Despite this, it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the protagonist of the…

Student name Student number Heroic Attributes of Odysseus. Book 9 of the Odyssey “In the One-Eyed Giant’s Cave” provides better understanding of the character of Odyssey, his emotions, cunning and the features of character. Heroism during the times of Homer certainly differs from the modern definition of the word, as it focuses more on the ability to outwit others, capture new lands and resources and exploit every opportunity that presents itself. Portrayed by Homer as a clever…

assert that society has not progressed toward freedom, but it is rather moving backwards and is submerging into barbarism. According to them, the cause of this dark turnabout is due to the indefatigable self-destructiveness of enlightenment. Their analysis results in a paradox which is the critical part of this writing: “myth is already enlightenment, and enlightenment reverts to mythology”…

Many people look at Virgil’s Aeneid as a complementary story to the Odyssey, the epic yarn spun by Homer. These tales follow two parallel chains of effect starting from the Trojan War. The Odyssey tells of the titular hero Odysseus’ long and tumultuous journey home after his victory on the fields of Ilium while the Aeneid gives us the story of Aeneas as he attempts to find a land on which to settle his fleeing people after the blazing destruction of his homeland. The differences between these…

representation. It follows Odysseus’s journey home to Ithaca and his wife, Penelope. Penelope is an interesting character in this story, especially in the third part of Simon Armitage’s translation. In the first two parts of the translation, readers get to know Penelope through her performance of a woman: poised, graceful, and caring. She shows a different side to her character that requires more analysis to grasp a better understanding of how gender is portrayed in The Odyssey. Despite the fact…