Mesopotamian mythology

Many journeys can show how we humans go against challenges in our path to figure out who we are in the world to prosper. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, talks about different challenges that Odysseus and his men faced in their battle against the Trojans and how Odysseus, the epic hero, shows courage and strategies to fight against creatures with a help of a god.The nonfiction The Good Soldiers by David Finkel, where Cumming, an american soldier, has a problem of not knowing which…

Homer’s The Odyssey is a timeless piece of literature that tackles such complex themes as gender and cultural relations, as well as more human themes like love and loyalty, all in a truly classic style that is revered even today. Odysseus’ long journey back home is grueling and harrowing and this fact is only intensified by what his family must endure back home in Ithaka. Though Odysseus may be preoccupied with difficult challenges as he makes his way back home, it is Odysseus’ nearly constant…

From the very beginning of Homer's the Iliad, Achilles is depicted as vindictive, prideful, and trifling. As the book advances, the picture of Achilles as a resentful youngster is improved significantly. Towards the end of the epic, Achilles displays qualities that are viewed as courageous even in today's time. When his reliable and trusted companion Patroclus passes on, Achilles experiences an extreme change in character. When he goes up against the genuine repulsiveness of death, Achilles sets…

The motif of vision, one that is effectively portrayed throughout the story, contradicts the visions of leaders and alternates the results of their impact on the society. Blindness leads to the downfall of any hero, it obstructs their judgements, which therefore, causes them to fail to see temptations and eventually fall into their nadir. However, the narrator witnesses the blindness of Barbee and Brother Jack, which he recognizes, but does not fully acknowledge it to prevent the same from…

Odysseus is an undisputed hero. He is the exemplar of the Grecian epic hero, with courage, cunning, and military prowess. Thus, logically, the woman who is tasked with being his equal until death do they part, must be able to match his prowess. Penelope, Odysseus’ other half, withstands these impossible expectations. Her strength is based in her cunning, unlike most women depicted. She was smart in her realm, and in her duties. She was strategic and purposeful with all of her actions, just as…

In the tenth book of The Odyssey Odysseus and his men go through many trials and tribulations to get to Ithaca and due to an unforeseen circumstance they are delayed in their journey. By cause of the setback, Odysseus and his crew end up in Aiaia, home of the goddess Kirke. Odysseus’s crew fall under a curse that turns them all into pigs after entering her home and when Odysseus tries to rescue them, Kirke tries to trap him too. She soon realizes that her curse doesn’t work on him and tries to…

He was one of the biggest figures in norse mythology (Old Norse - Þórr, Old English Đunor, Old High German-Donar, Proto-Germanic *Þunraz, “Thunder”[1]) Being one of the more prominent God in Norse history, the viking people, especially the scandinavians looked to Thor for protection. Being the thunder…

Sir Gawain’s Shame: the Transformation of a Symbol and the Loss of an Identity In Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the title character Gawain faces a personal moral dilemma with very public consequences. His moral downfall takes physical form through the symbolic transformation of the gift Gawain receives from Morgan Le Fay, a green girdle. Initially, the girdle is a symbol of protection; however, when Gawain breaks his contract with the Green Knight, it becomes a symbol of personal shame. Once…

In Homer’s The Iliad, rage is a driving force for the mortal characters, unlike the stoic, unemotional nature of the gods. Each human character seems to have his own vendetta, and will go to great lengths to get the justice he feels he deserves. The enraged state these characters reside in only heightens the conflicts they experience in the war, pushing the story along further. Achilles and Agamemnon are prime examples of this, pushing forth their agendas due to their rage-filled emotional…

In an unheard-of myth, Atalanta acts as a female deity, who is known for her immense strength and agility. She has had an eventful childhood that makes her very powerful. Atlanta has defeated many battles that have made her prominent. She is an exemplary huntress and could out race any man. The Hero’s Journey is a pattern that is found in many different types of literature and was written by Joseph Campbell. Atalanta does follow some of the steps of the Hero’s Journey, but she also deviates from…