Polyphemus

Trials of the Hero’s Journey An epic is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. In the epic poem “The Odyssey”, the author Homer describes the fictional journey of a Greek hero, Odysseus, as he travels through many physical and emotional stages of hardship and success. There are three stages of his journey; the Separation, the Initiation and Transformation, and the Return. These three…

The appropriation of Greek myth in modern narrative fiction has increased in the last ten years, specifically in the young adult genre. Book series such as Oh. My. Gods. and The Goddess Test draw young girls into the world of classical myths, while Percy Jackson and the Olympians captivated an entire generation and introduced them to the complexities and themes of the poll of mythic traditions from Ancient Greece. These new stories that incorporate the mythos help "[re-introduce] an audience…

teaches that you have to keep going even when your plan gets destroyed, to never stop. If Odysseus did not have perseverance, would he have kept going after his crew released the air bag or ate the sacred cattle? Would he have pushed forward when Polyphemus the giant trapped him and his crew in a cave, or when Calypso made him stay on her island for 7 long years? One of the sparks that makes humans different is the ability and want to persevere. Humans are geared towards persistence with the…

The characteristics that identify a hero have developed over the years. What truly defines a heroic person? Something that needs daring, intelligence, overcoming obstacles, and plain cunning. In the Odyssey, Homer depicts Odysseus as a noble person. Odysseus faces various hurdles on his voyage home, which he overcomes with both his intellect and strength. In this episode, I will focus on the smallest details of Odysseus' character and the challenges of his heroism, compared with the concept of…

Between both epic poems by Homer; The Iliad and The Odyssey, the reader is able distinguish a variety of themes that set both stories apart. But there are also multiple instances where the themes of the poems overlap and actually build off of each other. This is where Homer is able to help the reader fully understand both stories by implementing themes through both poems and a multitude of characters and situations to help his message get across. One of the biggest similarities between both…

Odysseus shows extreme hubris when he defeated the cyclops. Walt is different, Walt created the Beautiful theme park Disney and he didn’t brag or think he was better than others. When Odysseus was fighting Polyphemus he had already beat him and embarrassed him. During the battle Odysseus completely destroys Polyphemus’s eye and brags about it, “[Odysseus] called back with another burst of anger, “Cyclops if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who…

Odysseus was sentenced by Poseidon to long years of suffering at sea for blinding Poseidon’s son Polyphemus. This fate continued for seventeen years until the Gods vouched for his return to Ithaca. With the help of Athena and Hermes, Odysseus was able to put his fear aside and brave the ocean with his wit and strength, even with the odds stacked against him. He was well on his way to Ithaca until Poseidon saw that the Gods had released him from Ogygia. This aggravated Poseidon and he produced a…

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…

Loyalty and Change in The Odyssey The Odyssey, by Homer, is an epic tale of a Greek kings return home. Odysseus yearns to return home to his wife Penelope, his son Telemachus, and the kingdom in which he ruled. Over the course of this journey each character must endure many challenges that shape their personality. Although Penelope remains strong in her personal beliefs, Telemachus and Odysseus change greatly throughout the story. While Odysseus is away, Penelope is left to deal with the sons…

After blinding Poseidon’s son Polyphemus, Poseidon makes it his duty to do everything he can to keep Odysseus from journeying home. Since “not even the gods/ can defend a man… from that day/ when fate takes hold and lays him out at last”, Athena must come up with other ways to help save…