Winslow Homer

Two Types of Monsters The scene between Odysseus and the Cyclops, Polyphemus, in Homer’s Odyssey is universally recognized as one of the greatest displays of cunning in ancient Western literature. Odyssey is the narration of the epic hero, Odysseus, and his journey home to his native land, Ithaca, after the fall of Troy. Throughout the narrative, Odysseus meets and interacts with a wide array of characters—gods, creatures, and humans. In Book 9, Odysseus and his men come to the land of the…

In The Iliad Homer, the epic poet brings the reader into a war of attrition between two great peoples, the Achaeans and the Trojans. Throughout the epic poem the reader familiarizes themselves with the two of the main protagonists within the poem, Hector and Achilles. As the epic progresses the reader learns the key differences and similarities Achilles and Hector have, and perhaps maybe choose who they see as the true hero in poem. However, one could say that both Hector and Achilles could be…

Perhaps Homer combined the Trojan war in 7a, with the sizable land of Troy 6. There is also evidence that multiple battles lasted for a long period of time in the Late Bronze Age, around the time of the supposed Trojan War. (Fischman 59) Fischman states that houses in the area and time period were usually very close to one another. However, in this newly discovered section of Troy, the houses are scattered, almost as if some had been destroyed by war. (Fischman 59) This would fit with Homer…

In Homers epic, the Iliad, we see that dishonor is something that is looked down upon. Honor is why the warriors go to battle and what gives them the motivation to push through the gruesome events that take place. The Iliad is full of characters that are stunted by fear. In Book 17 we see that Menelaus is too fearful to protect Patroclus’ body. Lastly, Achilles is mentioned in this section to show that the refusal of giving up Patroclus’ body could be the one thing to draw Achilles out of his…

In the Iliad, King Agamemnon played the role of commander of the Greeks, and King Nestor played the role of an elder council (an advisor). In the scene between Achilles, Agamemnon, and Nestor; Homer does not portray Agamemnon as somebody who would directly be in opposition to Nestor’s words of wisdom. In his book, Raphael Sealey commented that in Homer’s Iliad, “Decisions are taken by the king, but the poems avoid the question whether the king…

give up his kidnapped woman rather than Achilles, the greater warrior. Homer casts Achilles in the light of the besieging hero and Agamemnon as the greedy king who cares more for wealth and honor than his men’s lives. As the book progresses and insults traded, Homer switches sides as Achilles removes himself from the battle. Homer reveals his true support not for the character, but the greater good of the Achaean war effort. Homer shows his audience that Agamemnon is not upset about returning…

The famous epic poem by Homer, The Odyssey, tells of Odysseus’ tumultuous journey back to his home on the island of Ithaka. Odysseus, the main character in the epic poem, appears to be the hero slaying the monsters, but as his journey continues it becomes more difficult to distinguish who the monster really is. Upon closer inspection, the true monster is not one of the various mythical creates Odysseus faces, but is instead Odysseus himself. Passages from book nine and book 22 of The Odyssey,…

The epic Iliad was made by the blind poet Homer in 700 B.C. the story is the oldest in ancient Greek times. It’s known throughout Western literature culture. Also, an epic is concerned with the fate of a nation and a people. But, in the epic The Iliad the hero Achilles has changed throughout the story. Achilles was first fighting for glory the honor of Menelaus, Agamemnon brother, and husband of Helen. Helen was stolen by Paris the Trojan prince, son of Priam. All Greeks made a pact that if one…

Additionally, this careful consideration has helped me determine how this affects what Thucydides says about human nature. The same careful consideration has helped me understand what Homer says in the Iliad about Achilles’…

The Comparison To The Underworld Many pieces of literature contain many similar characteristics to Greek and Roman mythology as these references illustrate a certain idea or image for the reader. Many authors in the past would draw these comparisons to invoke a deeper meaning to their writing. The Underworld of Roman mythology is the kingdom of Pluto and is where Romans believed the dead went to in afterlife. For one, the house of Trimalchio as well as the contents in it, are directly related to…