Odyssey
Homer's Odyssey is a classic epic poem, demonstrating all the hallmarks of epic poem structure and the epic journey cycle. The narrative of the Odyssey follows the return on Odysseus from Troy, a journey that takes ten years and spans many locations and setbacks, until he finally reaches his home in Ithaca. Even then, Homer must deal with one final setback before being successfully reunited with his family. This paper will focus on three central themes that define the epic poetry genre -- an epic hero
There are several elements of an epic poem. An epic poem should have an epic hero and in this case that is Odysseus. He is the focal point of the action (no author, 2012). His journey is entirely about him, to the point where his actions dictate the fate of all those around him. The key supporting characters are in his and his wife. Odysseus is also portrayed as the quintessential hero. He is always described with flowery adjectives. Even when he commits negative acts, such as taunting the Cyclops, he is treated with sympathy and his negative act used as a means of conveying a social lesson. This treatment of the major characters is a central theme in all epic poetry -- Rama in the Ramayana, Aeneas in the Aeneid and Achilles in the Iliad. The Odyssey plays a role in reinforcing social norms in ancient...
That the story is named after Odysseus only further enhances his position as an epic hero -- the name seems to indicate that the hero is more important than the narrative elements.
Another element of epic poetry is the high position portrayal of the characters. The characters are all treated with lofty adjectives, and certain themes are repeated as well, lending the same treatment to the setting. The traits associated with each character - wise Athena, loyal Penelope, and the disrespectful suitors among them are repeated to the point where that character and those traits become one and the same. With each character given a strong trait, each of these characters takes on the appearance of being important. Even minor characters are treated with extensive background stories, again raising those characters above their fringe roles.
Perhaps the most central defining characteristic of epic poetry is the epic journey cycle. The journey in the Odyssey consists of two parts. The first is the physical journey. In the Odyssey, this is given epic format in both its length and the diversity of experiences that Odysseus experiences. The journey home from Troy takes ten years, and he has already been away for ten, making the total time away twenty years. His journey takes him to unknown lands, and to places where he meets fantastical creatures. Odysseus is pushed into the boundary between gods and men, something that elevates his status as a hero and elevates the status as more than a simple journey across the Mediterranean. Indeed, Homer takes Odysseus to Hades to meet the…
Homer was a legendary Greek poet who is traditionally credited as the author of the major Greek epics the "Iliad and the Odyssey," as well as the comic mini-epic "Batracholmyomachia" (The Frog-Mouse War), the corpus of Homeric Hymns, and various other lost or fragmentary workd such as "Margites" (Homer pp). Some ancient authors credited him with the entire Epic Cycle, which included other poems about the Trojan War as well
Although each of them has a different method of enticement, they all have the same goal: to hinder him in his way back. Even if he does not have prior knowledge of their powers he does not give in to temptation, he has the power to fight them even if curiosity, one of his major "faults," is the root of all his problems (he insists on hearing the Sirens
But before Odysseus returned back home his destiny gave him serious trials: mean-eating giant Polypheus, temptations of Calypso who offered him immortal life if he refuses from return home, etc. Odysseus returns home, but first in order to spy the real situation in Ithaca he dresses as beggar. "At the end after revenging his enemies he reunited with his family." (Rosenberg). Odysseus is the first Greek epic hero, who on
For Aristotle, true freedom and liberty consists in ruling and being ruled in turn and not always insisting on fulfilling one's own personal desires at the cost of others. Thus, for Odysseus, true freedom can only come about when one is allowed to contribute to society for the betterment of everyone involved, a sure sign of moral correctness and rational thinking. In addition, Aristotle stressed the importance of justice and goodness,
And the Western people followed this idea. This labor code has been legalized for so many years now and has been amended several times all for the benefit of the working population. It is not only the Western civilization who has been benefited by this idea from the Greeks but also most, if not all, countries around the world. In terms of aesthetic ideals, the Greeks have also greatly influenced
Odyssey and O' Brother In the course of human history, one of the interesting things about past literature is the way the heroic appears again and again. In fact, this appearance becomes an archetype in that we see very similar themes in literature, religion, mythology, and culture. This is perhaps because as humans we have the need to explain and explore the unknown, but also because we tend to psychologically need
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