The Odyssey v. The Hobbit

In the stories "The Odyssey" by Homer and "The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien, there are many similarities. The main characters, Odysseus and Bilbo, are trying to get themselves and their crews home. Bilbo and Odysseus have many things in common such as their cunning abilities in trickerySome of the similarities between the two are the settings, the challenges, the enemies, and coming home.

First, the setting comparison. One place that can be compared in both stories is 'The Land of the Dead' in "The Odyssey" to 'MirkWood', which is a forest, in "The Hobbit". Both places have masking around them so that it is difficult to see, for example, the fog in 'The Land of the Dead' and the thick trees in 'MirkWood'. Both are also filled with dead people, though none are actually seen in "The Hobbit", but are frequently talked about. …show more content…
The protagonists face many creatures that are a great deal larger than them, but this does not stop them from their mission. The greatest one in each is Polyphemus, a cyclops, and a treasure hoarding dragon named Smaug. Bilbo tells Smaug that he is "he who walks unseen", as the ring that he wears makes him invisible. Odysseus uses this same kind of trickery with Polyphemus by saying that he is "nobody from nowhere", so that he will seem crazy and drunk and nobody will come to aid him. They both use this to commit thievery against the