...The traits that set Odysseus apart from other prototypically Greek heroes is his intelligence, wit, selfishness, and reliance on others. While Odysseus is considered by everyone to be a hero, his intelligence and wit, not his physical power as a warrior are what largely sets him apart from others, like Achilles. His intelligence and wit allow him to survive situations that could have gone badly if he had not fully thought out his “game plan.” For example, the use of the Trojan Horse in The Iliad was Odysseus’ idea. And it was a brilliant one. Had he not thought of it, the outcome of the war most likely would have been quite different. Unlike someone like Achilles, Odysseus really is not a “superhuman.” He does not have super physical strength, and instead relies on his intelligence to win....
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...In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, it is suggested that the ideal Greek concept of a hero is one who exhibits the moral virtue of arete, excellence in all areas. Having a similar denotation to that of the more modern term “well-rounded”, the Greeks valued highly those who were not lacking and were furthermore adept at a wide variety of skills. Odysseus, the protagonist, is an exemplar of a hero that demonstrates this Greek ideal. In addition to having a mighty physical prowess that allowed him to survive his rough journey, he was also able to use his own craftiness and quick-wittedness to overcome these trials. The Greek hero ideal of having arete is evidenced by Odysseus’s use of his intelligence instead of strength to resolve his conflicts...
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...2012 World Literature I Odysseus and the idealist Don Quixote What is a hero? To be a hero means winning honor through competitive combat in ancient Greece and the middle ages. In those historic eras warriors, knights, and kings were honored the most. A hero was someone with a smooth fighting technique and would face death at any moment. Heroes were the people who would lead their armies, fellow knights, and comrades into battle and earned tributes for their courage and great deeds performed during their combat. In other light, the cowards of ancient Greece and the middle ages were considered a burden and were affronted. Throughout many books authors have explained different aspects of what it means to be a hero. Homer, author of the Odyssey, and Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, convey this characteristic frequently. In the Odyssey, Odysseus was a skillful fighter, but it was yet the proof Homer’s readers needed of his heroism. Odysseus also transpired characteristics of restraint and mercy. On the other hand, Cervantes’ character was not born a hero. He was fooled by chivalric ideas of heroism and sets out to reform the world along with his witty companion. Odysseus and Don Quixote are from two totally different eras, but both of them tried to conquer the world with their heroic acts. Not only their heroic acts made them well known, it’s also their imagination that makes them stand out. In comparison, imagination is what makes Quixote the hero, and imagination just adds...
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...is the sum of all your choices”(12).Decisions are a constant occurrence in a person’s life, each one having an impact on the next one. Ordinary people make foolish decisions and must face the consequences, just as fictional characters in stories. In Homer’s epic tale The Odyssey, hero odysseus utilizes poor judgement that negatively impacts his journey to Ithaca. After 10 years at war, the victorious Greeks encounter many obstacles, and their leader Odysseus must make many quick, difficult choices. The greeks arrive on Cyclops Island in search of hospitality, and end up getting trapped hostage in Polyphemus the cyclops’ cave. Cunning Odysseus devises a plan of escape that includes telling...
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...those from thousands of years ago, like the Ancients Greeks, used heros to share their values. The Greeks saw Homer’s Odysseus as an war hero because of his cunning and great battle skills. His legend still lives on today as people around the world learn about the myths of Odysseus. In more recent times, many people appreciate the work of Malcolm X for his heroic fight against injustice and his tremendous speaking ability. His monumental speeches impact the thoughts and shape the ideals of many activists that advance in the fight for social justice. In Homer’s The Odyssey and Malcolm X’s “The Ballot or the Bullet”, both heroes convey great strength in their battles through Odysseus’s surviving the hurricane sent from Poseidon, Malcolm X’s clear portrayal of the injustices in America, and both heroes willingness while staying persistent and achieve justice. Homer conveys Odysseus’s strength through his survival of the hurricane from Poseidon. For example, while Odysseus struggles to stay alive during the storm, “he’d not forget his craft-- he lunged after...
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...transcendetality. Two great authors from the Western civilization that take part of a modern literary culture that is characterized for its epic stories and epic characters that follow along the definition of an epic hero. An epic hero is a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. Dante’s Aligheri’s Inferno and Homer’s The Odyssey respectively have two characters that fulfill what is like to be recognized as a brave and noble character. Throughout both poems, we can see how each character has unique qualities that make them outstand and set them up as a leader, but at the same time, they have the flaws of any human being. It is clear when a character overcomes the status of any human being and sets the lead as a hero. An important trait of an epic hero is the fact that starts a journey; it may be of a personal matter, such as Dante, or of societal matter, like Odysseus. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is a war hero travelling home after a period of twenty years. In this epic, Odysseus is brought out as a hero with superhuman courage. In most cases, he has been shown fighting with supernatural forces. One characteristic of this journey that is different from Dante is that the hero in this epic fights against external forces. Odysseus faces many challenges while traveling home. To begin with, he is cast on an island that is surrounded by waters. Some situations appear to have no immediate solution as one is surrounded by problems. Secondly...
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...be overdone, especially if a reason for the spectacle cannot be found. Language is the dialog or speech that makes up the story, and is used by characters to present the play to the audience. Aristotle lays out a very specific definition of what a tragedy should include, and how each element should be presented. He tells us that the tragedy must include these six elements and that they must be laid out in a logical manner. Aristotle sets up the framework for a tragedy that is used with or without the playwright’s knowledge for innumerable classical and modern plays. 3. Along with giving us the six elements of a tragedy, Aristotle also gives us four parts that should be included in a tragic hero. Sophocles’ character Oedipus is considered to be the classic example of a tragic hero. This is attributed to...
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...EXAMINATION OF DUTY AND SELF CONTROL IN THE ODYSSEY Aashna Jamal INTRODUCTION Under the rule of Zeus, events did not occur in isolation but in interdependence causing there to be a flux in the totality of events and the whole drama being played on a cosmic plane. The central theme of Zeus’s rule is the preservation of his “ oikos” or household management where the prevalence of order over Chaos is of utmost importance. In this paper, using the Odyssey as a case study, I will examine the thematic importance of the decisions taken by a hero in accordance to or defiance of self control and pietas and the consequences they lead to. These expectations are clearly marked out for the reader who waits in anticipation to garner the fate of the hero. I will analyse the themes of self control and pietas or duty in the Odyssey and discuss their special significance in this epic. I will then briefly talk about the Hindu concept of duty or Dharma with reference to the Ramayana. I however do not intend to use the concept of monomyth coined by Joseph Campbell also referred to as the hero's journey(which is a basic pattern that its proponents argue is found in many narratives from around the world.) in comparing these epics. The example of the Ramayana will only serve my purpose of highlighting the theme of duty in mythologies across the world. Lastly, I will conclude with the importance of inspecting these themes because of their significance to the plotline. Georg Wissowa notes that pietas was...
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...Patriarchy plays a major role in The Odyssey and victimizes several characters. The ancient Greek epic poem, by Homer, is about the journey of the Greek hero Odysseus to his homeland of Ithaca. During his 20-year struggle to return back home, he encounters many obstacles, including Poseidon who creates a deadly sea storm to punish Odysseus, women who hold him captive for a chance to win his love, and man-eating giants who kill many of his men. Despite all of these unfortunate events, he manages to make it back home to reunite with Penelope and the rest of his...
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...usually forced and as a result, progress is made in irrelevant fields. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, many conflicts occur between Odysseus and his enemies, however the entirety of them have legitimate reasons. Odysseus injures Polyphemus out of necessity for the survival of his crew. Also, he kills the suitors as compensation for tarnishing his home. Similarly, the servants and other such characters are killed for betraying Odysseus’s household and supporting the suitors. To begin, Odysseus drugs and blinds Polyphemus, not...
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...The Inconsiderate Adventures of Odysseus Homer’s epic The Odyssey , translated by Robert Fitzgerald, is a vigorous 10 year journey that challengs the hero's mentally and physically, but not everything is done with morality and consideration. The main protagonist is the leader Odysseus, this epic follows him and his crew after the Trojan War, and their timely return back to their homeland ,Ithaca. In order to return home Odysseus and his crew go through stops and challenges His leadership and decisions affect the way the reader and his crew sees him. In this story the character Odysseus is not an admirable character, for his almost barbaric actions and unruly decisions make it hard to believe otherwise. One of Odysseus’ deplorable characteristics...
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...The post-war treatment of veterans has changed immensely throughout society from showing disrespect and not realizing they need treatment, to coming up with effective ways to treat vets and giving them the respect and gratitude that they deserve. Many soldiers stay in combat mode after a war, often suffering from the effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus, after fighting in Troy, tries to go back home, but the gods give him a long and dangerous ten-year journey back to Ithaca. While Odysseus and his crew are on the island of Ismarus, they decide to celebrate, but are still in combat mode: “I stormed that place and killed the men who fought… we took, and we enslaved the women, to make division, equal shares to all…” (Homer lines 44-46). Although welcomed as heroes to Ismarus, Odysseus and his men prove to be dangerous and war-like. This is the last...
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...GREEK MYTHOLOGY Background to Homer’s Odyssey As you read each story, ask yourself: What is most enjoyable, predictable, or bizarre about this story? How would I have responded in this situation? What mysteries or features of the world might this story try to explain? What bit of moral or religious instructions (i.e. don’t disobey the gods) might be contained in this story? How does this story compare with Christian beliefs, or with the values of our culture today? Are there any other stories or fables I’ve heard that follow the same pattern as this story? The Creation Myths Part 1 Before there was anything, there was Chaos, a formless void. This void, this pure nothingness, gave birth to Gaea (the Earth itself), Tartarus (the underworld), Eros (love), Erebus (underground darkness) and Nyx (the darkness of night). The two kinds of darkness joined together and gave birth two kinds of light: the Light of the heavens and the Light of day. Nyx (night) also gave birth to the three Fates, who control the course of the universe and determine the length of each person’s life on their wheel of fortune. Of the fates, Clotho spins the threads of each person’s life, Lachesis measures the length of the thread, and Atropos cuts the thread. The Fates – Francisco Goya (one of the best painters ever!) 1823 – Note the scissors in the hand of Atropos and Lachesis measuring with a magnifying glass. Who’s...
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...Plato and Play Taking Education Seriously in Ancient Greece Armand D’Angour In this article, the author outlines Plato’s notions of play in ancient Greek culture and shows how the philosopher’s views on play can be best appreciated against the background of shifting meanings and evaluations of play in classical Greece. Play—in various forms such as word play, ritual, and music—proved central to the development of Hellenic culture. In ancient Greece, play (paidia) was intrinsically associated with children (paides). However, both children and play assumed a greater cultural significance as literacy—and, consequently, education (paideia)— developed during the classical age of 500–300 BCE. Uniquely among ancient thinkers, Plato recognized that play influenced the way children developed as adults, and he proposed to regulate play for social ends. But Plato’s attitude toward play was ambivalent. Inclined to consider play an unworthy activity for adults, he seemed to suggest that intellectual play in some form, as demonstrated in the dialectical banter of Socrates, could provide a stimulus to understanding. Key words: education in ancient Greece; play and child development; play and education; play and Plato; Socratic dialectic Among various plausible misquotations that surface from time to time is a piece of popular wisdom attributed to Plato to the effect that “you can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” It was quoted by Alaska Governor...
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...Ancient Greece The Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena, located on the Acropolis in Athens, is one of the most representative symbols of the culture and sophistication of the ancient Greeks. Part of a series on the | Modern Greece.Septinsular Republic.War of Independence.First Hellenic Republic.Kingdom of Greece.National Schism.Second Hellenic Republic.4th of August Regime.Axis occupation (collaborationist regime).Civil War.Military Junta.Third Hellenic Republic | History by topic.Art.Constitution.Economy.Military.Names | History of Greece | | Neolithic Greece.Neolithic Greece | Greek Bronze Age.Helladic.Cycladic.Minoan.Mycenaean | Ancient Greece.Homeric Greece.Archaic Greece.Classical Greece.Hellenistic Greece.Roman Greece | Medieval Greece.Byzantine Greece.Frankish and Latin states.Ottoman Greece | | Ancient Greece was a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BCto the end ofantiquity (c. 600 AD). Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in ancient Greece is the period ofClassical Greece, which flourished during the 5th to 4th centuries BC. Classical Greece began with the repelling of a Persian invasion by Athenian leadership. Because of conquests by Alexander the Great of Macedonia, Hellenistic civilization flourished fromCentral Asia to the western end of the Mediterranean Sea. Classical Greek culture...
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