...The revenge on the suitors, by Odysseus, his son Telemachos and others caused massive chaos in books 21 and 22. The suitors disrespected Odysseus’ household by eating and drinking in his home and courting his wife and for this they were killed ruthlessly. Penelope proposed that if any of the suitors can shoot the arrow through all twelve axes she will leave the house and go with them. When Odysseus finally returned home to Ithaca, he was disguised as an old beggar by Athena. Odysseus shot the arrow through the axes and then shot a second arrow through the throat of Antinous. The suitors were shocked as Odysseus revealed himself and then started shooting at them. Philoetius and Eumaeus had locked the doors in the hall and so the suitors had nowhere to go. Telemachus got more shields and swords from the storeroom to arm Eumaeus and Philoetius, but he forgot to lock it on his way out. Melanthius went to the storeroom and got arms for the suitors. When Eumaeus and Philoetius saw him they tied him up and later he was tortured and killed. However, Athena disguised as Mentor, encouraged Odysseus and later participated in the battle. Odysseus and his men killed several suitors while receiving only slight...
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...In Homer’s The Odyssey, Homer presents a perplexing and complex dilemma revolving around the ambiguity and problematic language used to describe the ideology of justice and vengeance. Moreover, it is the returning of equivalent harm for harm that seems to run through the heart of the archaic Greek culture that allows for crimes to merge with and become their own punishment. The relationship between crime and punishment is a tight linkage that seems to be arranged by Homer in an attempt to justify the moral positions as well as the actions of many major characters throughout The Odyssey. Distinctively, the role of justice and vengeance can be exhibited in the interactions between Polyphemus, Odysseus, Poseidon and the suitors. The conflict...
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...In the film, Odyssey, the directors utilize characterization, setting, and music to enhance the audience’s experience and portray the theme of Homer’s epic tale. Characterization is one of the most significant tools that the directors used. It compelled the audience to feel sympathy towards the characters and stressed the most prominent theme, vengeance. The directors used emotional scenes in which the characters appeared to the audience as relatable. In the film, the directors redid the part of the text where it said, “Then throwing his arms around this marvel of a father Telemachus began to weep. Salt tears rose from the wells of longing in both men”. Instead of using narration, the directors used indirect characterization to convey the...
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...Both the Odyssey and the Aeneid describe the journeys of the two Greek heroes –Odysseus and Aeneas, as they struggle towards their goal through the crises and deadly situations caused by the wrath of the gods upon them. In the Odyssey, we see that Poseidon (god of the sea/earth shaker) has a grudge against Odysseus while Athena, god of wisdom, aids him throughout his journey. Similarly in the Aeneid, we see that goddess Juno dislikes Aeneas as he is destined to destroy the city of Carthage loved by Juno during his mission to find a new land- Rome, whereas Aeneas’ mother Venus aids him. In these epics, many points of similarity and differences arise such as the characters of the heroes, how their journeys are delayed by women obsessed with love, what they are destined for and how they achieve the final goal in the end of the epic. The very first similarity we see in both the epics is that Virgil starts his poem in the same way Homer does, that is they both refer to Muses to sing about the epic heroes of Greek mythology- Odysseus and Aeneas. Virgil again refers to Muses for the second time in book six of the Aeneid. Another similarity is the assembly of gods in Olympus described by both Virgil and Homer. As seen in the Odyssey, Odysseus’ character is clever and smart one. He is a learner and later becomes self controlling. His ‘never give up’ attitude shows that he can go through any situation to get what he wants. Also, his character is full of twists and turns. While in the Aeneid...
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...In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, Poseidon becomes infuriated upon learning that the gods have decided to allow Odysseus (the man who blinded Poseidon’s son, the Cyclops) to embark on a voyage home off Calypso’s Island. In retaliation, Poseidon conjures a storm at sea, putting Odysseus’ life in peril. By conjuring up a storm and threatening Odysseus’ life (the protagonist of the novel), Poseidon actively becomes the antagonist as he attempts to halt Odysseus’ journey home to his family and possibly end his life. By doing so, Poseidon gives a rise to the conflict of the story as he does not allow Odysseus to have a calm and direct voyage home. Instead, he gives Odysseus his “‘...swamping fill of trouble’” by forcing Odysseus to stray away from...
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...surmount. Heroes are everywhere. Odysseus is the hero of the “Odyssey” by a blind poet, Homer. Odysseus fights in Trojan War for 10 years and it took him another decade for him to get home. He had to pass many hardships to get to his homeland Ithaca. The three main stages in Campbell’s “The Hero’s Journey” that exemplified in Homer’s The Odyssey are the crossing of the first threshold,the road of trials, and freedom to live. For example, Joseph Campbell describes that the crossing of the first threshold is the hero which is Odysseus who is accompanied by the guide which is Athena, the goddess of wisdom goes beyond the boundaries of his or his everyday, enter the wilderness, and has the first encounter with...
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...The idea of revenge is one closely tied with that of honor. In many instances the two are intertwined in a seemingly delicate balance. On the one hand the idea that one must uphold their honor is a persuasive argument, yet a person pursuing a path to maintain their integrity and status can often become swayed and have their actions dictated by the feelings of revenge. In the case of the Homer’s epic The Odyssey translated by Robert Fitzgerald, we see these two ideas clashing on a canvas filled with mystical creatures and legendary challenges. Odysseus wants to maintain the honor of his family and yet some might argue that that his actions are motivated by revenge. His actions, abrupt as they may have been, were motivated by a keen sense of justice and desire...
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...Homer vs. The Old Testament: The Telephone Game In the beginning there were three great stories, the stories of Homer and the stories of then what would become the Old Testament. Homer is famous for his epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey. The Iliad is about a man named Achilles and his feud with Agamemnon. This epic poem recounts what events took place in this feud. Homer’s next great piece of work is The Odyssey, a story about Odysseus and a war against the Trojans, and his twenty-year excursion to return home. The Old Testament much like Homer’s tales is an epic poem. The Old Testament is a story about the beginning of creation, and how one figure created the world, a story about right and wrong, and the trials and tribulations of the people of faith. By comparing the characters and the themes of Homer’s epics and the works of The Old Testament one can see the similarities between the two and how word of mouth from one story could have possibly flowed into the...
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...Odysseus v. Telemachus In Homer’s, The Odyssey, he tells the stories of Odysseus journey home and about his son Telemachus’ search to find him. Homer emphasizes Odysseus’s and Telemachus’ variances in strength when they try to string a bow, he demonstrates the differences in their courage when they discussed how they are going to get revenge on the suitors, and he talks about their different opinions on compassion. What sets Odysseus apart from everyone else is his strength. However, his son Telemachus is very strong too but Homer wants you to see the sheer strength of Odysseus. Homer uses the distinctions, in the strength of Telemachus to the strength of Odysseus when they both attempt to string the Odysseus’ bow. Telemachus tries to...
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...direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination”, in reference to completing journeys. These words are relevant to Homer’s epic The Odyssey, and Kira Salak’s travel memoir The Cruelest Journey, where they both adapted to grueling situations during strenuous journeys. In Homer's piece, the protagonist Odysseus, embarked on a 10 year journey to his home and family in Ithaca, upon arrival he faces challenges to reclaim his family and kingdom. Likewise, In Salak’s memoir The Cruelest Journey, she reveals her arduous trip along the Niger River. Proving abilities to themselves, fulfilling a goal, and proving others wrong helped drive Odysseus and Salak...
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...Bailey Ormond Friday, October 6th “Disguise Is Necessary” 1 In The Odyssey of Homer, disguise plays an influential role in the development of the plot and Odysseus’ return to Ithaca. In Book 1 of The Odyssey, Athena uses disguise to influence Telemachus. Athena comes to Ithaca disguised as Mentes, an old friend of Odysseus. Mentes convinces Telemachus to go search for his long lost father (1:271-279).1 Athena’s use of disguise in the opening book puts faith in Telemachus that his father may still be alive; this is very important for the development of the plot because Telemachus was on the cusp of giving up hope that Odysseus would never return home. The departure of Telemachus also reveals the character of the suitors as they plan to murder him upon his return to Ithaca. The suitors have already been characterized as greedy and disrespectful but their plot to kill Telemachus is evidence of how despicable they truly are. In Book 6, Athena uses disguise to persuade Nausicaa. Athena visits Nausicaa while she is asleep disguised as “the daughter of Dymas, famed for seafaring, a girl of the same age in whom her fancy delighted” (6: 22-23). Using this disguise Athena urges Nausicaa to wash clothes the following day (6: 25-31). Without Athena stirring Nausicaa in her sleep, her and Odysseus would not have been acquainted. Athena also persuades her to have a favorable opinion of Odysseus by making him appear more handsome and favorable than he actually is (6: 223-231). Athena’s use...
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...Theme of Revenge in Homer's Odyssey Homer’s The Odyssey is not just a tale of a man’s struggle on his journey home from the Trojan War, but of his struggle from the consequences of revenge. The Odyssey weaves in different characters’ tales of revenge from the gods and what impact revenge actually had on those characters. Revenge is an important underlying theme in The Odyssey because, in essence, it explains why Odysseus’ journey was so prolonged and treacherous. A few examples of revenge in the poem include Orestes’ revenge on Aegisthus, Zeus’ revenge on Odysseus and his men, and Poseidon’s revenge on Odysseus. These different examples of revenge in The Odyssey show the importance of the gods’ revenge in the epic journey of Odysseus. Orestes’ revenge is the first important example of the gods’ revenge in the poem. In Book 1, Hermes told Aegisthus, “’Don’t murder the man,’ he said, ‘don’t court his wife. Beware, revenge will come from Orestes…” (Homer 260). King Nestor delivers the story of Orestes’ revenge to Odysseus’ son Telemachus, while Telemachus is visiting Nestor to discover answers about his fathers’... The Character Medea's Revenge in Euripides' Medea Medea is a tragedy of a woman who feels that her husband has betrayed her with another woman and the jealousy that consumes her. She is the protagonist who arouses sympathy and admiration because of how her desperate situation is. I thought I was going to feel sorry for Medea, but that quickly changed as soon...
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...In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus displays his renowned cleverness in his journey to get home, but he also shows he is very prideful. While trying to get home, Odysseus and his crew land on the island of the Cyclops, a race of one-eyed, man-eating giants. They end up stuck in the Cyclops Polyphemus’s cave, and Odysseus uses his ingenuity to get (most) of his men out. Polyphemus is so massive, that the rock he seals the entrance with, lifted easily by him, is impossible for Odysseus and his crew to budge. The men are helpless as they watch, each night, the Cyclops devour two more of their number for supper. Shrewdly, Odysseus gives Polyphemus wine, ostensibly as a gift to gain favor, until he is drunk, and then he tells the Cyclops his name is Nobody....
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...right to choose his own path. While clearly present in The Odyssey, it is through Homer’s writing that we begin to see the underlying belief, in ancient Greek culture, of divine intervention and the gods’ power to control and shape man’s destiny. Their influence is evident in determining the outcome of every adventure and obstacle that the hero, Odysseus, faces during his lengthy, perilous journey home following the events of the Trojan War. Man’s free will is overshadowed throughout this epic poem by the use of prophecy or the direct influence of the gods to ultimately foretell and decide the outcome. The choices Odysseus makes may have direct consequences and influence on his life, gaining or denying him favor with the gods. He cannot; however, change his fate or escape their will. The influence of the gods is shown early on in The Odyssey during a meeting of the gods where they decide amongst themselves that the time for Odysseus to return to his home in Ithaca has come. At the time of the meeting, Odysseus is trapped in a suspended state of inactivity on the island Ogygia with the goddess Calypso. No matter the remarkable wit and cunning the hero is shown to possess, it is the decision of the gods at this meeting to send Hermes to pave the way for his release from the island. Zeus to Hermes: “Hermes, you’ve been our messenger before. / go tell that ringlet nymph it is my will / To let that patient man Odysseus go home. / Not with an escort, mind you, human or divine...
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...The Odyssey is written by the Greek bard / poet, Homer. The epic poem is considered to be written around the 8th – 7th B.C.E. However the elements of the epic suggest it takes place in the twelfth century B.C.E., a time the Greeks believed when the deities seen in the epic roamed the land and there were more heroic demi-god like morals as champions of different lands. This was a time period when Greek civilization was in a peak of its history and perhaps associated this success as a result of divine blessings given to them by the deities they worshipped and sacrificed too. Leading to the fact of why there are so many instances we see the various deities have, whether it be direct or indirect, influence on the various characters in the epic....
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