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Odysseus complex character
The challenge of persuasion
The challenge of persuasion
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The Art of Manipulation in Homer's Odyssey
They sit, entranced in the magic of his words. He pauses. On the edge of their seats, they await in silence his next utterance. The one spoken of is not a bard or man refined in the art of song, but rather a warrior scarred and hardened through intense conflict. He has a special mastery of the spoken language that enraptures his audience and a gift that endows him to command and persuade them without physical force. This man is a manipulator of words, a subtle combatant. The proverbial "He" represents Odysseus in Homer's epic adventure The Odyssey. Youthful Athenian men gained wisdom and admonitions about the machination of words by studying Odysseus's shrewd intellect, and in contrast the use of persuasion by Eurylochus whose ignorance brought about the demise of their comrades.
The art of manipulation is vital to the survival and prosperity of men and women throughout The Odyssey. Odysseus exemplifies this distinctive quality, learning through his adventures how to better meet his needs through cleverly chosen words rather than vehement combat. Odysseus first reveals this gift of the gods, when he used trivial flattery and an appearance of humble supplication in approaching the Princess Nausicaa on the isle of the Phaecians. "At [her] knees," he comes before Princess Nausicaa cleverly appealing to her with questioning disbelief of whether she was "some goddess or a mortal woman." He then proceeds to draw upon her desire to wed with words that left questioning his own marital status, and sounded as though he were envious of the "most blessed among [the Phaecians] who with his wedding gifts would win [her]," the awe inspiring Nausicaa (89). At this moment in his life, Odysseu...
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...e, the ability to manipulate words for the means of persuasion do not always have positive results. In the hands of the ignorant and irrational, persuasion becomes an evil that plagues all those who come in contact with and conform to it, but when used by the knowledgeable and thoughtful, manipulation can provide for the betterment of a society, such as the peace that ensues Odysseus's vengeance when Athena persuades them to stop the futility. Homer teaches young Athenians to be aware of the dangers of manipulation, rhetoric, and persuasion, but he also shows that a man who can do such effectively is deemed a leader, and that those who cannot are mere followers.
Works Cited and Consulted
Crane, Gregory. Calypso: Backgrounds and Conventions of the Odyssey, Frankfurt, Athenaeum 1988
Homer. The Odyssey. trans. Robert Fagles. Penguin Books. New York. 1996.
Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus’ power was gained through the power of others resulting in three phases of understanding: self-determination, courage, and having a greater vision in life. In order to understand these three phases, one must be able to conquer predominance from those less useful than others. Although Odysseus was physically strong, he was not who he was mentally, without the help and guidance through the gods. Odysseus was like one who has no friends, but when he meets up with more people, he becomes popular. One who was alone and meets new people, has more friends and finds out more interesting subjects about daily life. They are the ones who have more predominance than others because they know more people and have much more interesting subjects. Odysseus was like this because he didn’t know much without the help and guidance from others.
This persuasion technique, established in the opening, continues throughout the tale. Odysseus states at one point his “fame reaches to heaven” (303). At another time, speaking of Aeaea whom he calls guileful, he says “could never persuade the heart within my breast” (305). As established earlier the ability to beguile reflects the aptitude of eloquence, therefore his resistance to it build his credibility for not only creating a persuasive message but for rejecting one as well. Odysseus also uses his relationship with another respected individual to build upon his foundation of ethos even more by stating all the gifts he was given by Maro, he expounds
this, for once the suitors are gone Odysseus is free to reclaim is post in
"Could I forget that kingly man, Odysseus? There is no mortal half so wise; no mortal gave so much to the lords of the open sky." proclaims Zeus, the king of all gods in Homer's The Odyssey. He, among countless others, harbors high regards for Odysseus, the mastermind of the Trojan War turned lost sailor. However, the epic poem is sprinkled with the actions of gods and goddesses pushing Odysseus towards his path home to Ithaka, giving the mortal war hero little exposure to the limelight. So when does all the high and mighty talk of Odysseus' power prove true? Only in the absence of godly intervention can the title character live up to his name. In Homer's The Odyssey, excessive reliance on the gods' assistance weakens the overall effect of Odysseus as the hero; while, as a break from the norm, Odysseus' single-handed defeat of the Kyklops Polyphêmos adds true suspense to the story as well as merit to Odysseus' character.
The sum of all human traits is defined as human nature, meaning the excuse for our vices, and the flaws of mortal life. In Homer's The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus demonstrates these flaws throughout his journey, constantly struggling through the eternal fight for realization of life and death, and is weighed down by the never ending power struggle of nature versus mankind.
Homer’s The Odyssey, a magnificent story of lust, deceit, greed, and heroism, still fascinates scholars and casual readers alike today in the same way it fascinated its audience at the time it was written. The Odyssey, a journey of determination, patience, and virtue, tells the tail of Odysseus, the main character, on his voyage home to Ithaka after the end of the Trojan War. Odysseus goes through many unforeseen trials and tribulations, which exemplify his character. During these different happenings, Odysseus makes decisions that do not correspond to his character.
When Gustave Flaubert wrote Madame Bovary, the Romantic Movement was in full swing. This enabled writers to be more concerned with feelings and emotions rather than form and artistic qualities. Flaubert considered some of the novels written to be good, but others (e.g., romance novels) he viewed to be poor. Flaubert's satirical view towards romantic novels is shown throughout this work of fiction. The title character cannot distinguish reality from fantasy. The relationships that Emma partakes in are doomed because of her desire to live in a fantasy world. The reader sees her inability to behave in a decent manner between her relationships with Charles, Leon, Rodolphe, and even her daughter, Berthe.
Alexis de Tocqueville toured America in 1831, and wrote of the uniqueness of American in relation to other nations to differentiate what was American from what was democratic. He believed it was America’s Calvinist piety, commercial focus, and availability of free land in the West – not its democracy – that had caused Americans to neglect the pursuit of science, literature, and the arts. He meant that other countries could operate on democratic principles without giving up more learned and refined culture.
Let’s first start by defining Paganism. Paganism: the simplest way to describe Paganism is that Paganism is a religion of place or a native religion, for example the Native American's religion is Pagan, and also Hinduism is one religion within the Paganism religions. ("What is paganism?" ) All Pagan religions are characterized by a connection and reverence for nature, and usually have many Gods and/or Goddesses.
You are permitted on settle on your choices yet you need support not permitted to lift those results" that quote recognizes for a few pieces in the odyssey. The subject "Through Also through flexibility is An all the all the more persuading move over destiny" may be for a few encounters in the odyssey: those secured proprietor, eating up Hyperions dairy creatures, Moreover The minute that odysseus returns home.
In The Odyssey, Homer, or more so, the characters, often referred to Odysseus as the ‘Great Odysseus’. In the text, it is obvious to see that Odysseus demonstrates arrogance, charisma, over-confidence, and pride. Odysseus and his m...
Since the beginning of human civilization, women have often occupied inferior roles in society while the dominant role has been played by men. In Homer’s The Odyssey gender roles in Greek society are emphasized showing how men controlled society while women were undervalued and constantly disrespected. Although it may be argued that Homer poses some rather feminist views, it is evident by several elements that The Odyssey is a misogynistic text. First, women in the Odyssey were continually oppressed by men never having true free will. In addition, Women were depicted as symbols of lust, seduction, and evil who bring destruction to men, undermining the true values of women. Furthermore, Women were expected to remain loyal to men while men have no expectation for themselves which promoted gender inequality. Exemplified by these three elements, it is evident that The Odyssey is a misogynistic text depicting a society where women occupy subservient and inferior positions.
When people think of Odysseus, they think of a great, cunning, warrior. Who wouldn’t see him that way, he fought his way through Troy and embarked on a journey back home to see his son and wife again. On the surface Odysseus seems like a genius but in Homer’s, The Odyssey, Odysseus shows many instances where he outwits his foes but his foolishness heavily outweighs his smarts; he becomes boastful after a victory which leads to more hardships, he leaves precious cargo in the open for his brutish crew to mess with, and refuses help from the gods which nearly leads to his demise.
Although many of Odysseus’s characteristics are those that many people strive for, his overconfidence is one flaw in him that many people should learn from. In almost every story in the Odyssey, the reader gets yet another example of Odysseus’s pride. Whether it is insulting a God, making fun of a dangerous monster, or asking other men to write poems about him while he is in disguise, the reader realizes that Odysseus is, in fact, an overconfident madman, and it is this overconfident madness that hurts Odysseus in the future, and is what causes him much pain and a very treacherous journey home.
2) P.K. Donahoe, and J.J. Schnitzer, "Evaluation of the infant who has ambiguous genitalia, and principles of operative management,"