The Odyssey is an Important Piece of Literature
The Odyssey is considered to be one of the most important literary creations. The Odyssey is a continuation of the ancient Greek epic, The Illiad. Both The Illiad and The Odyssey are ancient Greek epics authored by Homer. Both books follow the journey of the king of Ithaca, Odysseus. The Illiad follows the first part of his journey, and the Odyssey completes it-this journey is referred to as the Monomyth, or Hero’s journey. The Odyssey is an important piece of literature for its vast use of literary devices and exploration of culture. The Odyssey includes many examples of epic conventions, an exploration of Ancient Greek culture, and is a prime example of the Hero’s Journey.
The Odyssey expresses
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Xenia was a sacred obligation between the host and guest of a house. If a stranger approached, all Greek citizens were obliged to open their doors and offer things like food or a bath to the stranger, so long as the stranger provided them with such things as information from the outside world, and made sure not to overstay their welcome. The biggest example of Xenia in the Odyssey is when Penelope (Odysseus’s wife) allows her suitors to be guests in her house while Odysseus was away. The suitors blatantly violated Xenia by overstaying their welcome in the home (staying close to four years in the palace)-each hoping to win the hand of Penelope and inherit her husband’s status and power. Another example of Xenia in the Odyssey is when Telemachus (Odysseus’s son) welcomes Athena (who at the time was appearing as Mentes) into his home during a feast; “Greetings, stranger! Welcome to our feast. There will be time to tell your errand later,” (p. 5) Telemachus has no idea who “Mentes” (Athena) is, but still welcomes him graciously into his home, inviting him to feast with them and not questioning the guest. This was one of the first introductions to Athena in the Odyssey-she later plays a key role in both Telemachus’s life, and Odysseus’s …show more content…
In this case, the hero is Odysseus, and the goal he is trying to achieve is returning back home to Ithaca. Part of the Monomyth is a list of characteristics of a classic hero-certain traits that all heroes seem to have. One of the most important characteristics of a classic hero is a fatal flaw-a hamartia. Odysseus’s hamartia is his excessive pride, present throughout his journey. One example of Odysseus’s hubris is when he is being taunted by the suitor Antinoos. At the time, Odysseus was still disguised as a beggar, and because of this, Antinoos was harassing him for asking for bread from the suitors, calling him a “nosing rat” (p. 325), and accusing him of making a “pitch to everyone!” (p. 325). Odysseus then proceeds to engage in an argument with Antinoos-too proud to be teased as a beggar. Of course, the largest part of the hero’s journey are the steps themselves. One of the most important steps, the “Ultimate Boon”, where a hero finally achieves the goal of his quest, is evident when Odysseus arrives back home in Ithaca and is reunited with Penelope. Since the goal of his journey was to return home, his reunion with Penelope is a perfect example of the “Ultimate Boon”. “Their Secret! As she had heard it told, her knees grew tremendously weak, her heart failed her.” (p. 435). Penelope is overjoyed and
Understanding a story requires more than just reading words and matching them with a general definition. One needs the ability to comprehend the themes by carefully reading between the lines. The concept of xenia is displayed numerous times throughout The Odyssey. Xenia is a type of hospitality that many of the Greeks found necessary to abide by. As Carly said in her description of xenia, it "describes guest-friendship as a sort of custom of the home." In order to fully grasp the idea of the book, one must understand this Greek hospitality and the significance it served to many Greeks during this era. If there were an absence of xenia, The Odyssey would not have any cultural depth to it; instead, it would be a book solely about a war hero who experiences few obstacles on his way home. The main characters of The Odyssey followed the unwritten code of xenos, even if it was not self-beneficiary. Them being
The epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, is about the events that happen after The Iliad. It tells the story of Odysseus and his journey home from the Trojan War. Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, encounters forces that are external and internal. These forces prevent him from returning to his homeland and achieving nostos. Although many different forces impact Odysseus’ journey home, internal forces such as recklessness and temptations hinder Odysseus and his crew from their homecoming far more greatly than external forces.
Homer's The Odyssey can be truly considered as one of the best epic poems of all time. Odysseus' journey in returning home becomes a test to prove himself. Only on the testing grounds of life can one discover inegrity, loyalty and perseverance. Homer's craft is so profound that theme's found in the poem still pertains to man today. The Odyssey is truly remarable in that Odyseus' character, his morals, and his views are stil admired by people today.
Similar to an elaborate dish, a literary genre consists of multiple necessary “ingredients,” called epic conventions, which classify a text into a particular category. Homer follows an impeccable recipe in his magnificent work. Labeled as an epic, The Odyssey by Homer portrays the Greek hero Odysseus years after his victory in the Trojan War and his awaited journey back to Ithaca. As the plot develops it is evident it is no effortless feat for our hero to return home. The godly Odysseus encounters adversities in the forms of Cyclops, sea monsters, alluring flowers and formidable Greek gods with varying conceptions of him. These characteristics distinguish the Odyssey and its episodes as an epic and bestow Odysseus with the title of an epic
Author Ursula K. LeGuin once said, “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” The Odyssey is an epic poem told by Homer that is about a hero named Odysseus who faces many challenges on his journey home from the Trojan War. Even though Odysseus is a smart and strategic man, he still has many lessons to learn on his journey.
The Odyssey is an example of Greek history portrayed in literature. As in all Greek literature, the epic hero Odysseus answers a call to action, suffers through great confrontation, and returns with a better understanding of life. Greek stories such as, The Odyssey set the stage for today's modern action movies with epic heroes such as Indiana Jones, Frodo from the Lord of the Rings, and Western cowboys like Roy Rogers and The Lone Ranger.
The ancient Greeks have brought upon numerous ideas, inventions, and stories to the world. Greek mythology influences modern day literature and life. The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer, which tells the story of Odysseus's journey home after the Trojan War. Odysseus does not achieve his goal of reaching home so easily; monsters and gods come in his way and hinder him. The Odyssey expresses Greek values of hospitality from the customs of Ithaca, humility from Odysseus’s reform, and loyalty from Odysseus’s family.
The Odyssey is filled with emotion and adventure. Homer’s ability to show and give the reader a visual of each and every scene gives the story its unbelievable significance. To all the people who read his work there is something to be captured within every sentence, each one different in its own, unique way. Through tales of courage and defeat, friendship and love this book tells of all the values within the life of a single, solitary man, and his journey to attain what is true and dear to him. And this journey is known to all of us as The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a test of human devotion and trust through the gods, the mortals, and the obstacles through which they venture. No matter where they go or what they do, humans are tested for certain characteristics everyday of their lives, whether they realize it or not; and The Odyssey is just one of those many miraculous tests.
In the book The Odyssey, xenia is considered sacred. If one was to show xenia in a negative way they would later be punished for it and if someone was to show xenia in a positive way they would be rewarded for it. Yet if xenia was both good and bad, how would that affect the outcome? In the story “The Grace of the Witch”, the great and beautiful Goddess Kirke shows good xenia by giving her guests a warm welcome with rich wine, extravagant feast, and tall thrones to sit upon and feel magnificent, but does it all count if she drugged them to stay? The toss between good and bad xenia is questioned when Kirke shows Odysseus and his men good hospitality but it is also threatened when they are forced to stay or must leave and head to the homes of
Many people today are nervous when they meet new people. For example, a student who walks into the cafeteria on the first of school immediately begins looking for familiar faces, and when they don’t find one, they often wish they could switch lunch periods. People don't like to get out of their comfort zones, but in Ancient Greek times, being a stranger was actually great. Xenia, also known as Greek, hospitality involved giving gifts, shelter, dinners and the like just because it was important to treat someone well in that society.Xenia can be understood through reading Homer’s The Odyssey. Even though the whole epic poem is not about xenia directly, it is clearly shown to be important in Greek society through multiple references to it in
“I often gave to vagabonds, whoever they might be, who came in need.” (Homer, 351) Hospitality was evident in Homer’s time period and eventually was seen as an institution in the Greek culture. A guest-host relationship, known as Xenia, takes place throughout The Odyssey whether it’s to gain relationships or to avoid punishments from the gods. It is a major theme and is apparent in every book of The Odyssey. Hospitable characters who use xenia are what keep this novel going. Xenia affects the plot in many ways and influences characters actions and choices throughout the novel.
In The Odyssey, a Greek hero, Odysseus, journeys back home after the Trojan War. Throughout this long voyage, Odysseus meets many people who take him in out of their own courtesy and hospitality. Within this text, the re-occurring theme of hospitality has had much significance and has also made a presence in today’s society. Xenia was common in the Greek culture; however, changes throughout society have made this form of hospitality a smaller occurrence today. Xenia, or the concept of hospitality, is the main theme present in the Odyssey.
Homer’s Iliad is ripe with a variety of social structures. The passage where Diomedes meets Glaucus in battle shows the reader how a variety of these structures interact, and how the Argives value them in relation to each other. There are times when the characters fight for glory, there are times when they strive to earn riches, but above all else, they respect xenia. Xenia is the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, and it is evoked any time a guest visits a host. The Achaeans respect it above all else, and failure to adhere to its strict customs could lead to the forfeiture of countless souls. By the end of the story, xenia has overpowered money, battle, and glory, cementing its place as the most powerful force in all of Homer’s Ancient
Xenia, the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, was one of the foremost forces in Homer’s Iliad. The Achaeans respect it above nearly all else, and failure to adhere to its strict customs could lead to the forfeiture of countless souls.
Hospitality today is nothing like it was in Ancient Greece. Today, good hospitality is being friendly and respectful to a guest. In Ancient Greece, hospitality was something people had to do, or face the wrath of Zeus. Zeus’s law of hospitality is that any stranger that comes to your home, the host must be willing to feed, entertain, and maybe offer them a bath and anything else they might be in need of without question until those things had been given, and also give them a parting gift. The guest, in turn, would not be a burden in any way. In The Odyssey, most people follow the rules of hospitality, but there are others who do not. The Greek concept of xenia shows the serious priority the Greeks place on the laws of the gods.