Minor Characters which Shift the Plot of Odyssey by Homer

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In the epic The Odyssey by Homer, minor characters play a considerable role in the development of the plot. One may often think that a few major characters propel a story’s plot, but in The Odyssey a few minor characters have the ability to change the story completely. These characters may not initially appear to have a profound effect on the story, but with a single action or statement these characters have the ability to shift one’s focus entirely. Minor characters add a key element to the story that a main character cannot.

In The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus is the main focus of the epic. The story is based upon his adventures over ten years after the fall of Troy, and his struggle to return home. His wife, Penelope waits in loyalty ten years for him to return, but Odysseus is held captive by a beautiful nymph named Calypso. Calypso fell in love with Odysseus as soon as he landed on her home island of Ogygia. Calypso, ridiculed by the gods for having a mortal man as her lover, lets Odysseus free but not after 7 years of captivity. This is a significant focus of...

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