James Tiberius Kirk is a name that reigns throughout the entities of space; a fearless leader traveling throughout the galaxies on a mission of peace and conquest. Kirk battles countless species of aliens and encounters numerous walks of life in the Milky Way. While Captain Kirk is a very pragmatic leader, he is, at times, very boisterous and boastful; one could say that he is a modern day Narcissus. After reading this description, it occurs to me that James Tiberius Kirk is not a modern day Narcissus; however, it occurs to me that the prominent theme of a former Greek Hero who, with a few finely- tuned words could easily fit this description. His name you ask? Odysseus. If you are familiar with the readings of Odysseus then you are well aware of the epic adventures in which Odysseus took part. If you are also aware of the TV action series Star Trek then you are acquainted with the heralding adventures of James T. Kirk. If you are fortunate enough to be familiarized with both works then you can already see the resounding resemblance between the two heroes. No matter how charismatic they may have been their follies and characteristics were the same. For example, they both had great disdain for their crew. Granted it wouldn’t seem that way from what you read or watch, but if that were the case, why were crew member always dying and not themselves? “We sailed on in shock, glad to get out alive but grieving for the comrades we’d lost” (Homer 441). This is only one of the numerous examples we see throughout The Odyssey of Odysseus’ crew members getting killed by either disbandment or his actions, yet he always has crew members? The same can be said for James Kirk as he always gives random members of his crew different appointments t... ... middle of paper ... ... World Literature. Ed. Martin Puncher. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. 441. Print. Homer. “The Odyssey”. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puncher. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. 432. Print. Homer. “The Odyssey”. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Ed. Martin Puncher. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. 475. Print. Palmer, Lorrie. “Rebooting the Mythical Array.” Extrapolation. 53.1. (2012): 122. InfoTrac Academic One. Web. 27. Nov. 2013. “The Corbomite Maneuver.” Star Trek: The Original Series. National Broadcasting Company. NBC. New York. 10 Nov. 1966. Television. “The Enterprise Incident.” Star Trek: The Original Series. National Broadcasting Company. NBC. New York. 27 Sept. 1968. Television. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Dir. Nicholas Myer. Perf. William Shatner, Leonard Nemoy. Paramount Pictures, 1982. DVD.
In The Odyssey, Homer conveys a mixed message about Odysseus’s crew. At times, they seem loyal, whereas other scenes reveal them as disloyal. Homer does this to help center the attention on how Odysseus can fall victim to temptation and stand up to take control of his crew. The critical moments where Odysseus and his crew are in disagreement are significant because they demonstrate how Odysseus is epic, yet still human and flawed.
I disagree with Anthony. While the captain can not always control his men, there are things that he did to create the distrust. Man, from a religious view, is a fallen species, thus sin, like greed, taunts him. Because Odysseus holds back knowledge from his men, specifically when he gives the wine of Maron to Polyphemus, he creates the distrust which cause them to open the bag of winds. Continuing from that, Odysseus does not inform his men of the sacrifice that must be made in the pass between Charybdis and Skylla; therefore, when Skylla engulfs 6 men, the trust is destroyed. Odysseus causes his own suffering because he dismantles the unity that is necessary when on a journey.
Ulysses Everett McGill from “O Brother Where Art Thou” is a man of action whereas Odysseus from “The Odyssey” is a man of morality. Judging primarily on these statements, whom appears to be a man that one should follow? Many are attempting to justify how can two such great leaders be compared to one another? Everett is a worthy representation of Odysseus because of their similar attributes such as boasting and dishonesty. Yet at times both can be braver than any other, sharing not only attributes, but also similar backgrounds as well.
Homer. The Odyssey: Fitzgerald Translation. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998. Print.
As a result of Odysseus’ dishonesty, Odysseus is able to save many of his fellow crewmates’ lives throughout Homer’s
Before letting him leave the island, Circe tells Odysseus that he must face Scylla, a sea monster, and Charybdis, a whirlpool. Circe says, “Better by far to lose six men and keep you ship” (274). Odysseus is told beforehand that no ship could pass unscathed, but he chooses to not to tell his crew. He knowingly sacrifices his crewmembers’ lives and has no qualms about it, which shows his inner selfishness. He makes sure to protect his own life, but he sees his crew as disposable. Homer characterizes Odysseus this way in order to convey his views about humanity: humans are instinctively selfish. Odysseus also carelessley kills his remaining crew when he taunts the Cyclops. After hearing Odysseus’s name, Polyphemus prays to Poseidon and asks that Odysseus “never reaches home” but if he is destined to return, make sure he returns “a broken man—all shipmates lost, alone in a strangers ship” (228). If Odysseus had never told Polyphemus his name, he and his crew might have made it home more quickly and safely. Instead, his hubris causes an inescapable curse. Odysseus cannot bear the thought of forfeiting his fame, which leads to even more hardship on his quest to return home. Homer uses Odysseus to demonstrate the danger of egotistical
Lawall, Sarah,et al. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 2nd ed. Volume A (slipcased). Norton, 2001. W.W. Norton and Company Inc. New York, NY.
Homer, and Richmond Lattimore. The Odyssey of Homer. New York: Harper & Row, 1967. Print.
Homer. "The Odyssey." The Norton Anthology: World Literature. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W.
Homer. ?The Odyssey,? World Masterpieces: Expanded Edition. Maynard Mack ed. Ed. Coptic St.: Prentice, 1995.
Homer. The Illiad. The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces: Expanded Edition?Volume I. ed. by Maynard Mack. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1995.
In the early aspects of Odysseus’ journey, Homer establishes the initial state of Odysseus’ identity, one that includes dangerous arrogance, complacency, and desires for concealment. This image is prominently presented in his encounter with Polyphemus. Overstaying his welcome, stealing, and overly expectant of hospitality he leads his men to their doom (IX.325-328, 258-259, 300-302). When asked for his name, he replies cleverly “Nobody--that’s my name” disg...
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 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...
Homer’s literature served as a moral messenger to the people of ancient Greece. The Odyssey by Homer demonstrates the character development of Odysseus, the epic hero, and his journey of self-discovery. Odysseus was a great, wise, noble, and well respected war hero to his people. Odysseus had one tragic flaw that was demonstrated by his actions throughout the book. The author Homer continued to strip Odysseus of his arrogance throughout the story, by throwing challenges his way, making him pay for his mistakes, and allowing him to continue to overcome obstacles. The main purpose of Odysseus journey also to reach his home a more humble man. Reading Odysseus’ journey also served as a way to look at morals. The