Essay On The Hero's Journey In The Odyssey

456 Words1 Page

In The Odyssey, Homer writes about a series of events that meet the requirements of The Hero’s Journey. A Hero’s Journey is a series of events for a Hero in a story that involves some type of life-threatening challenge that is accomplished. The Hero then returns, changed forever. In this story, the Hero is Odysseus and he must overcome many challenges. Two events that meet the requirements of The Hero’s Journey in The Odyssey is The Belly of the Whale and The Crossing of the Return Threshold. These two events show Odysseus meeting the requirements of The Hero’s Journey in The Odyssey.

The first event that meets the requirements of The Hero’s Journey in The Odyssey is The Belly of the Whale. The Belly of the Whale is when the Gods became so angry at Odysseus and the other Greek leaders, the storm sent him off course. Odysseus was now completely separated from the world he knew, and he was now beginning the journey that would change him forever. This meets the requirements of The Hero’s Journey because in the journey the Hero is supposed to be challenged. The journey is supposed to change the Hero both mentally and physically forever. The Belly of the Whale is the introduction or the start to The Hero’s Journey. …show more content…

The Crossing of the Return Threshold is when Odysseus takes what he learned from his journey and applies it to his life. This is exactly what Odysseus does. Instead of barging in and killing the suitors, Odysseus is patient and relies on the Gods for help and advice. This is just the start of Odysseus using what he learned in The Hero’s Journey and applying it to his life. This meets the requirements of The Hero’s Journey because Odysseus changes forever. Odysseus is now a completely different person both mentally and physically than before he started The Hero’s

Show More
Related

  • Heros Journey In The Odyssey: The Hero's Journey

    1422 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Hero’s journey, The Odyssey, the main protagonist, Odysseus, changes in a way which helps him gain self-knowledge. Odysseus ' experiences transformed his personality from how he was in the beginning to the end, by leading him through a heroic journey, also known as a quest. The real reason for a quest never involves the stated reason, and this is no different with Odysseus. As the story developed, many of Odysseus’ sides were exposed through the challenges he faced. Out of the countless dangers and obstacles every step back home, him and his crew have only acquired minimal character changes. Even though they are minimal, they are those which take many decades to achieve.

    Read More

  • External Forces In The Odyssey

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Is Odysseus A Hero? in the Poem The Odyssey by Homer

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.

    Read More

  • Odysseus Journey In Homer's The Odyssey

    1358 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Our life’s journey of self-discovery is not a straight-line rise from one level of consciousness to another. Instead, it is a series of steep climbs, and flat plateaus, then further climbs. Even though we all approach the journey from different directions, certain of the journey’s characteristics are common for all of us.” Author Stuart Wilde’s impression of journeys and their shared commonalities supports the claim that all journeys have a motive and an outcome. In the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus sets off to defeat Troy, leaving his wife and child behind. After accomplishing his goal, Odysseus faces many problems while trying to return him and his crew back home to Ithaca. Similar to Odysseus’s physical journey, the goal in

    Read More

  • Odysseus Lessons Analysis

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    Odysseus is a wise and strategic man who becomes a better person because of the lessons he learns on his journey. Odysseus learns to have hope and he learns not to have so much pride in himself. He also learns that people cannot change their fate, and that years of grieving can create a hard heart.It is hard for people to enjoy their goals in life if they do not think about the journey they took to get to where they are in life. After all, people learn a lot on the journeys they venture through and become stronger people from them.

    Read More

  • Odysseus

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    Odysseus’ character is challenged in many ways throughout books 5 through 12. In some instances he holds strong, and in others he fails. His sense of adventure sometimes overwhelms him. The length of time Odysseus spends away from Ithaka also dilutes his desire to return, and possibly dilutes his desire to live. Under certain circumstances, any man can succumb to the evils to which he despises. A perfect example is Akhilleus in the Iliad. He started out an honorable man. With the death of his friend, he turns into a maniac who wants nothing but death for the enemy. Odysseus starts out wanting nothing but to return to his family and his homeland. Over the course of the many years away, this feeling dwindles and he is left with nothing but adventure to prolong his reason for living.

    Read More

  • Odysseus as an Epic Hero

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Odysseus was an epic hero depicted in the Homer's The Odyssey. He responded to the call to travel to Troy to help Agamemnon get Helen. He encountered great confrontation along the way. He fought the Cicones, the Lotus Eaters, the Cyclops, Polyphemus, the Laestrygonians, the witch goddess Circe, the lonely Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, the Sun, and Calypso. He and his men traveled great distances under severe circumstances. Odysseus answers a second call to return home to his family. He returns a more mature warrior and a wiser man. Because of this he is able to conquer the suitors and reclaim his palace and his family. 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.

    Read More

  • The Character Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey

    1048 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Odyssey" is an epic story that has been a significant piece of literature since it was first composed and will remain so for ages to come. One of the reasons it has been so is because of the hero, Odysseus.

    Read More

  • The Role Of A Hero In The Odyssey

    534 Words  | 2 Pages

    The ‘American Heritage High-school’ dictionary defines a hero as a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength. Is that what a hero truly is? Does he need only strength and courage? Does a hero not need a mind? Any man can be strong and brave, but does that mean he is a hero? Nay, a hero must have more. He must be quick-witted and always think with his head and never his fear. A man must be clever (mentally bright, superficially skillful or witty) to be considered a hero. A hero has many characteristics but one of the most important is to be able to think his way out of trouble. Not that a hero shouldn’t be physically strong, that’s always good, but sometimes you can’t fight your way out things without getting yourself killed.

    Read More

  • Patience In The Odyssey

    989 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus’ heroic deeds are recounted through a narrative, written by Homer,  that describes his arduous journey of  his return from the Trojan war to his homeland of Ithaca. Loyalty, patience, and determination, are necessary traits to survive the perilous, painstaking  journey that Odysseus embarks upon to return to his native land.  Loyalty is exhibited when Odysseus goes to rescue his crewmen on Kirke’s Island despite the probability of jeopardizing his own life. Odysseus presents patience  throughout the entirety of his journey, but most specifically when his crew opens the bag of wind, which causes much regression on the embark homeward.  Determination is displayed when Odysseus is on  Calypso’s island.

    Read More

  • Epic Hero In The Odyssey

    594 Words  | 2 Pages

    Odysseus obviously presents these traits in the way that he is able to escape and defeat Polyphemus. His crew looks up to him as an honorable leader and trusts him with their lives, and he feels the same way toward them. Homer constructs a perfect example of a strong protagonist and Odysseus’ cleverness of his little scheme evidently creates a feeling of success and accomplishment for him and his crew. This is only one example of many different occasions that Odysseus is rightfully claimed an epic hero. A similar condition arises when Odysseus has to block out the song of the Sirens, a threat to sailors, when he and his crew pass by their island. He urges his crew to “tie me up, tight as a splint, erect along the mast, lashed to the mast, and if I shout and beg to be untied, take more turns of the rope to muffle me” (lines 695-698). True heroism is displayed in this scene by the way that Odysseus is able to sacrifice his strength or sanity and trust his crew in order to fulfill their goal of passing the Sirens. Through Odysseus’ achievements, Homer forms an incredible epic hero that is able to draw the plot of the

    Read More

  • Jourody Free Essay Journey of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Homer's epic The Odyssey, the hero Odysseus attempts to complete his journey home from Troy. On his way home, however, he angers the sea god, Posiedon, who curses him to travel for ten years on the sea, to loose all his men, and to return on a stranger's ship. During the ten years, Odysseus overcomes many hardships, and visits unique destinations in the world along the way. Each place has several symbolic meanings and themes that are found even in today's society. During his journey, Odysseus will attempt to find his place in the world and make a name for himself, make difficult leadership decisions pertaining to his men, and tries to overcome the natural curiosity and greed that is in man's mental makeup.

    Read More

  • The Hero’s Journey in Homer's The Odyssey

    1885 Words  | 4 Pages

    The first step in any hero’s journey is the Call to Adventure, or the seperation from the pack. For Odysseus this call happened while he was on Calypso’s Island. Up on Olympus Athena had convinced Zeus of her case and Hermes was dispatched to free Odysseus from Calypso’s grasp. Odysseus was settled here for quite some time and had no way of escape until Calypso was forced by the gods to let him go. This is where his journey begins. At first Odysseus is very skeptical of this freedom and thinks that it is a trick by Calypso, which is the denial stage that follows the call to adventure. This stage seperates Odysseus once agaian from what has become familiar to him. He is called to journey alone once again to gain what it is that he has wanted for so long. For Telemachus his call came due to the perils he was facing in his own home with suitors competing for his mother’s love. They started to eat him out of house and home and began to disrespect his mother. Before this Telemachus had stayed quiet, and had not taken action. Telemachus got summoned to branch out from his mother and his home to venture out on a journey of his own. It was now his time to become a man.

    Read More

  • The Relationship of a Father and Son in Homer's Odyssey

    754 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus and his both literal and figurative journey home to Ithaka. When the great king, Odysseus travels to Troy on the account of war, many obstructions hinder him from returning home. During his absence, his deprivation of being a father to his son, Telemachus, causes great disappointment. Without a father, his son strives to grow and mature yet he has not the slightest idea of where to. However, as Telemachus struggles to reach manhood and his father struggles to return to Ithaka, their seemingly separate journeys are connected. They both learn values that turn a boy into a man and a great man even greater. In the epic poem the Odyssey, Homer uses parallel rites of passage with Odysseus and Telemachus to develop the importance of the father son-bond.

    Read More

  • Odysseus Character Development Essay

    1200 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the book every time and after he conquers the new challenges Odysseus answers the question, which is repeated throughout, with a different answer. Each time he conquers a challenge on his journey home he learns a new lesson towards humility and answers with a new perspective. “‘I am no god,’ said the patient, good Odysseus. ‘Why do you take me for an immortal? But I am your father, on whose account you have endured so much sorrow and trouble and suffered persecution at men’s hand.’”(P 214 L 186-189) Although he is viewed by many people as very god-like Odysseus realizes that he is an ordinary man and is not a god. Odysseus’ desire to return home is another example that makes him an everyman. In this epic tale the word home had a double meaning for the hero. Home was where his family was and where he wanted to be. The physical element of being home and with his family was a huge deal for him. The other meaning of home was being safe and secure. His aspiration to return home and to return to his safety in sometimes shows that he is also a rather weak man. It is a human instinct to want to go home and stay safe instead of always being brave and

    Read More

More about Essay On The Hero's Journey In The Odyssey

Open Document