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What is Virgil’s Aeneid about
The aeneid by virgil research paper
Comparing and contrast of Aeneid
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The Aeneid clearly reflects the influence which Homer's Odyssey had on Virgil's writing. Among the several common aspects shared by these two epic poems, each author's depiction of the Underworld provides an interesting basis for comparison. Although the resemblance appears extraordinary at first, several important differences can be discovered upon closer examination. These differences enable the poems' reader to draw comparisons not only between the two poets, but between their characters as well namely, Aeneas and Odysseus. Two particular passages one can compare are Book VI, lines 335-489 from The Aeneid and Book
11: Virgil, The Aeneid, trans. and ed. David West, Revised Edition; Penguin Books, published by the
In this essay I will compare and contrast the qualities and plights of both Aeneas and Gilgamesh. These two epic heroes share similar fates, yet are very different in personality.
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
won) fighting a war against the city of Troy and has been held captive by
Odysseus and Aeneas are very alike in some ways and very different. They are both epic heroes except that one is Greek and the other is a Trojan. Odysseus is from the Greek tale The Oddessy, which was written by the famous Greek poet Homer. His quest is to find his way back home after a long journey. Aeneas is from the roman tale The Aenied, written by Virgil a famous Roman poet. Aeneas’s mission is to find a new home for him and his family. Both these characters had many similarities and differences in their ways of fighting.
In all stories, a central conflict is paramount in creating an interesting narrative that keeps readers engaged throughout the totality of a tale. The different ways in which different writers can achieve this through literary devices while telling the same story speaks to the diversity of literature, and to the fickle nature of translation, as exemplified through The Odyssey. One great moment of contention is on Circe’s island. Shewring acknowledges Odysseus’s resistance to Circe’s magic, “…Never has any other man resisted this drug, once he has drunk it and let it pass his lips. But you have an inner will that is proof against sorcery. You must surely be that man of wide-ranging spirit, Odysseus himself; the Radiant One of the golden wand
The protagonist, Odysseus, visits the underworld for a very short amount of time. The two literary works contain many common elements, such as characters being punished, the protagonists interacting with those in the underworld, repeating characters, and the misery of the underworlds. There are also differences between the two works including the types of interactions between the protagonists and those they encounter, the reasons for each protagonists visit to the underworlds, and how the underworld operates. These differences and similarities can be attributed to the Dante’s and Homer’s religion, the time period and culture in which they wrote their respective works, and the purpose for the visits to the underworlds in each work. Although there are many similarities between the underworlds in Dante’s Inferno and The Odyssey, the two works ultimately offer two different visions of the underworld due to the authors’ different religious beliefs and culture, as well as the role of the underworld in each literary work.
In addition, the overall theme of the poem highlighted morality, which was a definitive tenet of Greco Roman civilization. In many ways, Virgil wrote the poem as a means of lauding the moral virtues of Roman society and as a personal challenge to outdo Homer’s epic compositions, The Illiad and The Odyssey. Virgil was successful because he had incorporated many of the same tales shared in the works of Homer into one epic poem which presented a linear storyline in the books that detailed the life and times of Aeneas and the Trojans. That being said, Virgil did not stray far from the approach that many writers had used before him; his primary focus throughout the Aeneid was placed squarely upon the back of idealized Greek and Roman moral principles, which were the dedication to ones’ honor, family, and country. By no means is there anything wrong with this approach, but in many ways, the entire poem could be viewed as a “propaganda” piece; while it might have served to enlighten, educate, and create a cohesive and uplifting story for the Roman populace, the poem lacked depth and a more profound exploration of human intricacies. While Virgil’s epic poem has stood the test of time and remains one of the greatest pieces
Odysseus is a peculiar mix of both heroic and intelligent qualities that make him seem both human and supernatural. The Odysseus portrayed in the Iliad somewhat contrasts the Odysseus we see in the Odyssey. For the p...
Virgil opens the ‘Aeneid’ with the words ARMA virumque cano ( I sing of arms and of men). The central role that war plays in this Roman epic is made apparent from the very first word of the ‘Aeneid’ by the emphatic placing of the word arma at the very beginning of the poem. A fair chunk of Virgil’s ‘Aeneid’ is set on the battle field but its violent and gory descriptions of death and its frequent battles alone cannot make this poem an anti-war poem. Virgil does not merely use the notion of war to further his plot but deals with many types and aspects of war throughout the entirety of his book; mythological wars; recent wars; their effects; their causes; and often one is able to find Virgil’s own opinion on such a matter, subtly incorporated into the thick of things. What messages does Virgil try to convey to his readers, in what ways does he do this and can we argue that the ‘Aeneid’ is an anti-war poem rather than an epic that simply narrates particularly tragic wars?
Although both epics justify a status quo, codify a national mythology, preserve cultural memories, and establish literary tropes, they are united by sensibility and are traditionally poetic. They both almost have the same exact core values such as in the end, but project influence into a number to areas of cultural identity. Once more, after analyzing both texts, it is possible to conclude that Aeneas is the better leader, and The Odyssey is the greater epic. Knowing that this is the proper proposition made, this affects the readers of both well-known stories.
He feels “all the blows” of losing his family and being stranded at “sea”, attacked by Juno’s “storm[s]”, exacerbates his pain. Aeneas, however, uses his past experiences as motivation to establish a future, inspired in a different manner compared to Grendel (Virgil 126). The sea serves as a metaphor of Aeneas’ own life, since at sea he lacks a stable base and is always wavering. Virgil utilizes disastrous diction like “storms” both literally and figuratively to exemplify the obstacles Aeneas faces that prevent him from reaching his destiny, just like a storm delays and sometimes prevents a ship from reaching its destination. His struggle symbolizes humanity’s attempts at finding peace and prosperity and establishing a life without major insecurities involving family and work. The obstacles Juno creates in Aeneas’ life, preventing him from finding “Italy’s shores and destined fields,” develop the central of theme Aeneas’ instability (Virgil 156). Although Aeneas is “destined” to ultimately find his new home, yet Juno’s impediments keep him at sea and therefore threaten his security. The walls of Rome Aeneas hopes to build figuratively represent the foundation he hopes to build in his life compared to the dangerou, volatile sea that Juno keeps him stranded at. Ultimately, Aeneas knows the joys of having a family and consequently strives to restore his life on land, yet Juno’s constructed hindrances develop the instability he faces up until the end of his
Home is a reoccurring theme in both “The Odyssey” and “The Aeneid.” Home is the main goal that both Odysseus and Aeneas overcome obstacles in the sea and seduction in their journeys to achieve, and provides justification for their methods employed to reach their final destination. However, the type of homecoming that Odysseus and Aeneas long for differs with their motive. Odysseus desires to be with his wife and son in the home that he once knew prior to setting sail to go to war. Aeneas is saddened by the loss of his home, Troy, but also yearns to find his new home as well as the new home for the Trojan people, which he is destined to reach by the will of the gods. In both myths, the manner in which they overcome their obstacles differs, but the end result is the same. Both Odysseus and Aeneas find home, and upon their arrival receive justification for their substantial
In the book the Iliad, The Odyssey, and Works and days, there are many things that can be similar when talking about Greek heroes and the world of Greek poetry. The stories and topics are describing similar events during this time of the eighth and seventh century B.C. In the end, however, they do have some differences in some parts when describing or explaining certain situations and ideas. The world of Greek heroes is written like a story; or Epic Poetry. That is what The Iliad and The Odyssey are; Epic Poetries. They are telling a story of a great hero and their adventures. On the other hand, the more realistic Greek World that is being described in Works and days is a Didactic poem, which tells more of a moral or message to the reader.
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices.