Robert Wyland says,“The ocean stirs at the heart, inspires the imagination and brings eternal joy to the soul.” The Titan, Oceanus is the most warm-hearted of his time because he is the only Titan that never fought, always makes sure people are safe first and most importantly, gave up some of his power to Poseidon. Oceanus never felt that fighting was necessary in the world. “In the war of the Titans, Oceanus feared the power of Zeus, he did not choose a side (Johnson). Since he never fought or did anything to make the Titans or the Olympians lose he, “...never was imprisoned in Tartarus by Zeus when the war, where the Titans lost, was over” ("Oceanus, Titan God of Enormous River Okeanos). That means Oceanus was one of the very few that did not go into Tartarus. People who do not fight usually are calm and relaxed. Oceanus is “... portrayed as a stream that always flowed smoothly, unaffected by storms or wind…” (Allan 24). This means that he is calm and will not start a fight on purpose. …show more content…
When Oceanus was in love affair with Tethys (his sister) he gave birth to six thousand children. When he “...gave birth… they got a divorce to stop it because…it was causing floods” (Wilson). He gave up his love life to make sure the lives on Earth were safe. When Oceanus was in the mountains, he “... made an eternal stream through the mountains and when Apollo was living there in the winter, he was free of diseases because of the element in the eternal stream” (Wilson). Oceanus is so nice because “when he is pressured to be mean, he makes an excuse to get out and does not like to offend anyone in anyway” ("Oceanus in Prometheus Bound"). Shields protect people by blocking weapons from hurting someone. Oceanus is on a few shields like Achilles and Hesiod’s Shield of Heracles. (March 275). Therefore, Oceanus wants to protect people always and not hurt
All these things considered, the validity of Odysseus’s actions remain fair. Because of his denial of the power of the gods, Poseidon forced Odysseus to the raging sea. For these years that he was apart from Penelope and Telemachus he...
Odysseus's greed causes him to be a bad man. The next supporting point is when Odysseus angered the god, Poseidon and caused him to act violently against him and his crew. Odysseus ended up blinding Poseidon’s son, Polyphemus after he didn’t give Odysseus a housewarming gift. “Nobody— that’s my
In Homer 's The Odyssey, Odysseus is known as “the great tactician” (7.256). With the help of the goddess Athena, Odysseus must endure a challenging journey home after winning the Trojan War. Throughout Odysseus ' journey, he has to encounter and defeat many obstacles which prohibit his desired, speedy return home. During this journey, Odysseus learns that once he gets home, he will have to conquer the suitors who have invaded his home. These suitors have attempted to court his wife, raided his food supplies, and completely disrespected Odysseus and his household. Odysseus must return to his home land, Ithaka, and become king of his home again in order to make his homecoming complete. Odysseus ' master as tactician makes his homecoming
Men are not perfect all the time and can make mistakes that they regret later on. In The Odyssey, Odysseus and his men make mistakes that have effects on them. To begin, one mistake Odysseus makes is when he was so proud of himself for defeating the cyclops. After he got his ship ready and thought that he won he kept on taunting Polyphemus, who was the son of the Poseidon. Odysseus was so amused about how they just defeated cyclops that he didn't know what he was saying which is the mistake he was doing. He reveals to Polyphemus that he was the Odysseus, raider of the cities, Laertes’ son, and the man from Ithaka. Polyphemus then tells his father, Poseidon, to cast a curse upon Odysseus and his journey back home. Since Odysseus was on a ship in the sea, Poseidon had a great way to make sure his journey wasn't as great since he was the god of the sea.
Odysseus is a hero because he acts courageously while facing the many challenges he encounters. Odysseus’s shows great bravery when he engages in physical challenges. Odysseus daringly fights against the suitors, while significantly outnumbered: “For I must tell you this is no affair / of ten or even twice ten men, but scores, throngs of them” (XVI, 291 – 293). Even though Odysseus is facing hundreds of men, his bravery keeps him confident that he can win the battle. Odysseus must use his physical strength when Poseidon punishes him with turbulent waves: “Odysseus’s knees grew slack, his heart / sickened, and he said within himself / Rag of man that I am, is this the end of me?” (V, 307 – 309). Odysseus is exhausted from the torrential sea, yet refuses to give up because of enormous courage and his unwillingness to surrender. Odysseus must also cope with emotional challenges throughout his journey. His emotions are tested when he ventures to the underworld, Hades, and must confront his greatest fear, death: “From every side they came and sought the pit / with rustling cries; and I grew sick with fear. / But presently I gave command to my officers” (XI, 45 -47). Although Odysseus is deeply fearful when he comes face to face with the dead, his mental f...
One characteristic of Odysseus is honesty. In The Odyssey, Odysseus always kept his word. For example, Odysseus is honest with his crew and explains to them that the island of the sirens is dangerous and some men will die. Odysseus explains, “‘Friends... it’s wrong for only one or two/ to know the revelations that lovely Circe/ made to me alone. I’ll tell you all,/ so we can die with our eyes wide open now/ or escape our fate and certain death together./” (12.167-171). Instead of being dishonest and putting his crew in a huge greater danger, Odysseus his honest with his crew. This is a heroic act because Odysseus makes his men aware of how dangerous the situation is and can help them survive because of their newfou...
Poseidon was so furious with King Laomedon when he was denied payment for building the walls of Troy that the vengeful god that he sent a sea-monster to destroy the countryside as punishment. In addition to his reputation as a fighter, however, Poseidon was also a legendary lover. From his love affair with Medusa and Amphitrite to his escapades with the goddess Demeter, Poseidon proved that he could at times rival his notoriously promiscuous brother Zeus. He may not have been as powerful as his brother but definitely could have almost any lady he wanted. He was also best known for his sudden earthquakes he created and destroyed many cities with it. One thing is for sure, the people who lived back when the gods ruled were very afraid of the all mighty god of water, Poseidon.
The Odyssey also illustrates other relationships where love is of great importance – one of the most emphasized is the father-son relationship between Odysseus and Telemachos. This relationship is a little awkward because they both never really got to know each other but they still care for each other's well being. When Odysseus hears of all the suitors devouring Telemachos's future fortune and mistreating him, he wants to return and revenge the misuse of his family and property. Odysseus, like any parent, also misses his only child while he is at war. Telemachos on the contrary also displays a lot of love for his father. Telemachos leaves Ithaca, nexperienced, to find any knowledge of his father in hope that he is still alive. Telemachos through out most of his life has lacked a father figure and desperately needs that special help and guidance from Odysseus as he becomes a man. Their relationship seems to show how love can give you the strength to carry on.
Secondly, Odysseus has great self-control, which allows him to deeply contemplate his decisions. Moments before Odysseus falls asleep, he spots a “covey of women laughing as they [slip] out…to the suitors’ beds” (Homer 375). Seeing this, Odysseus is angered and wants to kill every one of the suitors right then and there. But Odysseus retains his self-control and does not strike yet. At that moment, if he did strike, he would have lost because he would not have been prepared. He retains all his anger for the final battle with the suitors. In that battle, Odysseus is fully prepared and ready to fight, resulting in all the suitors’ deaths. Next, when Antinoos throws a footstool at Odysseus, “Odysseus only [shakes] his head, containing thoughts of bloody work” (Homer 326).
Poseidon was relied upon by sailors for a safe voyage on the sea. Many men drowned horses in sacrifice of his honor. He lived on the ocean floor in a palace made of coral and gems, and drove a chariot pulled by horses. However, Poseidon was a very moody divinity, and his temperament could sometimes result in violence. When he was in a good mood, Poseidon created new lands in the water and a calm sea. In contrast, when he was in a bad mood, Poseidon would strike the ground with a trident and cause unruly springs and earthquakes, ship wrecks, and drownings.
Some of Odysseus’ most recognizable traits are his bravery and leadership. One thing that shows his bravery was his escape from Polyphemus. He was courageous to stab out Polyphemus’s eyes using a burning pole. Odysseus states: "I took my twelve best fighters and went ahead." This example involving the Cyclops shows that one of Odysseus’ great traits is his leadership. He is not the type of leader that sits on safe land while he sends his men in to fight, but a leader who engages in battle with his men. There are also times when many men are afraid, but Odysseus shows he's in not letting anything get in his way and speaks up when nobody will: "We all felt pressure in our hearts, but I spoke up in reply." He was fearless enough to take risks. Odysseus said: "Friends, have we never been in danger before this? More fearsome, is it now, then when we faced Cyclops?" This quote shows that in time of danger, Odysseus is willing to put his life in jeopardy and not give up. Odysseus had the heart of a fighter, he would battle whenever necessary, no matter who his opponent was, in this case the Cyclops. Most epic heroes are aided and guarded by gods wh...
Ever wonder why Poseidon, god of the seas, was said to have such an unpredictable temper? Maybe the Greeks just simply chose to make him that way to make their myths filled with more drama, or maybe his personality is based on the element that he reigns over. Either way, since Poseidon ruled over the sea in Greek myth, he was the sole figure responsible for the sea’s natural events and their unpredictability. Knowing that myths accounted for natural events in ways like Poseidon’s personification of the seas is important because it gives some insight on how the people of Greece would explain such strange phenomena, for example, the changing seasons. With that in mind, one should know that the awe-inspiring, physical nature of our world is key
Odysseus, known as an iconic Greek king and warrior of Ithaca, has all of the traits that a mighty king would have. His tale and reputation are one that would continue to live on long after his passing. This fame and reputation is known as kleos. Kleos, in Greek, means renown or honor, it symbolizes what you hear about someone through another person. Kleos is a common theme in Homer 's epic, the Odyssey, the main example being that of Odysseus and his son Telemachus, who is concerned that his father may have died a pathetic and pitiable death at sea rather than a reputable and gracious one in battle. Kleos has proven to be very important to Odysseus time and time again. From the way he is introduced, to his actions, to the way he is viewed
Achilles, a very valuable warrior and great fighter was a very significant part of the Trojan War. He wasn’t fighting for a family back home or anything of that nature, he was simply fighting because it was his destiny. He knew going into the battle that he was going to die, but he trusted that fighting was the best thing for him and something he had to do. He took his destiny seriously, even though he knew it meant he was going to die. Odysseus, on the other hand, was fighting a very different battle. He was fighting to get home. Throughout the entire poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus displays his longing to be back at home with his wife and son. He is constantly fighting with the gods, monsters, and beast to try and make it back to Ithaca. These two characters are fighting for two very different reasons. One fighting because it’s his destiny and what he’s meant to do, and the other because he longs to see his family once again. It’s plain to see that the motives behind the fighting is different for both of these
Odysseus starts in the ordinary world, his/her home, and then an even takes place in which the hero is being called, in Odysseus’ case he is called into the Trojan War. Odysseus then refused the call because he didn’t want to leave his family, knowing that it could take a long time for him to return home to them. Once Odysseus departed on his adventure, he goes through the next step which is having a supernatural aid or mentor to help him; in this case he receives help from the goddess of wisdom Athena. Knowing the gods would be angry and taking sides during the war, there was no question that there were gods that were going to make sure Odysseus died. Athena however, felt pity for him because she knew the kind of man he was; someone who wanted to be reunited with his loved ones. After the war, Odysseus began the next stage of his journey, crossing the Threshold into a different world. He enters the next stage called The Belly of the Whale after the freak storm conjured up by Poseidon, god of the sea, one of the many gods who were upset with Spartans. His god-like powers created powerful waves and increased winds that would send Odysseus and his crew further away from