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Essay about relationships in the odyssey
Theme of love in the Odyssey
Theme of love in the Odyssey
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Odysseus tries to gain the pity of Nausicaa by suggesting that he thinks she resembles a goddess and says that her ‘beauty, grace and stature’ remind him of Artemis, he does this to gain Nausicaa’s trust by making her think he genuinely admires her and by mentioning Artemis specifically he shows that he is familiar with the gods therefore making her more likely to listen to him as being close the gods was a heroic trait. Odysseus also states that the person who gets to marry Nausicaa is ‘most blessed’ which implies that Odysseus himself wants to marry Nausicaa, which is a possibility if Nausicaa helps Odysseus get to her father’s castle which she will do if she wants to marry him, which in turn will give Odysseus an opportunity to return to
A true hero will go through immeasurable lengths to benefit not him or herself, but the people around them. Heroes are neither selfish nor uncaring. They seek every opportunity they get to help those in need. One must have also gone through the entire hero’s journey to be deemed a hero. He must start off naïve and inept and through his challenges, transform into someone worth calling a hero. Most importantly, a hero is not perfect. He must listen to other’s ideas and utilize them. However, in The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus disrespects his crew men and the gods’ advice, lets hubris interfere with his men’s lives, and is unfaithful to his wife Penelope.
The introduction to this tale reveals a great deal of the importance of eloquence in speech, in this culture. Within moments of speaking Odysseus makes clear how important it is to speak well by comparing his ability to speak to the same abilities possessed by gods. Throughout this tale gods are used as a benchmark of the greatness of an individual, therefore for Odysseus to claim that his eloquence is the same as that of the gods is a bold claim and one he is certain he can back up. In the same introduction, Odysseus declares he is known for “all manner of wiles” (303). Therefore if Odysseus does have the a voice that is similar to what the others imagine the gods to have, and there is no mention of anyone refuting this claim, then a further
The art of manipulation is vital to the survival and prosperity of men and women throughout The Odyssey. Odysseus exemplifies this distinctive quality, learning through his adventures how to better meet his needs through cleverly chosen words rather than vehement combat. Odysseus first reveals this gift of the gods, when he used trivial flattery and an appearance of humble supplication in approaching the Princess Nausicaa on the isle of the Phaecians. "At [her] knees," he comes before Princess Nausicaa cleverly appealing to her with questioning disbelief of whether she was "some goddess or a mortal woman." He then proceeds to draw upon her desire to wed with words that left questioning his own marital status, and sounded as though he were envious of the "most blessed among [the Phaecians] who with his wedding gifts would win [her]," the awe inspiring Nausicaa (89). At this moment in his life, Odysseu...
For seven years, Odysseus is held captive by the goddess Calypso. The young goddess “desired me and detained me in her hall. But in my heart, I never gave consent” (Homer 372). This quote suggests that although Calypso may have believed she was loved by Odysseus, he never really cared for her. If Odysseus would have stayed faithful to his wife, Calypso would have killed him. Thus, he is able to protect himself by lying to her. Another point in the epic where Odysseus' dishonesty impacts his success is with the suitors. After arriving at his homeland, Odysseus disguises himself to protect himself from being harmed: “Odysseus enters his home as a beggar, and the suitors mock and abuse him” (Homer 402). When Odysseus appears to be a beggar, the suitors think nothing of him. They disrespect him, his family, and his home. Had they know Odysseus was back, they would have treated him much differently. Because of the way they acted towards him, it can be suggested that they would be willing to do anything to take control of his kingdom. He is then able to find out more about them and their motives without getting
Freeing Odysseus from Kalypso, controlling the wind so he could float in the correct direction to shore, and arranging a meeting between Nausikaa and Odysseus are just a examples of how Athena helped Odysseus in the book. Zeus, god of gods, also spoke highly of Odysseus by saying, “Could I forget the kingly man Odysseus? There is no mortal half so wise; no mortal gave so much to the lords of the open sky.”(Homer 1. 84-86) Odysseus’ ability to do more than most men shows the reader that he is the hero of the story. This archetype allows the reader to understand the importance Odysseus has in the story. It also allows the reader to know why he is loved and known by so
...o all guests saved Odysseus and helped him return home to his wife, son, and kingdom. Even though people from many different kingdoms and islands took Odysseus in their home and showed him great kindness on his return home, the individual who helped him most was the goddess Athena. In many occasions Athena assisted Odysseus. One such example is when Odysseus was fighting of the suitors and they threw spears at him. "Re-forming, the suitors threw again with all their strength, but Athena turned their shots, or all but two (p 566)." Another instance which Athena aided Odysseus was when she disguised him as a beggar on his arrival to his homeland. "Would even you have guessed that I am Pallas Athena, daughter of Zeus, I that am always with you in times of trial, a shield to you in battle (p 444)." "Your goddess-guardian to the end in all your trials (p 539)."
Upon his return home after twenty years, Odysseus slaughters all the wooers of his wife, Penelope with the help of his son, Telemachus despite the pleas of mercy from some of them. He even murders all the servants and even the priest. I believe that the killings of many of the wooers, servants and priest were severe and brutal. While the killings of some of the wooers were justified, the slaughter of the other wooers, servants and priest were not justified in my mind. Odysseus could have definitely punished them in a less harsh manner.
“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
Though the reader is inclined to see Penelope and Odysseus as a more favorable pair, a marriage between Nausicaa and Odysseus would have been very beneficial. Nausicaa is a powerful catalyst, but after her moment of glory, she is quickly forgotten. Because The Odyssey is crafted so that the audience cheers for the hero, Odysseus, many do not consider any other wife for the hero than his faithful Penelope. The noble Odysseus has made many decisions that have shaped his travel home, such as deciding to go to the underworld on Circe’s advice, but one should consider how the decision to marry the young Nausicaa instead of moving on from the Phaecians would have affected many events in a constructive manner.
The Character Odysseus in Odyssey "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. Odysseus was one of the first Greek mythic heroes renowned for his brain as well as his muscles. Indeed he is a man with an inquiring mind, and he is also a man with outstanding prowess and bravery" (123helpme.com/assets/3603.html). "We also must not forget that he is a top-notch athlete which only adds more to this seemingly insuperable character.
What do gods, soldiers, and a one-eyed man all have in common? They are all in the Odyssey by Homer. In the Odyssey, Homer uses Odysseus’s journey to show how one’s journey can define them as a person. This essay will show, whomever may read this, how Odysseus is loyal, witty, and violent.
After his near decade captivity and escape from Calypso, Odysseus faces many challenges in his attempt to return to Ithaca. Arguably, being held captive so long may have been a shameful period, although being a sex slave for a beautiful goddess wasn’t the worst thing imaginable. With the lack of help from and trust in the gods, Odysseus had heavy weight on his shoulders that would decide whether his fate would be shameful or honorable. A quote from Zeus emphasized this, “Odysseus shall come back by the convoy neither of the gods nor of mortal people, but he shall sail on a jointed raft and, suffering hardships, on the twentieth day make his landfall on fertile Scheria at the country of the Phaiakians who are near the gods in origin, and they will honor him in their hearts as a god, and send him back, by ship, to the beloved land of his fathers, bestowing bronze and hold in abundance upon him, and clothing, more than Odysseus could ever have taken away from Troy, even if he had escaped unharmed with his fair share of the plunder” (Odyssey 5, 30-40). The gods here place trust in the abilities of Odysseus, even though he would very much appreciate some help. Although Odysseus is mortal, he is comparable to immortal heroes due to his strength and leadership. A quality of his that is notable for a great leader was that he wouldn’t ask of his men something he wouldn’t do himself. At times though, he
During his absence, many suitors propose to his wife Penelope. Upon his return, Odysseus and Athena decide to kill all the men who seeked marriage with his wife. Athena is excited to see Odysseus back to his god-like self, and asks him to “consider how [he’s] going to get [his] hands on these shameless suitors, who for three years now have taken over [his] house, proposing to [his] wife and giving her gifts.” (XIII, 390-393) Athena enjoys plotting against these suitors, which her language in talking about them shows. It should also be noted that she never asks Odysseus if he wants to kill the suitors. Immediately, she assumes that he is going to kill them. How is Odysseus supposed to turn her down? She is a goddess, and he is a god fearing man. His power to murder the suitors is infinite, with a goddess on his side. He is not abusing his power, but is in fact using the power that is expected of him by
Princess Nausicaa and Aiolus are portrayed as god-like and beautiful. Princess Nausicaa, given the heart of Athena, graciously accepts Odysseus and his men into her palace. “ ‘ Stranger, there is no quirk or evil in you that I can see. You know Zeus metes out fortune to good and bad men as it pleases him. Hardship he sent to you, and you must bear it.
At this point nausicaa is still trying to convince Odysseus that he will get help from them. Because she said “every stranger and beggar come from Zeus and whatever we give him he will be glad to get”(Bk6,Pg 174). She is trying to tell Odysseus that they do give people stuff and he doesn't have to worry. But she did what she promised to Odysseus, gave him