Odyssey Monomyth Essay

Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth describes the basic event sequence found within a hero’s journey. The Monomyth comprises of three stages, Departure/Separation, Initiation, and Return. These three stages each have several sub-stages equating to seventeen stages total (Monomyth, n.d.). The process of identifying the different stages of the Monomyth within Homer’s The Odyssey will unfold throughout this paper. While traditionally essayists only analyze Odysseus’ journey using the Monomyth, this paper will additionally analyze Telemachus’ journey, Odysseus’ only son.

The first stage of the Monomyth is the call to adventure in which the hero originates in their own normality when he receives new information that acts as a call to head off into the unknown

(Monomyth, n.d.). Odysseus’ story first begins in Homer’s The Iliad, not in The Odyssey. By this period Odysseus is now further along in his journey. However, his son, Telemachus’ journey has just begun. Telemachus’ call to adventure comes as he sits in self-loathing, while his mother’s suitors eat him out of house and home. Minerva, disguised as a guest, comes to Telemachus’ home and the two converse over the condition of his father’s estate. Upon hearing that Telemachus wishes for his father’s return, Minerva exhorts Telemachus to go in search of his father. “First go to Pylos and ask Nestor; thence go on to Sparta and visit Menelaus, for he got home last of all the Achaeans” Minerva advices, delivering the information Telemachus needed (Homer, The Odyssey, 1).
To begin his journey, Telemachus calls for the council of the people of Ithaca to lobby them for assistance in eradicating his mother’s suitors and aiding his search for his father. The suitors mocked and taunted Telemachus throughout the assembly. Leiocritus, a suitor, proclaims that Telemachus’ journey would all be for not, for if he were to return with Odysseus, the suitors would slay him upon arrival. With this Telemachus went down to the seashore and prayed, “Hear me," he cried, "you god who visited me yesterday, and bade me sail the seas in search of my father who has so long been missing. I would obey you, but the Achaeans, and more particularly the wicked suitors, are hindering me that I cannot do so" (Homer, The Odyssey, 2). Telemachus’ illustrates his refusal of the call here, following the assembly of the people of Ithaca. Refusal of the call, describes the future hero initially refusing the call to adventure (Monomyth, n.d.). The anxiety of his own abilities and the fear of his father’s safety began to consume Telemachus, impeding his will to leave.
Telemachus’ prayer did not fall on deaf ears. Minerva, disguised as Mentor, responded to Telemachus’ hesitation with encouragement. She built upon his self-worth by comparing him to his father, a well-renowned warrior, saying "if you are made of the same stuff as your father you will be neither fool nor coward henceforward” (Homer, The Odyssey, 2). It is at this point that Telemachus receives his supernatural aid, the third step in the Monomyth, Minerva as a guide. Supernatural aid describes, the hero’s guide and magical helper that appears or becomes known once the hero has committed to the quest (Monomyth, n.d.). While some may argue that Minerva became Telemachus’ guide consequent to their first encounter, this paper will acknowledge Minerva becoming his guide following their discussion by the coastline, as Telemachus had not yet fully committed to his quest until that time.
Additionally, Minerva shows herself as Odysseus’ supernatural aid in Book 1 as well. Following Jove’s grievance over Aegisthus’ death, Minerva petitions for Odysseus’ freedom from goddess Calypso, crying, “it is for Ulysses that my heart bleeds” (Homer, The Odyssey, 1). Bring attention to Odysseus’ cause, Minerva persuaded Jove to call upon for Odysseus’ release. Minerva then left for Ithaca to prepare for Odysseus’ arrival. She set out to inspire Telemachus “to call the Achaeans in assembly, and speak out to the suitors, who persist in eating up any number of his sheep and oxen” and then sent Telemachus in search of his father, “for this will make people speak well of him." (Homer, The Odyssey, 1)
As Telemachus prepared for his journey, Minerva, in his likeness, went throughout the town gathering the crew and acquiring a ship. At sunset, now in Mentor’s form, Minerva called for Telemachus. “Telemachus," said she, "the men are on board and at their oars, waiting for you to give your orders, so make haste and let us be off." With this, Telemachus met his crew at the vessel, crossed the threshold, and sailed into the night in search of Odysseus (Homer, The Odyssey, 2). Crossing the threshold is the point where the hero actually crosses over from his known world into the unknown. Telemachus stepping onto the ship signified his crossing the threshold, as he was venturing out from Ithaca of which he had never done priorly.
Telemachus reached Pylos by dawn.

As he and Minerva went in search of Nestor, Telemachus asks "But how, Mentor," replied Telemachus, "dare I go up to Nestor, and how am I to address him? I have never yet been used to holding long conversations with people, and am ashamed to begin questioning one who is so much older than myself" (Homer, The Odyssey, 3). It becomes clear that Telemachus is now in the belly of the beast. “The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero’s known world and self. By entering this stage, the person shows willingness to undergo a metamorphosis” (Monomyth, n.d.). Telemachus is far from home and unaccustomed to conversing in an adult

manner.
Although Odysseus’ ventures in Troy are fleeting throughout The Odyssey, it can be determined that this is when the belly of the whale stage takes place, as Odysseus is clearly fully separated from his known world and self. The Odyssey begins with a brief synopsis of Odysseus’ past. It is here that the narrator mentions Odysseus’ triumphs in the Trojan war, the Belly of the Whale stage (Homer, The Odyssey, 1).
Odysseus’ finally begins to speak of his journey and the troubles he has faced in book nine.

He sailed first to Ismarus and plundered the city. This brought a battle upon him and his crew causing them to lose half a dozen men a ship. Then a hurricane veered his ship off course and landed him in the land of the Lotus Eaters. While the Lotus Eaters were friendly in and of themselves, the lotus they offered a few of his men caused them to lose all desire to return home. The men sought only to stay among the Lotus Eaters chewing on lotus. Odysseus had to force the men onto the ship and adhere them to the vessel. And once more, they set

sail.
Odysseus then came upon the land of the Cyclopes. Odysseus and some of his men were taken prisoner by Polyphemus, a cyclops, who shown no pity in eating members of Odysseus’ crew. With the purpose of freeing him and his men, Odysseus blinded Polyphemus with sharpened wood. As Odysseus and his men sailed away, Polyphemus "lifted up his hands to the firmament of heaven and prayed, saying, 'Hear me, great Neptune; if I am indeed your own true begotten son, grant that Ulysses may never reach his home alive; or if he must get back to his friends at last, let him do so late and in sore plight after losing all his men let him reach his home in another man's ship and find trouble in his house” (Homer, The Odyssey, 9). Neptune, hearing Polyphemus prayer, hurled a boulder at Odysseus’ ship scarcely missing it.
Arriving on Aeolian island, it seemed Odysseus luck was changing, as he met Aeolus who Jove himself had named captain of the winds. Aeolus gifted Odysseus with a sack of wind, which carried him and his crew within sight of Ithaca. With Ithaca in sight Odysseus lie down to rest. While he slept his crew became convinced Odysseus was hiding spoils in the sack of winds. As they tore open the bag, all the winds fell out stirring up a violent storm which blew them back to Aeolian island. Weary of the gods, Aeolus refused to aid Odysseus and sent him away. Odysseus and his crew went on their way and soon arrived in the city of the Laestrygonians. Sadly, Odysseus only found tragedy here as well. Following his crew insulting the king’s wife, Odysseus lost his entire fleet with only his own vessel surviving the attack.
Odysseus’ troubles returning at sea were his road of trials. A series of tests, tasks, or ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation (Monomyth, n.d.). With each trial Odysseus undergoes a small transformation. His pillaging Ismarus and the consequences that followed shows Odysseus that greed can be a dangerous quality. In the land of the Cyclops, Odysseus learns humility is a virtue. Had he not boasted upon escape, he would have never suffered Poseidon’s wrath (Homer, The Odyssey, 9). Finally, Odysseus’ crew opening the bag of winds from Aeolus taught him a lesson in coveting (Homer, The Odyssey, 10). Odysseus’ trails aids his transformation into a virtuous man.
Alternatively, Telemachus’ road of trails was not about virtue, but about maturing. In Ithaca, Telemachus was inured to being treated like a child, but here he must suddenly adapt to behaving as a seasoned traveler. Despite, being nervous to talk to Nestor, a man with much experience, as an equal, Telemachus gathered his courage and persevered. Nestor impressed with Telemachus’ conduct, remarked, “you talk just like him too—no one would say that people of such different ages could speak so much alike” (Homer, The Odyssey, 3), further building upon his confidence. Telemachus made one mistake while visiting Nestor, which was attempting to head back to his ship come nightfall, unintentionally insulting Nestor. Guests were to be given a bed and shelter and when Telemachus did not expect this from Nestor, he was insulted.
Telemachus now ventured to city of Lacedaemon to meet with Menelaus. Unlike with Nestor, Telemachus now understood how a guest was to behave and offended no one during his stay. Menelaus reveals to Telemachus that Odysseus is alive and is being held prisoner. With this knowledge, Telemachus heads home. Now having the confidence and maturity he needs to face the suitors.
Returning to Odysseus story, he has now found himself on the Aeaean island, home of Circe. Circe, a wicked sorceress, turn members of Odysseus’ crew into swine, then attempted to bed Odysseus once she realized how he was. Odysseus refused her until she swore an oath to do no more harm. "So she swore at once as I had told her, and when she had completed her oath then I went to bed with her” (Homer, The Odyssey, 10). Odysseus then spent a year with Circe, until he crew begged they depart. Here illustrates the Meeting with the goddess stage, the point when the hero experiences a love that has the power and significance of an unconditional love (Monomyth, n.d.). Although Odysseus and Circe’s relationship was not one built out of love, it did delay Odysseus’ journey by a year.
Odysseus soon found himself alone on Ogygian island. A whirlpool had destroyed his ship and his crew, leaving him as the sole survivor. The goddess Calypso found Odysseus and refused to let him leave. “The goddess Calypso kept me with her in her cave, and wanted me to marry her” (Homer, The Odyssey, 9) It is here that Odysseus faces the woman as a temptress stage. In this step, the hero faces temptations, that may lead him to stray from his quest (Monomyth, n.d.). Calypso offered marriage and immortailty, but Odysseus still longed for home (Homer, The Odyssey, 5).
Odysseus set out to sea, but Poseidon found it fit to once more shipwreck him in a foreign land. Discovered by the Phaeacian princess, Nausicaa, Odysseus was given food and shelter. It was with the Phaeacians that Odysseus underwent Apotheosis, a period of rest before the hero begins the return (Monomyth, n.d.). “The maids thereon went out with torches in their hands, and when they had made the bed they came up to Ulysses and said, "Rise, sir stranger, and come with us for your bed is ready," and glad indeed was he to go to his rest” (Homer, The Odyssey, 7). Rested and fed, Odysseus told of his journey.