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The use of disguise in The Odyssey
The use of disguise in The Odyssey
Ways the Odyssey uses disguise
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The Importance of the Cloak in Homer’s Odyssey
Near the end of the fourteenth chapter of Homer's Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, announces that he is about to tell a story to his swineherd, Eumaeus, and several other workers inside the swineherd's hut. Odysseus warns the men that his story is the result of his drinking with them, but the story is actually a test of his swineherd's character. Disguised as Castor's son, a rag-wearing beggar with no possessions, he tells the men a story about fighting alongside the man who, secretly, he really is. Homer emphasizes Odysseus' great mind when he acts the part to its entirety even when his own story is twisted to today's reader. In the tale, his fellow soldier at Troy, Odysseus, is able to manipulate another soldier into taking a request for reinforcements so that Castor's son can sleep under the departing messenger's cloak.
Both in his story and within the hut, Odysseus is the manipulative character, and the ultimate outcome of both is the temporary use of a cloak for Castor's son to sleep under. Knowing the limited resources of the swineherd and his own abundance of cloaks at home, Odysseus frames his story so that the swineherd would consider lending his guest the use of a cloak rather than telling a tale with a moral of being generous and gift giving. The swineherd is able to show his guest hospitality yet face no loss by the lending of a cloak. This insight shows the maturity and development that Odysseus has experienced along his journey home; a younger and less experienced Odysseus may not have considered the importance of the difference between lending and giving when the host is a man he employs.
For twenty years Odysseus was away from his home of Ithaca, and in this time he faced several events that would change the way he would see the world. Witnessing such events as the breaking open of six of his innocent soldiers' skulls by a Cyclops (Homer 132) and the feeding of another six of his men to a six-headed beast (Homer 186) played a large part of the changed man that returned. Though a changed Odysseus awoke on the beach of Ithaca, he would have to force all the lessons of two decades out of his personality and into the efforts to regain his life; he would need to use the strength he gained from his experiences to conceal his identity behind a mask of weakness.
In this paper, I will argue that although the surface meaning of this passage is the slaughter of the suitors by Odysseus and his men, the deeper meaning of the passage is the
Did you know, that although caves, and disguises play a small literal role in The Odyssey, are major symbols, and sometimes even considered archetypes? Sometimes when quickly reading through a book, one does not pick up on the symbolic interpretation of many images created throughout the book. A man named Homer wrote The Odyssey around 800 B.C. The story was a Greek epic poem, illustrating the struggle of Odysseys, the hero, to return home. He had gone to a war in Troy, leaving his family behind. Upon his return, his hubris angered the gods of Olympus, and they delayed his journey home 10 years. Throughout the story Athena, the goddess of wisdom, aids Odysseus. She intercedes for him on his behalf at Olympus, and helps him in his physical toils during his journey. While Odysseus was away, his wife began to be courted by the landholders and nobles of the area. These suitors plundered the house of Odysseus and angered his son, Telemachos, who then left to go looking for news of his father. In the end, Odysseus makes it home to his wife Penelope with the help of Athena, and his son Telemachos. Whenever Athena physically appears on earth to help either Odysseus or Telemachos, she usually appears in disguise as someone else. Throughout Odysseus' journey he also encounters several caves, which have not only a literal but also a symbolic meaning in each episode. The mysticism of caves, and the repetition of episodes with veils, concealment, or disguises, have a minor literal role in the book, but are of tremendous symbolic importance.
Once he and he men are sailing away from the Cyclops, Odysseus cries back to the Cyclops “if anyone ever asks you how you came by your blindness, tell them your eye was put out by Odysseus, sacker of cities, son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca.” Odysseus has regretted his earlier decision for Polyphemus to not know his true name, because it means that anyone hearing the tale of a man defeating a Cyclops will not know that it was Odysseus who did it. The arrogant Odysseus does not like this, because he wants all tales of his prowess to be known for his. As he cannot let the chance of more fame escape him, he reveals to Polyphemus his true identity. This sentence, with which he risks the Cyclops throwing a boulder onto their ship, show the readers just how arrogant Odysseus is. It helps the readers understand quite how willing Odysseus is to risk anything if it will add to his
which is found at the beginning of the play, in the prologue. It is a
The French Revolution started in 1787 because the country was going through financial difficulties and there was unrest between the classes of citizens in the country. The differences between the lower class citizens and higher classes, being nobles and the monarchy were great. The citizens had heard of the revolution that went on in the colonies and they also wanted freedom and independence. The real start of the French Revolution was on July 14, 1789, with the storming of the Bastille. Between 1789 1793, a constitution was written, feudalism was abolished, war had broken out, and King Louis XVI was put to death. In late 1793 and early 1794, Maximilien Robespierre became the head of the Committee of Public Safety in France. This was the new governing body in France; it could be compared to the executive branch of a government. Robespierre was a great leader, he ins...
Odysseus is one of the very many prominent characters in Homer’s Epic poems, The Illiad, and The Odyssey. Odysseus has been famed one of the more relatable characters from Homer’s writing, as well as one of the Greatest Greek Mythology Heroes. Homer’s Epic poems highlight many periods of shame and honor for Odysseus. The character analysis of Odysseus through the poem’s timeline shows vast developments and heroic features appear to take form in him. The Illiad portrayed Odysseus as more of a secondary figure behind Agamemnon and Achilles. In contrast, The Odyssey portrayed Odysseus as a hero in the form of an average human.
French revolution, a greatest event of modern times which left France and other countries shocked because of its huge effect. It influenced the whole human society and gave a message of liberty, equality and fraternity. French revolution was a movement which took place in 1789 till 1799; it was a violent and bloody revolt that caused a lot of brutal events in the history such as the execution of King Louis the XV1 and his wife Marie Antoinette. It also destroyed the whole generation of the king’s family as his youngest son suffered and died, his daughter lived a brutal life. The French revolution launched a region of terror that killed thousands of people and inspired almost all European countries like Italy and Russia. It was to throw down monarchy and government an d bring republic. The causes that formed French revolution were the differences between the three social classes (first estate clergy, the second nobility and the third commoners), the injustice in tax for instance the third estate had to pay a lot of tax while the first and the second estate paid low or none. The prices on the bread were so high that a minimum wages person could not afford and had to survive without food. France most of the population was the commoners but still they were discriminated and owned less land. The other causes were the weak government, crises, leaders, ideology and discontent in France. People also thought that everything that happened in France was because of Marie Antoinette (King Louis the XV1) as she was a foreigner from Austria and also they thought she was a lesbian type as her relationship with women was weird. These all factors left France with a huge destruction of life time
In The Odyssey, Homer, or more so, the characters, often referred to Odysseus as the ‘Great Odysseus’. In the text, it is obvious to see that Odysseus demonstrates arrogance, charisma, over-confidence, and pride. Odysseus and his m...
The French Revolution began in 1789 and ended in the late 1790’s (staff). Just like the American Revolution the French Revolution started with new ideas of enlightenment. French citizens started to uproot everything that was considered normal, things such as absolute monarchy and the feudal system, they wanted to redesign everything (staff). Although a lot of the attempts failed people continued to try to make the change.
Odysseus’ has hubris and excessive pride in himself, the gods he believes in, and his accomplishments, which hold him back and do not allow him to reach hero potential. The pride that Odysseus has in his name is visible throughout his entire tale he is telling to the Phaiakians and King Alkinoos. Starting the story of his journey, Odysseus already begins to display his hubris when he explains to his hosts who he is and where he hails from. After stating that he is the son of King Laertes of Ithaka, Odysseus shares that, “Men hold me formidable for guile in peace and war: this fame has gone abroad to the sky’s rim” (IX, 21-23). He believes that he is so well known that the Phaiakians should know him from t...
The suitors show pride and hubris throughout the book by belittling the beggar or Odysseus in disguise in how he “has little luck in life as in the stringing of this bow” (Homer...
The characters' use of disguises in Homer's Odyssey is a crucial element that helps to catalyze the victory of good over evil. Each disguise is unique, created for a specific purpose. Before she talks to Telemachos, Athena disguises herself as a wise old man in order to ensure that her words carry weight and are taken seriously. She knows that she must assist and encourage Telemachos into searching for his long lost father without revealing her divine nature, so she assumes the guise of Mentor because men were generally given more credibility in those days. In a similar vein, Odysseus disguises himself as a homeless man in order to exude anonymity so that he can safely return to Ithaka where he slaughters the inconsiderate suitors. The characters' use of disguises is a key element that Homer utilizes to further the story as well as spice up the plot.
I enter the room with Petruchio, and see Benvolio, Mercutio, and Romeo all talking. Benvolio chimed in “By my head, here come the Capulets.” Follow me closely, I’ll talk to them, I said to Petruchio. Good afternoon, gentlemen. I’d like to have a word with one of you. Mercutio wasn’t too thrilled, so he made a smirky comment. You’ll find me ready enough to do that, sir, if you give me a reason, I snapped back. “Could you not take some occasion without giving” Mercutio questioned. Mercutio, you hang out with Romeo! Mercutio and I bickered back and forth until Romeo entered the room. Well, may peace be with you. Here comes my man, the man I’m looking for. Romeo, there’s only one thing I can call you. You’re a villain. “ Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee Doth much excuse the appertaining rage to such a greeting.
Homer’s The Odyssey is a Greek story that follows the journey of its primary character, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus encounters many challenges in his journey home, from encounters with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the witch Circe and even the ghosts of dead Greeks. Meanwhile, his household in Ithaca is being threatened by suitors of his wife, Penelope, all wanting to inherit Odysseus’ possessions in the belief that he was already dead. Like many epic heroes, Odysseus possesses many admirable qualities. Three good characteristics of Odysseus are—cleverness, bravery and strength—here are some supporting instances from the epic that demonstrates Odysseus possession of such characteristics.
Tybalt was a adversary of Romeo and had the drift to kill him. His spleen of the situation is Romeo trying to love his coz Juliet. He approached Romeo and Mercutio looking for a fight. Tybalt and Mercutio ended up fighting and Tybalt killed Mercutio, because Tybalt did this, he deserved the death penalty for his transgression. Romeo then took revenge and killed him (3.1.70). This is a legal issue because Tybalt was going to be treated to the death penalty anyway so Romeo killing him was just like giving him the death penalty. This death is a lot different than the others because his was a legal issue and he deserved to die, the other deaths in the play like Romeo, Juliet and Mercutio decided to die for a family member that they love.