Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Comparison of odyssey and iliad
Comparisons between the Aeneid and the Odyssey
Comparisons between the Aeneid and the Odyssey
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Comparison of odyssey and iliad
Almost all stories have something similar about them, but what is that one similarity? That similarity would be having parts of the monomyth in them. As strange as it may seem, many stories really do contain bits of the monomyth in them, making many stories have a common structure. Even the most popular series -for example, The Hunger Games- can share a similarity with stories that date back to thousands of years ago -for example, “The Odyssey”. Although certain stories may not always seem to be similar they still tend to have the same pattern, “The Odyssey” and The Hunger Games serving as examples to this. Similar to many modern and ancient stories, “The Odyssey” and the monomyth compare to each other in many ways through the stages they …show more content…
share, those stages being the “Trials” stage, “Treasure” stage, and the “Resolution” stage. The “Trials” stage compares to moments where Odysseus overcomes certain obstacles in his journey. For example, the moment where Odysseus encounters a trouble with the Lotus Eaters. In the epic poem, “The Odyssey”, Odysseus is leading his crew and ship away from the Lotus Eaters. That scene can be compared to the “Trials” stage of the monomyth. In the poem, Odysseus says, “All hands aboard; come, clear the beach and no one taste the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home” (7). This shows Odysseus’s leadership actions to help his crew and men. That in which, can be translated to Odysseus proving himself as a hero/leader to his men. Therefore, this part of “The Odyssey” can be compared to the monomyth stage “Trials”. As for the “Treasure” stage, that compares to when Odysseus finally reached home. In the epic poem, “The Odyssey”, Odysseus has finally reached his home. The monomyth stage “Treasure” can compare to this scene as Odysseus has accomplished the purpose of his journey. In the text it states, “In Book 13, Odysseus, laden with gifts, is returned in secret to Ithaca in one of the magically swift Phaeacian ships” (33). This shows that Odysseus has reached his home, therefore, he has accomplished the purpose of his journey. Due to the purpose of Odysseus’s journey being to get to his home in Ithaca, this part of the epic poem can be compared to the “Treasure” stage as the “Treasure” stage is where the hero accomplishes the purpose of their journey. Finally, the “Resolution” stage compares to when Odysseus and Penelope are blissfully in each other’s embrace.
In the epic poem, “The Odyssey”, Odysseus and Penelope are now contentedly joined together once again. This part of the epic poem can be compared to the “Resolution” as this is where the hero -Odysseus- is at peace, specifically with his wife -Penelope. In the text it says, “...and so she too rejoiced, her gaze upon her husband, her white arm around him pressed, as though forever…” (51). Considering that Penelope and Odysseus are in each other’s embrace, it can be assumed that they are joyously at peace. Therefore, due to Odysseus -the hero- being at peace, this part of the epic poem can be compared to the monomyth stage “Resolution”.
Whether it is the “Trials” stage where Odysseus proves himself, the “Treasure” stage where Odysseus accomplishes his journey’s purpose, or even the “Resolution” stage where Odysseus is at peace, one would definitely agree that the monomyth can be compared to ‘The Odyssey”. With these stages they share, it is clearly evident how the monomyth and “The Odyssey” can be compared with each other. If the monomyth can be compared to an epic poem thousands of years old, perhaps there are other stories -modern and ancient- that can be compared to the monomyth as
well.
While reading different stories, you can find many similarities between the texts. For example, Romeo and Juliet and Pyramus and Thisbe are two stories that have many similarities. Throughout the story, the characters have many of the same traits. Similar events take place in the two stories. All these events lead both stories to a tragic ending. Stories can be similar in many ways. The characters, the setting, and the story line itself. Stories can also be very different. One may talk about an event that will break your heart, while another might bring a smile to your face. The two stories The Man to Send Rain Clouds and Old Man at the Temple have many similarities and differences in their settings due to the place, time, and culture.
Yamato, Jen. Burning Questions.“The Hunger Games and Real World Parallels: “Can kids all become Katniss Everdeen”. Movie Line. March 13, 2012. Web. May 04, 2012
In The Odyssey, Odysseus Journey is the main part of the story but there is more too it . The Odyssey has parts from a form of writing called the hero's journey. There are many types of the hero's journey stories . The Odyssey followed the Hero's Journey quite closely in its progression though the story and its arch. One thing is being able to understand the concept of The Hero's Journey makes it so much easier to to understand The Odyssey and other stories like it
The ancient Greeks have brought upon numerous ideas, inventions, and stories to the world. Greek mythology influences modern day literature and life. The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer, which tells the story of Odysseus's journey home after the Trojan War. Odysseus does not achieve his goal of reaching home so easily; monsters and gods come in his way and hinder him. The Odyssey expresses Greek values of hospitality from the customs of Ithaca, humility from Odysseus’s reform, and loyalty from Odysseus’s family.
The Odyssey is a tale that has changed literature and storytelling. In this tale Odysseus is a Soldier from the battle of Troy trying to get home to his island of Ithaca, where he is king. His wife and son must wait ten years while he is trying to make his way home. In Odysseus’s absence wooer’s, or better known as suitors, learn of his absence and travel to Ithaca to win his wife’s hand in marriage. These men come every day feasting on Odysseus’s food and wine, and give his servant’s orders. His son Telemachus, does his best to keep the suitors from ruining his fathers house but he is only a boy, and doesn’t receive the respect of an adult. Telemachus then has a visit from the god Athena, whom Odysseus is friends with, who advises him to travel to find out about his father. In his travels he hears that Odysseus may still be alive. Meanwhile Odysseus goes through a series of adventures and hardships that prove his wisdom. It is interesting in contrast of the Iliad, even though Achilles was much stronger and a better warrior, Odysseus was portrayed as a greater hero due to his wisdom. He uses this wisdom to escape from the Cyclops.
Homer’s poem The Odyssey depicts the tendency of people to ignore the consequences of their actions. Odysseus punished Penelope’s suitors without thinking of consequences that he would have to endure. He did not acknowledge the consequences because that would prevent him from doing what he wants to do. Odysseus wanted to kill the suitors; they ate away at his fortune. Finding consequences for murdering the suitors would force Odysseus to realize what he is about to do is not a good idea. Odysseus chose to ignore the consequences and killed the suitors anyway. Odysseus had absolutely no reason to kill the suitors; they had the right to stay in his home because Penelope made them feel welcome, Penelope and Telemachus both told them that Odysseus was dead, and although Telemachus told them to leave, he did not have the right to do so.
Homer compares the crying Odysseus to a woman who weeps for her husband who died in battle. The weeping woman is described in a very dramatic scene in order to reflect the intensity of the sorrow that Odysseus is experiencing. The “woman weeps, flinging herself across the fallen body of her dear husband.” As she is “clinging to him, [she] wails,” and then “the enemies behind her strike her back and shoulders, then they carry her away to slavery and trials and misery.” The woman goes through a great deal of hardship, which explains why “her cheeks are wasted with pain.” Not only does her husband die, but the enemies strike her with their spears and take her away to suffer more. By comparing Odysseus’s crying to the woman weeping in this intense scene of misery, Homer is able to show the reader the degree of sorrow that Odysseus is feeling.
Victoria agreed with the theme of the Odyssey having to do with loving one another and being loyal too. “The Odyssey takes itself less seriously than other epics; it is a great deal more fun, but also has a great deal more heart. It is a moral poem; it teaches us about civilization and human nature, how to live together in respect and harmony, how important are the virtues of love, home and family, and ultimately how happiness is a greater goal than any amount of fame and fortune; lessons that have not lost their relevance today”(BookDrum, victoriahooper). This quote shows that the odyssey is more than just a journey and Odysseus taking an adventure and trying to make his way home; it’s about during this adventure what his loved ...
middle of paper ... ... In Homer’s Odyssey, both Odysseus and his son Telemachus embark on long, difficult journeys; Odysseus trying to return from Troy to his home in Ithaca, escaping Calypso and the island of Ogygia, and Telemachus from Ithaca to Pylos and Sparta in search of his lost father. While The Odyssey tells of the courage both men demonstrate during their respective travels, their quests are the results of the intentions and desires of gods. Odysseus is trapped in exile on Ogygia by the will of Poseidon, whose anger Odysseus attracts when he blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, and by the love of Calypso, who wishes to make Odysseus her husband.
Hu•bris /ˈ(h)yo͞obris/ noun: excessive pride or self-confidence. Hubris is believed to be the most serious of all seven deadly sins. Some say it was the original sin that led to all others. A word with such loathsome synonyms like arrogance, conceit, haughtiness, pomposity, and egotism was seen as one of the worst possible sins in Greek culture. They believed that no matter your social status those who exhibited it were destined to fall down into damnation. Yet some Grecian heroes seemed to ooze hubris in the form of confidence or cockiness. There was a fine line between the two that they should never cross. One hero in particular showed this sin on more than one account. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus, shows the sinful trait of hubris, in the form of cockiness when he talks to Polythemus, his crewmen, his wife, and his son.
Returning to the quotation “… the great leveler, Death: not even the gods/ can defend a man, not even one they love, that day/ when fate takes hold and lays him out at last’” (Homer 3.269-271). Death is a power that surpasses the gods. In The Odyssey we are introduced to gods who control the water, the wind, and the decisions of men. They can bring peace and war, but the one thing they cannot do is prevent a mortal’s fated death. This alone shows how central death is to The Odyssey. The power that death holds rivals no others in this story, there is “… no escape from death” (Homer 12.483). Death is a constant threat for Odysseus throughout this story, and the future foretold for Odysseus by Tiresias is not one of his life being a good one but of “…your own death will steal upon you…/ a gentle, painless death, far from the sea it comes to take you down…” (Homer 11.153-154). His fortune ends not with his happy life, but with his eventual death. This scene is crucial because it draws the reader back not to the life that Odysseus will have once he has successfully returned home and killed the suitors but the death that he will experience. It draws it back to when and where Odysseus will die and take his place among the
Socrates, a Greek philosopher stated, "Look death in the face with joyful hope, and consider this a lasting truth: the righteous man has nothing to fear, neither in life, nor in death, and the Gods will not forsake him” (Socrates). This explains the basis for Greek beliefs that can be carried over to values and qualities of them. As in this, Homer, the author of The Odyssey, portrays many Greek values that make up a righteous man or as, Homer’s character Odysseus, an epic hero. The Odyssey is the story of King Odysseus' return from the Trojan War to his kingdom of Ithaca. Stories, like The Odyssey, are told with the intent of delivering a message that was important to their culture. Through characters and situations, The Odyssey promotes and emphasizes many important ancient Greek values such as hospitality, pride, and fate.
...velopment. Homer introduces Odysseus at a low point to emphasize the growth of Odysseus’s spirit from beginning to end. If Homer had shown Odysseus in a good spirit first, then the growth would not have seemed as prevalent, and the epic would not be as “epic,” which indeed makes The Odyssey the better epic.
The Iliad and the Odyssey are two classic stories told by Homer. Within these two stories the roles of the gods are very important to the story line and how they affect the characters throughout. In the Iliad, more gods are involved with the characters whereas in the Odyssey there are only two major gods that affect two major characters. The roles of the gods in the Iliad are through two different stances of immortal versus immortal and mortal versus immortal. The roles of the gods in the Odyssey are through two major gods and they affect the plot as Poseidon versus Odysseus and Athena versus Telemachus.
“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.