In Greek myths, in the stories of the kings and Greek heroes, there is one category of characters that is seemingly insignificant but is explicitly important and indispensable to the heroes and kings in the stories; the character is the bard. He is the singer of tales, of famous wars, actions of great heroes, ruins of kingdoms, gains of famous kings; not only a source of entertainment, but also a source of information, and a method of preservation. In ‘The Odyssey ', at the hall of the Phaeacians, Odysseus adopts the work of the bard in the significant feasting event. He reveals and preserves his story, and simultaneously reveals the values of Greek society to the readers.
Before the events in the halls of the Phaeacians, where he proves himself
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His first appearance in the epic is also a man already reformed by the infamous journey home; therefore, Odysseus ' personality and wit were not revealed until the Phaecians. He demonstrates his heroic pride and competitive …show more content…
Throughout the telling of his journey, Odysseus also brings to attention the many different ways of receiving a guest. Circe turns the men into pigs but eventually warms up due to Odysseus 's show of trickery, the lotus eaters are good hosts but attempts to entrap them in their drug filled island, the Cyclops attempts eat Odysseus and the men he took to the cave, Calypso attempts to keep Odysseus with her instead of sending him home, and many other stories. The code of conduct is loosely yet strictly upheld. The feast of the Phaecians is another event that exhibited another form of the code of conduct. The Phaeacians are not kind to strangers; even so, with the help of Athena, Odysseus is received as a guest. The King "sat him down in a burnished chair, displacing his own son" (page 185, line 201). This was a great show of the code of conduct, which states that the guest be treated with the highest honor and even sent off with gifts. The feast during which Odysseus recites his journey also showcases the Greeks form of entertainment- storytelling and games; their enjoyment of his journey clearly demonstrate a need for good stories. The Greek values of treating a guest with the highest honor are also expressed when King Alcinous and his men gather a generous sum of gifts and personally sail Odysseus
Near the beginning of his journey, he met a Cyclops named Polyphemus. He killed & ate many of his men, so he had to stop him. He got him drunk with wine, and with an olive branch, along with his crew, “straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, & rammed deep in his crater eye.” (Pg 768: Lines 331-333) That was very brave, taking down a Cyclops. When Odysseus was disguised as a beggar, he asked the suitor Antinous for food, but denied his request & hit him with a stool. “The stool he let fly hit the man’s right shoulder on the packed muscle under the shoulder blade- like solid rock, for all the effect one saw.” (Pg. 808: Lines 1228-1230) Even after that, Odysseus remained calm & didn’t reveal his identity. He also fought al of the suitors & killed them all. He only had a few followers, and had to fight hundreds of men. His actions were very bold.
What would you do for entertainment in a time before television? The Ancient Greeks solved this dilemma with Bards. Humans have always enjoyed great stories and storytellers; the ancient Greeks were no different. However, oral tradition can encompass and convey much more than stories. It can reveal an identity, motivation or persuade an audience. For the Ancient Greeks, stories take on the additional role as the sharing and spreading of information. So, while it is enjoyable to hear tales of adventure, oral tradition has practical uses too.
When people think of Odysseus, they think of a great, cunning, warrior. Who wouldn’t see him that way, he fought his way through Troy and embarked on a journey back home to see his son and wife again. On the surface Odysseus seems like a genius but in Homer’s, The Odyssey, Odysseus shows many instances where he outwits his foes but his foolishness heavily outweighs his smarts; he becomes boastful after a victory which leads to more hardships, he leaves precious cargo in the open for his brutish crew to mess with, and refuses help from the gods which nearly leads to his demise.
Odysseus is unique among epic heroes in that his strength comes not from inhuman powers or exceptional physical ability, but mainly from his mind. Odysseus, regularly uses cunning, guile, and superiority of intellect to overcome obstacles. In this paper I will compare Odysseus to other epic heroes, both in terms of character and in terms of responses to crises, comparing his reactions with those of other heroes placed in similar situations.
There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.
One characteristic that Odysseus had to be an epic hero was that he was highborn. Odysseus was Prince Laertiades of Ithaca. The goddess Circe knew he was highborn and addressed Odysseus with his formal name “Prince Laertiades…'; (p. 120). When his men feared that he was dead and Odysseus returned to them unharmed, from their hearts they said, “You are back again my prince! How glad we are…';(p.120). Also, because Odysseus had not returned home to Ithaca, many men tried to wed his wife, Penelopeia, so that they could rule his kingdom.
This is most prominently demonstrated in his pride. Although not a bad trait to show, his pride tends to result in a rather negative outcome—mostly in catastrophic events that leave him either stranded on an island or suffering casualties amongst his ship’s crew. His pride is conveyed when he brags about his archery skills (VIII.252-3; VIII.254) as well as in how he escaped the Cyclops (XII.229-230). These instances convey a justifiable pride; however, such instances get Odysseus in trouble when this pride becomes rather stubborn, effecting his better
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.
This tale coincides with the times in Greece. This was a time that art and Philosophy were extremely important and respected by the people. Odysseus was a new type of hero that didn’t win by overpowering his opponents, but by using his mind to outwit them. Manners also seemed to play an important role to Odysseus, as he was learned to be polite and generous to strangers and in the end punished those who weren’t.
The epic poem The Odyssey, written by Homer, centers around the main protagonist Odysseus and his long journey back home. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, returns home after defeating the Trojans in a ten year war. On his way back, he angers Poseidon, god of the sea, by blinding his son, Polyphemus the Cyclops. Due to Odysseus’ actions, Poseidon refuses to let Odysseus reach home, and Odysseus and his crew are forced to go through a series of obstacles throughout the epic. Through this adversity, Odysseus must show his heroic attributions in order to survive. Homer portrays Odysseus as a hero by giving him characteristics such as: craftiness, loyalty, and bravery.
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...
...-evaluation and corrected himself by turning his life around so that he could be fully aware of what it means to be a hero. Even though he has different traits from different heroic people he still succeeded in proving himself, like all heroes do. Now he truly understands his place in the world, his purpose, and what he must do in the future as the main hero of his household. Journeys like Odysseus’s would influence people to think about a hero in a complete opposite way than stories about pure-hearted knights in shining armor because it shows a person’s mistakes and how he handles or copes with them while maturing overtime. Even though different traits can describe who is or who is not a hero Odysseus is beyond doubt a well-developed hero.
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.
Homer’s literature served as a moral messenger to the people of ancient Greece. The Odyssey by Homer demonstrates the character development of Odysseus, the epic hero, and his journey of self-discovery. Odysseus was a great, wise, noble, and well respected war hero to his people. Odysseus had one tragic flaw that was demonstrated by his actions throughout the book. The author Homer continued to strip Odysseus of his arrogance throughout the story, by throwing challenges his way, making him pay for his mistakes, and allowing him to continue to overcome obstacles. The main purpose of Odysseus journey also to reach his home a more humble man. Reading Odysseus’ journey also served as a way to look at morals. The
“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.