The Odyssey, written by Homer, is an epic that encapsulates Odysseus’ journey back home from the Trojan War. Throughout the epic, Odysseus explains his physical trauma, whether that is the Trojan War, the encounter with the Cyclops, the suitors, and many more. When he lands on the Island of Phececia, he is greeted by King Alconies, and there, he meets a bard, Demodocus. Demodocus is a character that is only a part of the epic for a single book, but he makes his presence known through his music. Without the character Demodocus, the reader cannot view a different, emotional narrative of Odysseus since Odysseus only displays a narrative about his physical struggle. Demodocus gives readers a new perspective on Odysseus’ struggle, which no other …show more content…
Demodocus’ first song explains the quarrel between Achilles and Odysseus. While the song was playing, “Odysseus pulled his great purple cloak over his head and hid his handsome face. He was ashamed to let the Phaeacians see his tears falling down”(8.93-96). In this first song, Odysseus remembers his past feud with Achilles. The relationship that Odysseus and Achilles built is complicated since these are the two greatest Greek heroes of this time. Both heroes are powerful, but their strategies are different in that Achilles uses his strength while Odysseus uses his cunningness. The crying in this moment represents Odysseus’ reflection on his quarrel with Achilles. This song creates a new narrative of an emotional pathway to the past as Odysseus cries. The final song that Demodocus plays is about the Trojan Horse, Odysseus’ one achievement in Troy. Again, Odysseus cries, “This is his song”. And Odysseus wept. Tears welled up in his eyes and flowed down his cheeks” …show more content…
After his crying, Homer gives a simile that represents how Odysseus feels as if he is a woman crying for her fallen husband, “Her tear-drenched face is a mask of pain” (8.574). Homer convinces the reader that Odyessus's grief is a new mental pain that the epic has not introduced. For Odyessus, adjectives like cunning and robust describe him, but Demodocus reveals Odyessus' emotional vulnerability and human-like actions of crying. Greek heroes want to be known for their renowned physical ability; however, the role of Demodocus is to create a narrative counterbalance between physical and emotional. Thus far, Odysseus has been through a physical journey and is known throughout Greece, but in Phecieca, he wants his emotional side to be opened. After Demodocus plays his second song, Odysseus specifically asks for a song about the Trojan horse, “But now, switch to the building of the wooden horse which Epeius made with Athena’s help, the horse which Odysseus led up to Troy as a trap” (8.532-535). Understanding that Odysseus specifically asks for the song about the wooden horse symbolizes how Odysseus is willing to reflect on his
THE PERPETUITY OF VIOLENCE: An Analysis of Violence in the Context of the Odyssey. Nature or nurture. Choice or a different circumstance? The debate on human beings’ inherent characteristics has been around for centuries. However, it seems this debate has been narrowed and stripped to the point where we dismiss the fact that humans are extremely complex creatures, almost never pertaining to merely one or two choices. In a subjective world, it is hard to place the entirety of the human race into
Story, and a Commentary. All three of my pieces directly related to PTSD and indirectly related to The Odyssey. I mostly found everything I expected too because the way I went about choosing my topic was based on what I had already seen in The Odyssey. I was surprised that I found other articles relating the two, but otherwise I found what I expected to find. There where several parts of The Odyssey that lead me to choosing my topic, but there were two specific pieces that were the most influential
Although, "The Odyssey," "Naruto Shippuden," and "Harry Potter"—meet the model of the Hero's Journey, they are set in very different settings and narratives. Odysseus, in "The Odyssey," after the Trojan War, must start an adventure of transformation, where tests, allies, and enemies come at him to try and return to Ithica. In "Naruto Shippuden," Naruto Uzumaki goes on a hero's journey to be the strongest ninja and to protect his village by overcoming personal demons and beating external threats through
food. Hospitality was a major theme in Beauty and the Beast which resulted in a happy ending like in The Odyssey written by Homer. “The ancient Greeks valued a social society in which each person was obligated to help others when in need.” (Alvesteffer) As Odysseus was tirelessly traveling for 10 years, hospitality was essential in The Odyssey and was valuable to Odysseus. Throughout The Odyssey, hospitality is used to bring Odysseus home such as his stay with Calypso, the Phaicians, and Eumaios
even when it gets hard. Amorak Huey is the poet of We Were All Odysseus in Those Days, which is a poem about a person who watches his friend die in a war. After this war, the friend tried to go back to normal life but still has the baggage of the trauma he has gone through. He tends to avoid talking about this touchy subject and when asked about it, would instead tell the story of Odysseus. Although everything is difficult for him, he perseveres through it which is depicted throughout the poem using
dedication because of 3 things. First, it shows that I’d have experienced an incredible amount of trauma against my will. Second, it points out that I have had no control over my experiences. Finally, it (like a diploma) demonstrates that in the end,it was all worth it and for a good cause. To start, this particular heavily damaged crash test dummy would show that I had experienced an enormous amount of trauma against my will over the course of 12 long years. To put it mildly, school can be an exhausting
Alexa Acosta, Ms. Figueroa & Ms. Mangano. Immigrant Stories. C. April 3, 2024. Trauma (The Aftermath) - "The Aftermat What are some long or short lasting effects from the migration journey? The migration journey is different for everyone. Sometimes it can be easier than others' experiences, but there are also times where the journey is grueling and tough. But each and every journey comes with its effects–whether it be short or long, mental or physical, it usually affects the individual nonetheless
The character of Odysseus from ‘The Odyssey’ and Neo from ‘The Matrix’ both possess powerful, active minds, and rebellion. Odysseus is prudent. He shows a powerful mind with self-discipline, and curiosity. Odysseus openly evaluates situations, demonstrating logic in his choices; lying, cheating and stealing when it proves effective. His curiosity can also be problematic for him and his men. At first Neo shows a lack of freedom, chained in his internal thoughts. But as a notorious cybercriminal
of people whose freedom is dependent on the men and women who go to war. Veterans have a difficult time adjusting back to civilian life when returning home from war because they may remain in combat mode. In The Odyssey there are examples of men remaining in combat mode. - The Odyssey After the Trojan War ended Odysseus and his men set sail for Ithaca but made many stops along the way. One of these stops was on an island where they caused bloodshed and destruction: “..and killed the men who fought
The article I chose to review from the website http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/nuerok.html was “A Computer in Your Head?” by Eric Chudler, Ph.D. This article was originally published in ODYSSEY magazine, 10:6-7, 2001 (March), by Cobblestone Publishing Co. The reason I chose this article is it has always interested me in how similar the brain is to a computer. It also helps that I am currently taking a Computer information Systems class and I personally find that applying my classes to each
journey is portrayed through many stories, films and books. Books such as One Day of Life by Manilo Arguera and Odyssey to the North by Mario Bencastro shine the light on the struggles that Centro Americans face on a daily basis. In this essay, I will demonstrate that both have similar/recurring themes of overcoming the odds and war. Nevertheless, they are quite different because Odyssey to the North focuses on the struggles that a man who exiles to United States faces while One Day of Life centralizes
hero and villian. Odysseus is an example of a hero who closely straddles the line between good and evil, with his violence, arrogance, and infidelity in direct conflict with his wit, bravery, and determination. The power of a story is shown in The Odyssey, as Odysseus is kept immortally alive as a protagonist who is cheered on by the readers. The development of Odysseus as a hero takes place through
different poetic genres; he implemented perhaps the most distinguished and versatile of all the written works in the English language. The first time I read “The Lotus-Eaters”1, I have to admit that I had a hearty dislike for it. Having read The Odyssey in Literature class last year, this seemed like its replica. It occurred to me that Tennyson was plagiarizing Homer. But when I reread the poem with greater depth, I noticed its poetic techniques, imagery, symbols, etc. It was really exceptional actually
clearly an alluring figure physically and emotionally. The first time she is introduced, she is heard not seen. She uses her voice as her introduction. This directly relates back to the sirens that bring destruction to the men in Homer’s classic Odyssey. Hanson and O’Rawe touch on the sirens in their essay, Femme Fatale: Images, Histories, Contexts, The: Images, Histories, Contexts, noting that the sirens initially utilized their voice, not appearance to lure men into their termination (Hansons and
In The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Robert Fagles, one of the roles of the antagonists is given to Poseidon, the god of the sea. Within the ten years that Odysseus, a war hero, journeys home from Troy, Poseidon purposely threw Odysseus’ crew off course with his perilous waters. Due to this power and status as a god, Poseidon is not only honored by the Phaeacians, but also feared by them as well, notably with their plentiful offerings to him out of fear that Poseidon might be angered. Moreover