Poetic Purposes of Underworld Depictions
In both Homer’s Odyssey and Virgil’s Aeneid, the main characters of each poem, Odysseus and Aeneas, travel to the underworld in search of guidance and the foretelling of fate. In the Odyssey, this scene is being retold by Odysseus to the Phaiakians, while in the Aeneid, the reader is described the scene from a third-person point of view. Each poet’s depiction of the underworld has different purposes within the text. I argue that Homer’s depiction is meant for Odysseus to entertain the Phaiakians, while Virgil’s depiction is meant to instate values within Aeneas. Although both texts contain many of the same scenes within the underworld, the differing methods of narration between the texts, and the
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This emphasizes the different ulterior reasons for their journey in the underworld. Odysseus describes how he merely waited while “hordes of the dead men gathered about” him (H, B11, L632). By reporting to the Phaiakians that he stood in the underworld alone with his “sword with the silver nails,” he paints himself in a courageous spotlight (H, B11, L97). The fact that the dead, including generation of heroes, come to Odysseus displays his authority, and adds to the story-telling aspect, continuing to enthrall his hosts. Aeneas, on the other hand, is accompanied by the Sibyl throughout his journey. When the Sibyl orders him, Aeneas “hurries to carry out the … orders” (V, B6, L274). The depiction of the Sibyl leading Aeneas through the underworld shows that his journey is meant to be a learning experience for him. More than just learning from his father alone, the Sibyl is impressing upon Aeneas the ideas that he must gain from his trip. While both Odysseus and Aeneas are heroes of a similar caliber, the purpose of their journey to the land of the dead, and the way that the characters are portrayed during the journey are …show more content…
From Tiresias, Oedipus learns his fate, how he will make his journey home, and what he must do to get back his lands. By impressing the Phaiakians with such a “wonderful story”, they are convinced to “not hurry to send [Odysseus] off, nor cut short his gifts” (H, B11, L374&339). Odysseus wins over the “oar-loving Phaiakians,” who are necessary for his return voyage home (H, B11, L349). Owing to his retelling of his visit to the underworld, Odysseus has gained the friends that will become essential to his return to Ithaca. In addition to the description of the layers of the underworld, Aeneas gains powerful knowledge about his fate from his father. Knowing that Aeneas has been drifting from his destiny, Anchises foretells Aeneas stories of his “own Roman people,” including that of heroes such as Caesar Augustus, and the “Age of Gold” that Rome will experience (V, B6, L910&915). From hearing these descriptions of the “mighty… Roman race” that Aeneas is destined to found, his soul is fired “with a love of glory still to come” (V, B6, L1004, 1025). Aeneas is now fully convinced that he must continue his destiny without distractions, and he now knows how he will do it. The scenes of the underworld in both poems are vital to the fulfillment of the destinies of Odysseus and Aeneas, just in
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
Homer’s The Odyssey, a magnificent story of lust, deceit, greed, and heroism, still fascinates scholars and casual readers alike today in the same way it fascinated its audience at the time it was written. The Odyssey, a journey of determination, patience, and virtue, tells the tail of Odysseus, the main character, on his voyage home to Ithaka after the end of the Trojan War. Odysseus goes through many unforeseen trials and tribulations, which exemplify his character. During these different happenings, Odysseus makes decisions that do not correspond to his character.
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.
Aeneas’s mission is to find a new home for him and his family. Both these characters had many similarities and differences in their ways of fighting. Both Odysseus and Aeneas were helped by different gods. Odysseus was helped by Calypso in a way. She held him captive, but was forced to release him from the father of all Greek gods,Zeus.
In Virgil’s The Aeneid, there are many parallels found in Homer’s The Odyssey. In each epic, the heroes, Aeneas and Odysseus, are on a journey “home.” Aeneas is on the search of a new home for he and his companions to settle since Troy has been destroyed, Odysseus on the other hand is attempting to return to his home he left years earlier to fight the Trojan War. They both have Gods against them and helping them, both Aeneas and Odysseus are both held back by women, both voluntary and involuntarily, and they both have experiences visiting the Underworld. Despite these similarities, there are differences between the two characters and it reflects their values and the society they live in. Aeneas relies on his strength as a warrior, where as Odysseus uses his deception to survive which reflects how Aeneas is truly Roman is versus Greek.
The vision of the underworld portrayed in Dante’s Inferno and The Odyssey share many similarities. Both Dante and Odysseus confidently travel to the underworld because a woman, with whom they have had an intimate instructs them to. In The Odyssey, Circe instructs Odysseus to “make [his] own wa...
Aeneas also went to fight in the Trojan War. He also was a national hero. He was a great warrior. Both Odysseus and Aeneas were trying to head home.
Odysseus is a peculiar mix of both heroic and intelligent qualities that make him seem both human and supernatural. The Odysseus portrayed in the Iliad somewhat contrasts the Odysseus we see in the Odyssey. For the p...
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.
To begin, both the leadership qualities and flaws of Aeneas and Odysseus must be examined in order to determine who the better leader is. Virgil presents Aeneas very differently than Homer presents Odysseus. They are both certainly heroes, but Aeneas seems more accessible and a stronger leader, due to the way Virgil presents him. Virgil illustrated Aeneas as a man that had to participate in many tests and tempering’s, and from that, his heroism was seen as flawless. The same goes along with Homers’ Odysseus, yet in a different, more astounding way.
Aeneas is the vanquished Trojan hero forced to leave his beloved Troy. The gods have imposed upon him a mission to found a new city. “If fate permitted me to spend my days by my own lights, and make the best of things according to my wishes, first of all, I should look after Troy and the loved relics left me of my people” (Virgil 1095). Although Aeneas’ heart lies with Troy, he will honor the duty bestowed upon him and leave. Whereas, Odysseus is the glorious hero who uses shrewdness and wit to turn the tide in the Trojan War by devising the Trojan horse.
Both writings have the characters meet with their dead parents in the visitation to the Underworld in the middle of the poem. Odysseus meets his dead mother and tries to touch and embrace her, while Aeneas meets his father and tries to hold him but realizes later he cannot because he is dead. Aeneas knows that his father is dead while Odysseus does not know that his mother is dead. Odysseus father is alive while Aeneas mother is a goddess and
When he fled he took his father, and his son Ascanius with him (Ott 102). Aeneas’s wife became lost during the evacuation. When he fled he also took “penati, the family gods, the most important and only specifically Roman divinity” (Ott 102). To Aeneas, it was an important part of his “identity, origin, and past” (Ott 102) that he needed in order to make sure that his fate was fulfilled when he set out to find new people. Like Romulus and Remus, Aeneas traveled the lands looking to fulfill his fate. It is said the ghost of his wife, who became lost at the battle of Troy, told him to go West to where the Tiber River flowed (Anderson 1). Aeneas traveled to Thrace, Sicily, and Crete before a storm pushes him ashore in Northern Africa (Anderson 1). Once there he fell in love with and married Dido, the Queen of Carthage (Ott 102). Soon Aeneas is reminded by Mercury that his destiny was to reach Rome, causing him to leave Dido who killed herself out of longing (Anderson 1). “Aeneas’s character as portrayed by Virgil is not only that of a heroic warrior. In addition, he guides his life by obedience to divine command, to which he sacrifices his own natural inclination” (Anderson 1). Although Aeneas is not Greek, his is “immortalized as a valorous citizen, brave soldier, respectful son, loving father, and caring husband…” (Ott 103). The Greek God Poseidon
Both the Odyssey and the Aeneid tell the tale of heroes – Odysseus and Aeneas, respectively, both driven by a prophecy to a goal. In both stories, fate and divine intervention are the underlying and central mythological components which drive the stories. Odysseus is fated to return to his wife whereas Aeneas is fated to found Rome, a dynasty of rulers, and eventually the Roman Empire. However, the similarities between the two stories mostly end here, with the nature of how each carry out their fate and their overall journeys being heavily indicative of Roman and Greek values and goals. Differences manifest themselves within the realm of power, peace, and warfare, which is particularly central to the overarching purpose of the Aeneid; the nature
“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.