The Odyssey Essays

  • A Space Odyssey and The Odyssey

    682 Words  | 2 Pages

    Metis in 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Odyssey The movie 2001: A Space Odyssey by Steven Kubrick and The Odyssey by Homer have underlying themes that have relationships to each respectively. However, Greek mythology often attributes strength as the ultimate virtue, and even current day movies do too. The attribute of being clever or cunning is seen during 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Odyssey seen by Odysseus and David Bowman as the dominate theme throughout both titles. Metis, the Greek word meaning

  • The Odyssey

    646 Words  | 2 Pages

    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 Greek value of hospitality is exhibited in The Odyssey by Odysseus and Penelope. Odysseus

  • The Odyssey

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Book eight of Homer’s Odyssey our hero Odysseus has come to the palace of King Alcinous and Queen Arete of the Phaeacians. This book can be read as a historical record, containing paragons and social rules. These rules and paragon are Homer’s and the archaic Greek’s view of a society in its most undisturbed form. Homer uses the Phaeacians to illustrate what behaviors are to be expected of a kingdom. By giving the listener/reader such a calm and well-organized realm Homer creates a stark juxtapose

  • The Odyssey

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    poem, The Odyssey, in which Odysseus and his men must fight their way home to Ithaca after battling in the ten-year Trojan War, can easily be compared to a journey of life. Odysseus and his men begin their journey with their departure from Troy, aiming for Ithaca to be their final destination. Along the way, the men are forced to overcome unsurmountable obstacles, are faced with grueling decisions and are postponed by many strenuous stops throughout their voyage. Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, is like

  • The Odyssey

    2061 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Odyssey The Odyssey is one of the two great epic poems written by the ancient Greek poet Homer. Due to its antiquity, it is not known when or where it was first written, nevertheless, the approximate date and place is 700 BC Greece. Later publications are widespread as the text is transcribed in modern English with no deviation from the original story. The story is set in the lands and seas in close proximity to Greece changing by books as Odysseus, the protagonist hero, recounts of his many

  • The Odyssey

    1113 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

  • The Odyssey

    1183 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Odyssey is a Greek word meaning 'the tale of Odysseus.'; Odysseus, the King of Ithaca; husband of Penelope; father of Telemachus; and son of Laertes was not able to return home after the war he was once in: the Trojan War. Stuck on an island, he is presumed dead. In his absence, suitors for his wife ruin his house with lavish feasts. This epic poem, by Homer, describes how Odysseus, with the help of the gods, gets home and regains his kingship. Justice is always harsh in the Odyssey; there is

  • The Odyssey

    1391 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Odyssey’ places emphasis on cunning and guilefulness rather than strength as in the former epic; elucidated in Odysseus’ dealings with Poseidon’s son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. Compelled Composed approximately in 700 B.C., Homer’s epic narrative, ‘The Odyssey’ depicts the homeward voyage of the legendary Greek hero Odysseus. The Epos, commonly known as “The Wanderings of Odysseus” are the protagonists’ recounting of his perilous misadventures to King Alcinous of the Phaecians; to date

  • The Odyssey

    1228 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Odyssey details Odysseus’ arduous return to his homeland. Ten years have passed since the end of the Trojan war and Odysseus, the “most cursed man alive”, has been missing and presumed dead by many. (10.79). Throughout the novel, gods play a significant role in the fate of Odysseus and other characters. The extent of the gods’ role though is not unqualified, contrary to Telemachus’ suggestion that, “Zeus is to blame./He deals to each and every/ laborer on this earth whatever doom he pleases”

  • The Odyssey

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    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

  • odyssey

    656 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Homer’s The Odyssey, many happenings interfere with Odysseus’ journey to return home to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. Self-determination is a strong characteristic that Odysseus portrays in The Odyssey. The three traits that Odysseus portrays as evidence of his self-determination are: endurance, perseverance, and courage. Odysseus, like most humans, has his doubts of confidence, but seems to overcome them. Out of this great tragedy, he has become a greater man to regain his kingdom

  • Odyssey

    1081 Words  | 3 Pages

    The legend of The Odyssey tells the fortunate homecoming tale of the Trojan war hero, Odysseus. In the poem, there were similarities, yet many contradictions. There were many great women that had conflicting personalities and adverse motives, but also they were alike. There were many great men that hold successful fortune, but here were also ones that failed. With these oppositions they helped Odysseus to get back home to Ithaca, whether they wanted to or not. These women from the novel that have

  • The Odyssey

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Book XVI of Homer's “The Odyssey” the audience learns the characteristics of the suitors Eurymachus, Antinous, and Amphinomus through Homer’s rhetorical strategies. Homer has the suitors make these speeches to show the audience the opinions of the suitors on Telemachus safely making it home to Ithaca. In the first suitor Eurymachus speech, the audience learns that he “cares” about how Telemachus returns just so he can get sympathy from Penelope. In Antinous’s speech the audience gains the knowledge

  • The Odyssey

    748 Words  | 2 Pages

    Roosevelt once said, “Virtues are lost in self-interest as rivers are lost in the sea.” Roosevelt pointed out how our virtues can be lost in this vast world. Today many people disregard values, which are vital to make our society a better place. The Odyssey by Homer incorporates the morals of our world to remind us of their significance. This novel is important to read because it teaches the values of loyalty and perseverance that have been absent from our society. In this Epic Poem the value of loyalty

  • The Odyssey

    787 Words  | 2 Pages

    strong in these aspects can be equally, if not more, beneficial than simply physical strength, as Odysseus has proven by overcoming sea monsters, traveling through the underworld, and so much more on his journey back to his homeland of Ithaca. Homer’s Odyssey demonstrates that strength can be much more than purely physical strength by creating characters that display mental, emotional, and other forms of strength throughout the entirety of the poem. One of Odysseus’ key traits as a leader is his intellect

  • The Odyssey

    21360 Words  | 43 Pages

    The Odyssey Set in ancient Greece, The Odyssey is about the hero Odysseus' long-awaited return from the Trojan War to his homeland, Ithaca, after ten years of wandering. The current action of The Odyssey occupies the last six weeks of the ten years, and the narrative includes many places - Olympus, Ithaca, Pylos, Pherae, Sparta, Ogygia, and Scheria. In Books 9-12, Odysseus narrates the story of his travels in the years after the fall of Troy, and this narrative includes other far-flung places

  • The Odyssey

    1102 Words  | 3 Pages

    horse scheme (recounted here and written about in The Iliad) and his multiple tricks against Polyphemos are shining examples of his ingenuity, especially when getting out of jams. Both examples indirectly relate to another dominant pattern in The Odyssey: disguise. (The soldiers "disguise" themselves in the body of the Trojan horse, while Odysseus and his men "disguise" themselves as rams to escape from Polyphemos.) Odysseus spends the last third of the poem disguised as a beggar, both to escape from

  • Odyssey

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time here gone before us." (p.1 A Heroes Adventure). This quote from Joseph Campbell tells you the essence of a hero. Odysseus might be a hero in the book but Telemachus was the one who went through the real journey. Campbell defines a hero one as "who has found or done something beyond the normal range of achievement and experience. A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself."

  • The Odyssey

    509 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everyone has a home. Regardless of its location, it is a place of acceptance and belonging. In a sense it’s where the heart is. Though in The Odyssey, the concept of home is blurry and for the most part incomplete, it is the most important thing to Odysseus, and he is willing to go through utter hell to return to his home. Telemachus and Penelope reside in an incomplete home. In book one Telemachus speaks to Mentes, the clear-eyed goddess Athena in disguise, “mother has always told me I’m his son

  • The Odyssey: Archetypes In Homer's Odyssey

    790 Words  | 2 Pages

    Archetypes in The Odyssey Something written over twenty-five hundred years ago shows many similarities to stories written today. These similarities are called archetypes and the y can be found in stories dating back to the earliest forms of literature. I will be talking about some of these archetypes found in The Odyssey.As you read, you will notice that these archetypes can be found in other stories and even in real life. The Odyssey is the story of Odysseus and his journey home from the

  • Odyssey

    Iliad and The Odyssey - the central pillars of Ancient Greek literature were written by legendary Greek author Homer. The Odyssey, the sequel to Iliad, follows the story of Odysseus who has not returned to his kingdom of Ithaca after fighting the war of Troy 10 years ago.

    The Plot

    In the absence of Odysseus, his palace in Ithaca has been cluttered by suitors of Odysseus’ wife Penelope. While Penelope faithfully waits for her husband’s return, Prince Telemachus mopes as he lacks the confidence to overthrow all those who are vying for the crown. Antinous plots to murder Telemachus to remove the last hurdle between the crown and himself.

    Backed by Athena's support, Telemachus sets sail to Pylos and Sparta where he learns that his father is still alive and trapped in an island by Calypso. As he plans to return home, Antinous is all set to ambush and assassinate Telemachus. Meanwhile, Zeus and Hermes decide to help Odysseus escape and convince Calypso to build him a ship. As the protagonist sets sail to go home, he is confronted by the angry sea god Poseidon who wants revenge from Odysseus for blinding his son. Athena helps Odysseus to reach safety, and guides him back to Ithaca disguised as a beggar. Odysseus reveals his true self to Telemachus and they plot to kill all those vying for the crown. The next day, Odysseus reaches the palace as a beggar only to be insulted by the suitors of Penelope. Suspecting that the beggar might be her husband in disguise, she organizes a competition where the winner would marry her. While all the suitors fail, Odysseus performs the task effortlessly and wins. He reveals his identity and the entire courtroom rejoices. Telemachus along with his trusted aides kill every last suitor.

    Want to know more about Homer's Odysseus? Please read our Odyssey essays and research papers below: