A Comparison of Homeric Formalism in The Iliad and The Odyssey

Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey translated by Robert Fagles completely illustrate Odysseus’s journey home after The Trojan War. Separated into twenty-four different books, the poem describes the hardships Odysseus faces and how he overcomes obstacles. Though this poem is composed for listeners and may seem incomprehensible, Homer includes a plethora of literary devices to help audiences better understand, follow, and enjoy the context of The Odyssey. Throughout this poem instances of epic simile, foreshadowing, epithet, and xenia are included to help the poem flow.

Many have deemed Homer and Hesiod the “founding fathers” of Greek epic poetry and philosophical writings. Both writers’ careers flourished around 8th century B.C, and were immense influences in the world of Greek philosophy. Hesiod focuses on more traditional origins of life for his stories and ensures that the creation of the world and its rulers are embodied in his works. Homer has been considered one of the most influential philosophical writers for centuries by recognized philosophers. He wrote about principles in battle, governance, counsel, sports, the home and life in general that the Greeks looked to in praise. While both of the authors were similar in writing style, they differ vastly in the messages of their poems.

“As is the generation of leaves, so is that of humanity. The wind scatters the leaves on the ground, but the live timber burgeons with leaves again in the season of spring returning. So one generation of men will grow while another dies” (6.146-50)

The Odyssey by Homer is a great text that manipulates the skill of storytelling bringing out the meaning of being human, the spiritual and physical homecoming. It is an archetypal epic expedition essential for understanding ourselves and other modern texts following the same pattern. The text brings out the ancient Greek beliefs and customs that are essential in studying Western Literature through the evaluation of different characters, and the themes manifested are essential in establishing a good foundation for any literature student. The themes therein such as leadership skills, folly, retaliation, mythology, death, ogres, temptation seduction, deceit, and warfare make the text an essential student companion in the quest of comprehending literature.

Themes, in literature, give purpose to a story, and that is why figurative language is the best way to convey them; not only can it help the author get their idea across, but it also allows the reader to interpret the meaning in their own perspective. Homer, when he wants to highlight an idea, he utilizes figurative language to exaggerate and uncover the theme, in this case it’s obedience.

Secondly, Homer uses violence as a plot device in The Odyssey to create nuances to his characters. Although some of the atrocities committed in Homer’s epic were executed by the gods, the behaviors that reveal elements of Homer’s characters were most often displayed by mortals. For instance, after Odysseus returns to Ithaca and is seated at the fountain with Eumaeus, Melanthius, a pompous suitor, “[lurches] out with a heel and [kicks

The Odyssey is one of the oldest well known stories to date, and it is believed to be written around 2000 years ago. Its age is not the most fascinating fact though, the epic poem is comprised of 12,000 lines of death-defying, adventurous tales that are separated into different episodes. The Character traits of the might Odysseus, the structure of The Odyssey, the diction within the epic poem will be explained in this essay.

Homer uses a tragic toene in many parts of the Odyssey, especially in book nine, also known as the Cyclops. In the Cyclops, Odysseus and his crew sail to the cyclops island where they eventually have to fight the cyclops Polyphemus. In the quote, “... in one stride he clutched at my companions and caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out, spattering the floor.” (Lines 234-235, The Odyssey). Homer uses the words clutched, squirming and beat as the diction to show how Polyphemus is much more powerful than Odysseus and his crew. Since Polyphemus uses his strength to kill two of Odysseus crew members this relates to the word “beat” which means violently striking something to injure it. Since two crew members die, these words bring more attention to death, creating a tragic

During the course of history, the world has seen many fine works of literature like Homer’s epic, Odyssey. This book is a standard against which to compare all literary novels. The symbolism permeates the pages drawing the reader into the intriguing plot that includes twists within the central theme. Also, the author intelligently uses imagery and diction painting dramatic images in the reader's mind - building upon major the themes.

“Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns ... start from where you will—sing for our time too” (I, 1, 12). From the very beginning, Homer shows his intention for themes of The Odyssey to be applicable in the modern age and essentially “sing for our time” (I, 12). Homer’s epic provides the ideal reflection upon the very definition of heroism because it details the strenuous journey of Odysseus, a crafty hero whose key priority is to return home to his family. As one of the most prominent themes, The Odyssey carries forth the idea of heroism through the portrayal of Odysseus, and establishes a connection with the real world through the expression of life lessons. Consequently, Odysseus is characterized to serve as a role model for the successful hero because, after all, the poem is essentially centered on his very name. However, The Odyssey simultaneously conveys that an entirely perfect hero may be impossible, but a means for improvement is always present. The attributes for success that are revealed in The Odyssey can be examined under interconnected ideas of passion, perseverance, and prowess. Thus, heroism is the most compelling theme of The Odyssey because it exemplifies the attributes for success while also demonstrating that heroes are not without mortal flaws.

The Odyssey is the epic that has been read time and time again, by varying ages, digging its way into our hearts, becoming an instant classic. Odysseus and the adventures of his homecoming create a much different tale than Homer’s other work, the Iliad, provided. The epic is not about bloodthirsty men trying to get their hands on kleos anymore; it is about the homecoming of a man who uses his wits, not his weapon. In the Odyssey, the characters balance – Homer provides contrasting characters to show the readers the traits that Odysseus holds and how it builds his character development and even those who are foils to him. Odysseus’ own son, Trojan War

Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey follows Odysseus on his long journey home. The Epic also includes the stories of Odysseus’ family left behind: the travels of his son, Telemachus, and how plenty, of what we would now call “home wreckers”, suitors pressured his wife, Penelope, into marrying one of them. The characters are beautifully crafted and the story is truly epic. All the elements presented can bring in any reader from any century, the Cyclops, the Gods, the trickery of Penelope, and the disguises of Odysseus, are all legendary literary hooks . There are many things to learn—about writing, about the world around us, the world ahead of us, and the past behind us—from The Odyssey. (26) It is undeniably evident that this ancient text has

A critical element of classical tragedy is gruesome, gruelling, and often heart wrenching deaths of characters, regardless of whether or not they are central figures to the plot as a whole. The first example of this found within in Book II of Virgil’s “Aeneid’ is the encounter with Hector’s ghost. A once great hero of the Trojan race is belittled into a grim description: “his beard was filthy, his hair matted with blood”. Whilst the murder of Hector is not the main focus within the ‘Aeneid’, nor even within Book II, it is still a greatly tragic death due to the vulgar actions of Achilles. In fact, Hector still retains the appearance induced by his gruesome death, further adding to the tragic nature of his death. Another example of tragic death within Book II of ‘The Aeneid’ is that of Priam – the old king of Troy. He is slain by the cruel Pyrrhus, after witnessing the murder of his own son: “defiling a fathers face with the murder of his own son”. Not only is that event in itself tragic, but also Pyrrhus then dragged Priam “through pools of his own son’s blood” to an altar at which he was killed. This event within Book II exemplifies the tragic nature of heroic deaths for a multitude of reasons. The first is the obvious cruel nature of death within a great battle. During this time period it was a common occurrence for young men to head off into battle in order to defend their own nation. However, Priam was an old man, and for him to die in battle is a tragic occurrence in

This short essay will identify five traditional epic characteristics that are evident in both the Iliad and the Odyssey.

The ancient Greeks and Romans contributed to western civilization in many different forms of literature and architecture. Both of these cultures produced a variety of literary works which are still studied today. One of the biggest contributions to literature was from the author known as Homer. Homer was known for two of ancient Greece’s most epic poems, The lliad and The Odyssey. Both of these poems have had a profound impact on western literature and continue to influence teachers and authors today. “The lliad and The Odyssey have provided not only seeds but fertilizer for almost all the other arts and sciences in