One literary technique that is widely and effectively used in Homer’s Odyssey is the digression. The digression is departure from the main storyline that does not alter the action of the story, but adds a layer of sentimental content to the plot which usually helps underscore themes central to the story. The digressions in the Odyssey are meticulously written with great attention to detail just like the rest of the epic, and they truly help readers grasp the important aspects of the story. The liberal use of digression in the Odyssey helps build a vivid image of the character Odysseus by highlighting his historical feats, providing context to his current situation, and giving allusions to his future and his destiny.
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Clearly, this is no ordinary wine. The wine digression accentuates Odysseus’s hospitable and moral character while also providing plentiful information to the immediate course of Odysseus’s journey because it reveals his forthcoming battle against the Cyclops.
Another instance of digression is the emotional moment when Odysseus meets his old dog, Argos. When disguised Odysseus and Eumaeus are approaching the palace, Odysseus takes note of the deprived condition of his dog. “It was Argos, long-enduring Odysseus’ dog he trained as puppy once, but little joy he got since all too soon he shipped to sacred Troy… But now with his masters gone he lay there, castaway, on piles of dung from mules and cattle… Infested with ticks, half-dead from neglect… Odysseus glanced to the side and flicked away a tear” (364). This digression serves as a reflection of Odysseus’s current circumstances and also a former period in his life. Eumaeus tells Odysseus that “[He’d] be amazed to see such speed, such strength. No quarry he chased in the deepest, darkest woods could ever slip this hound. A champion tracker too! Ah, but he’s run out of luck now, poor fellow” (364). Argos used to be just like his caretaker, Odysseus, however in Odysseus’s absence, Argos has withered away. Both Odysseus and Argos are standing in front of their home, but feel a sense of homelessness. Argos faces neglect because he is a stray dog while Odysseus is
In the “Odyssey”, Odysseus goes through obstacles throughout the book that a normal man couldn’t subside. One example is in book 9, his main obstacle that he is trying to face is to escape from being held hostage in a cave by a Cyclops better known as Polyphemus. Odysseus is a archetypal hero, he is also a role model, with an ambition to get to his homeland Ithaca. He goes through resisting temptation and using his intellect and physical strength to get him there, no matter the obstacle nor the negative flaws that he faces. Odysseus put himself and his men in that situation by being curious and wanting to know what kind of land his ship and the winds led him to. This was selfish of him because it cost him some of his men, but a leader and hero has to play that role and some lives will be dealt with on the way. Odysseus says, “The rest of you will stay here while I go with my ship and crew on reconnaissance. I want to find out what those men are like, Wild savages with no sense of right or wrong Or hospitable folk who fear the gods” (Homer 429). Saying this quote alone makes Odysseus a humble man due to the fact that not even a piece of land is going to slow him down on his journey back home.
On his journey home, Odysseus encounters many obstacles which he attempts to overcome swiftly so that he may arrive home as soon as possible; however, it can be argued that nostos is not his only motive throughout his journey, though it may be the most significant.
He uses each conflict that Odysseus must resolve during his voyage to signify each emotional phase the hero also experiences. For example, at the beginning of Odysseus’ journey, Homer describes Calypso’s island to be filled with beauty, but surrounded by deadly waves of the sea (Homer 451). The beauty of the island symbolizes the bravery that Odysseus still has, and his perseverance during the many years he has been held prisoner. The deadly waves symbolize the emotional disarray he is in at the time, for he misses his home and family. The abundance of waves outnumbers the volume of beauty, and can be interpreted as Odysseus being more sorrowful than brave. But alas, he finally sets out to return to Ithaca. In addition, he eventually ends up in the cave of Polyphemus; the inside is dark, but the outside is filled with nice farmland (Homer 459). The darkness of the symbolizes death, despair, and imprisonment since Odysseus feels these after four of his comrades are brutally killed and eaten by the cyclops. The farmland outside the cave represents life and freedom since farming produces necessities for life and for Odysseus to reach the outside again is for him to be free and embrace life once more. The darkness of the cave is within the life of the farmland, symbolizing how Odysseus really cherishes his life and the opportunity to return home, but he still feels deep inside the death and despair of his late comrades. Eventually, he returns home to Ithaca. Furthermore, after restoring order to his kingdom, he goes to visit his father Laertes in his wide, open vineyard in the countryside (Homer 484). The wide openness of the vineyard represents the freedom that Odysseus finally achieves and genuinely feels after his long journey to return home. Also, vineyards produce life, which
Odysseus seeks adventure out of reckless curiosity. On the tiresome voyage to get home, Odysseus
The character Ulysses Everett McGill from “O Brother, Where art thou?” is a worthy representation of Odysseus from the “Odyssey”. Ulysses Everett McGill, or Everett, was the main character of the movie who was trying to get back home. Odysseus was a king and warrior who spent 20 years away from home due to obstacles and distractions. Both characters share many personality traits and events that make the movie a modern adaption of the epic poem
he Odyssey, as written by Homer, intricately and excitingly weaves Colin Renfrew’s Subsystem Theories throughout the entire play. Many of the five subsystem theories can be seen and support understanding of the novel. Of the five systems, trade/communication, social/ political hierarchy and symbolic subsystems will be the focus of analysis in this paper. All of these subsystems come together in The Odyssey to explain the characters and their lives, and also how they fit into the society which they live in. To understand the growth and development of the characters, we must understand the systems theories, “many human actions have a meaning at several different levels, with undertones and overtones… it is the complex interconnectedness of the subsystems which gives human culture its unique potential for growth.” As this paper will demonstrate within The Odyssey, trade and communication, social and political hierarchy and lastly symbolic subsystems create adventure in Odysseus’s harrowing, yet exciting journey back to his kingdom and family. These specific subsystems add depth and excitement because we see how each specific one impacts Odysseus’s journey back home. They help us understand who Odysseus is a man and sympathize with all that he goes through. The communication subsystem helps explain how communication between people (and gods) in different lands aid to the success of his return home. We are able to see from the social subsystem how Odysseus and other men
The story expresses, “And all this time, in travail, sobbing, gaining on the current, we rowed into the straight...we heard the rock bellowing all around, and dark sand raged...my men in gloom...in fear of being devoured” (The Odyssey, Lines 802-808). With this large description and use of dramatic diction, Homer is able to express a tone of sorrow through the desperation and events that have occurred in the stories. The denotation of travail is laborious stress and privation, while the denotation of sobbing is a deep and desperate plea and/or cry. Both words present a tone of suffering and Homer uses the diction in order to emphasize the degree of hardship Odysseus and his crew have been through. This quote embodies the misery and deprivation that Odysseus and his crew have faced along the journey and expresses the overarching tone of sorrow throughout many stories. The quote starts with somewhat of a depressing tone to exemplify the austerity of the crew’s encounters with the Cyclops, The Land of the Dead, and the Sirens. The men remain in gloom which has a denotation of sadness because they are soon to encounter Scylla and Charybdis and are in deep fear of the future. In his writing, Homer successfully imprints a tone of sorrow in times of hardship to add depth to the tragic and horrifying experiences that Odysseus and his crew have been through, while also adding times of hope and upbringing later on in the
During Odysseus’ journey in ‘The Odyssey’, Odysseus runs into a couple problems. He leaves home ready to fight in the Trojan War. Although he had plans on coming home, he never made it home. His wife Penelope and his son Telemachus assumed that Odysseus was dead. It was not until Athena came to Telemachus and gave him everything he needed to make it to his dad. What Telemachus did not know was that Odysseus wanted to come home, but he could not because he was being held prisoner on an island named Ogygia. Odysseus wants nothing more to return home and see his lovely wife Penelope.
Dear Mr. Cortez, you know how you asked me to research all about the Aztecs, to share with you? Well here’s what I have found out. When you come here, somethings may not make sense. Some houses are bleached white, or have sun-dried brick or stone, while others were tiny little huts with a garden out back. This is the ranking for rich and poor, with the rich having stone, and the poor having hut houses. You may see some people walking along the streets, and you must note who is who. Most will presumably be carrying fruits and veggies, and wearing plain clothes that they had to create themselves. Then there are the Nobles skipping down the street, and you will note that they are Nobles as they will have feathers on their apparel. If you appear
A hero isn’t shaped by his strengths but by the values he possesses. Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, reveals the moral and ethical constitution of the ancient Greeks. Over time, certain cultures have grown to value a number of human characteristics. Those who acquire such values become respected heroes. After the fall of Troy, the protagonist of the epic, Odysseus, set sail for his home, Ithaca, where his faithful wife and son were waiting for him. Over the course of his journey, Odysseus faced some of the most ferocious opponents known to the Greeks. Even through this formidable journey, Odysseus and his family have stayed true to the diverse aspects of the ancient Greeks. The Odyssey exemplifies the human ideals of hospitality, loyalty and
Homer's epic tale The Odyssey is a story of the triumphs and downfalls that are in store for one warrior's long pillage home. Odysseus, the hero from the Trojan wars, has led his people of Ithaca and other Achaean soldiers to victory and now wishes to return home to his wife and family of Ithaca. Through his twenty year journey Odysseus is often tested not only of his physical strength, but his wits as well. The many accomplishments he achieved earned him great status and recognition throughout ancient Greece. The mistakes he made caused the deaths of many men. Consequently, we as readers are able to see the many personas that Odysseus carries with him.
The Western Roman Empire was once at the pinnacle of civilisation, widely regarded as one of the largest empires in history. Their extreme wealth made them the pioneers in warfare, medicine, architecture, politics, culture and philosophy. At its peak in 117 AD, it spanned over 5,000,000 square kilometres, and had a population of almost 57,000,000 people. In spite of its sheer power and level of innovation, The Western Roman Empire fell in 476 AD. The fall of the Western Roman Empire can be accredited mainly to the major economic, military and political factors which lead to the decline and eventual collapse of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD. The first major factor which led to the downfall of the Western Empire, was the extreme political instability and widespread corruption which plagued the Roman Government.
Odysseus is deceived by Kirke’s beauty and falls for her mysterious ways, but his devotion continues for Penelope. Kirke, deceiving Odysseus with her quick mind, says, “your cruel wandering is all you think of, / never of joy, after so many blows” (Homer 179). Kirke’s desire for the men and her persistence captured Odysseus’s logic, and he ends up living with her for quite awhile, but thankfully his reason comes back. Odysseus’s odyssey was so complex that even small occurrences like the sirens and the lotus plants make him reconsider his priorities and what is truly important to him and his future.
Odysseus’s strong desire to return to his family inspires foreign rulers to assist Odysseus in returning home. Odysseus states, “Nevertheless I long—I pine, all my days— / to travel home and see the dawn of my return” to Calypso (5.242-234). Odysseus stayed with the goddess Calypso as her “unwilling lover” until he leaves on a raft (5.172; 179-187). Calypso grants Odysseus leave from her island because he is in grieving over being separated from his family. Odysseus lands in Phaeacia after leaving Calypso’s island. While begging for passage home, Odysseus says, “How far away I’ve been / from all my loved ones—how long I have suffered” (7.180-181). King Alcinous
The human brain is vital for every function of every day; from breathing to talking the brain is involved. Yet, the human brain varies from person to person, especially when it comes to gender. Many believe that males and females cannot be that different when the brain is being compared, but there are many differences. The structure, cognitive ability, and disorders are major differences between male and female brains.