Analysis Of ' The Odyssey '

Ten years have passed since the fall of Troy, and the Greek hero Odysseus did not return to his kingdom in Ithaca. A large crowd of suitors now have taken over Odysseus’s house and taken over his land and kept trying to take Penelope his wife. She stayed faithful to Odysseus. Odysseus’s son Telemachus the prince, wants to throw them all out of his house, but doesn’t have any confidence or experience of how to fight. One of the suitors named Antinous, planned to kill Telemachus, thus getting rid of the only other spot denying them of their spot to take over the palace. What the suitors failed to know is that Odysseus was still alive. The gorgeous nymph Calypso was taken over by her love for him and has kept him from leaving her island. He wished

In the Epic, “The Odyssey", spoken by Homer, conveys a heroic tale of an epic hero named, Odysseus, who faces many challenges as he sails to get home. One of the tasks Odysseus faces is, "The Sirens", who challenge Odysseus 's will power. Another challenge Odysseus encounters is, “The Cyclops", who torments and slaughters some of Odysseus 's men due to his curiosity. One of the hardest threats he had to confront was, “The Land of Dead" which tested his self-restraint, and revealed his human weaknesses of sorrow. The Epic Hero, Odysseus, struggles with many challenges such as, the taunting Sirens, the brutish and cruel Cyclops, and one of the arduous territories Odysseus has ever crossed, The Land of the Dead.

Joseph Campbell once said, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” True heroes are those who do something for others rather for themselves, Odysseus doesn’t exactly show this trait in The Odyssey. In The Odyssey, Odysseus along with his men try to go back home to Ithaca but due to Odysseus nature, only he actually returns alive. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus proves he is not a hero because he is arrogant, secretive, and unfaithful; resulting for readers to believe that every action has an consequence.

A hero is one who sets a goal in which takes bravery and dedication in order to achieve. The book The Odyssey written by Homer reveals a story of a true hero. The main character is a man named Odysseus who displays hero characteristics throughout the book. Odysseus is a hero because he returns home with a changed perspective which reflects his heroic abilities, such as his bravery and dedication to return home.

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.

Many years after the end of the Trojan War, Odysseus still hasn’t returned home to Ithaka. Many believe that he is dead, but the author lets us know that he is being held as a sex captive on the goddess Kalypso’s island. Kalypso has no plans of letting him go to return home either.

“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.

Some would say that he was being untrustworthy to his crew. For example, he did not tell the crew about the warnings from Circe. As a leader, it is his responsibility to be true to his crew. Although Odysseus shows being untrustworthy, he does this so his men could survive. He was fairly sure that they would survive with their spirits high (111- 112). If he had told his men about the dangers ahead, they would have been scared and hid. Opponents could also say that Odysseus was a rude barbarian. For example, he breaks into the Cyclops’s home and eats his food. Odysseus wasn't invited, eats his food, and asks for a gift from the Cyclops when he returns home. Some could say this is ironic, because the suitors at his home are doing the same thing. However, Odysseus and his men have been sailing for a long time with little food. For example, like when Circe offered them food, they accepted with no hesitation due to hunger. If this were anyone else, they would have done the same. Anything unheroic Odysseus has done, he had reason for

What makes a hero is determination, perseverance, and bravery to accomplish a goal. Odysseus embodied all of these traits in the epic The Odyssey written by Homer. Odysseus was the king of Ithaca and he left for the 10 year long Trojan war, leaving his whole kingdom behind to defeat the Trojans. After about 20 years he makes it home and takes back his kingdom.Throughout his journey he faced many perilous encounters. Odysseus is considered a hero worldwide.

Christopher Reeve once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” The great epic, The Odyssey by Homer reveals the courageous, daring life of Odysseus, as he travels from his victory in Troy to his home in Ithaca. Throughout the journey, Odysseus reveals his heroic traits of intelligence, skill, and resourcefulness.

Heroes are often thought of as great figures that conquer evil, kill the monster, and save the day. Odysseus is often referred to as a hero. He is a strong individual striving to complete his goal, return to his wife and son and remove suitors that have taken his home. Although he is seen as a hero by definition and he appears to be one as well there are decisions he made that may not be truly heroic. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus decisions to value his crew's life, and completing and being victorious through hard challenges makes him an epic hero. Odysseus saving his crew and competing his goal makes him a hero.

A hero is defined as a person who is risking their life to save others. There are many differents types of heroes, such as Superman or Captain America. But the true heroes are the ones that were formed during the ancient times because those people set an example for the heroes today. On the topic of heroes Heroes, Odysseus from the book The Odyssey, by Homer has displayed many reasons as to why he should be a hero and why he should not. For instance, Odysseus appears as a very determined character that never lost hope in getting back home. On the other hand, Odysseus is very self-centered and does not listen to other people’s advice, therefore this caused a lot of deaths. Odysseus is also to be known as not loyal to his spouse Penelope because as

He did not exert phenomenal strength or extreme mental capacity. Odysseus did not always use his intelligence in the right way, either. His mortal temptations toward Kalypso and Kirke overruled his love and desire for Penelope. A hero, knowing at all times, would persevere for the sake of his/her loved ones, or for the good of the majority. For example, one of the greatest inconsiderations he takes arises in the twenty-second of the epic poem.

In Book X of the Odyssey, Odysseus gives a tale of his adventure in Circe’s Island. He also tells of his encounter with Circe, (X. 380 - 419). Circe’s equivocation, “Why, Odysseus, dost thou sit thus like one that is dumb, eating thy heart, and dost not touch food or drink? / Dost thou haply forbode some other guile?” (X. 380 - 381), portrays Odysseus sadness and worry for his men. Earlier in this book, he had narrated of how Circe had put a portion in the men’s food that had turned them into swine. He shows great concern for his men, “Circe, what man that is right-minded could bring himself to taste of food or drink, /ere yet he had won freedom for his comrades, and beheld them before his face”, (X. 384 - 385), and proves his determination to free them.

At the beginning of The Odyssey, Homer informs us of the battle Odysseus faces as he strives to return home to his wife and son. Meanwhile, in Ithaca, his wife Penelope is pursued by many suitors trying to marry her and take over his kingdom. Out of her love for Odysseus, Athena appears to Telemachus as Mentor to give him hope that his father will return and also convince him to set sail in search of his father. In book two, following Mentor’s visit, Telemachus gathers all the suitors and confronts them about their actions toward his mother. Antinous then tells Telemachus of how Penelope had led them on. Throughout The Odyssey, Homer emphasizes many important points with his use of symbolism. One of these points regarded Penelope’s loom. He emphasizes her loom as though to illustrate the ideas of faith, faithfulness, trust and betrayal, as well as the idea of karma.