Compare and Contrast the Divine Machinery of Odyssey and Aeneid

In the odyssey the main character odysseus is constantly being controlled by a powerful god and fate, which is the first key part of cosmic Irony. A key scene of the book where it is shown that fate controls Odysseus’s life is when, the Cyclopes is praying to his father after Odysseus escapes the cave after blinding him. As Odysseus and the Cyclopes exchange words the Cyclopes says,“All this, he warned me, would come to pass someday” (9.569) The author just illustrated evidence that Odysseus has a fate. The cyclopes explains that his fate; “that I’d be blinded here at the hands of Odysseus” (9.569-570) The cyclopes knows all of this from information given to him by his father Poseidon a long time ago. The quotes show that Odysseus has always had a fate that controls his life. It shows that Odysseus’s decisions have never mattered because his life is already plotted out. So by definition this proves the first key component to cosmic irony. Even when Odysseus is specifically trying to please the gods he can’t, “But my sacrifices failed to move the god” (9.617). Odysseus wants the gods on his side he thinks he can change their view of him with sacrifices but the

In Homer’s Odyssey, the idea of fate is more significant than the idea and sense of duty. Odysseus’s journey begins when Poseidon learns that Odysseus blinded his Cyclops son, Polyphemous while trying to escape from his capture. This enrages the already hot-tempered sea god, damning Odysseus, his men, and his voyage. Poseidon attempts to delay and keep Odysseus from his home, Ithaca. His anger towards Odysseus is so great that Zeus has to step in to save him from the sea-god. Zeus, after Poseidon complains to him about the Phaenecians aiding Odysseus, states “Since for Odysseus now I vowed that he his home should win through many a misery yet utterly bereft not his return; for such your purpose was and decree.” (Homer, Book 13, st. 45) Zeus, in the Odyssey, acts as the hand of fate by preventing Poseidon from further stalling Odysseus’s return home. This is unlike Jupiter in the Aeneid, who dispatches Mercury to remind Aeneus of

Both the Odyssey and the Aeneid describe the journeys of the two Greek heroes –Odysseus and Aeneas, as they struggle towards their goal through the crises and deadly situations caused by the wrath of the gods upon them. In the Odyssey, we see that Poseidon (god of the sea/earth shaker) has a grudge against Odysseus while Athena, god of wisdom, aids him throughout his journey. Similarly in the Aeneid, we see that goddess Juno dislikes Aeneas as he is destined to destroy the city of Carthage loved by Juno during his mission to find a new land- Rome, whereas Aeneas’ mother Venus aids him.

The gods play an important part in Odysseus’ journey home, bringing him closer and farther from his homeland. They constantly intervene in the lives of the many characters in The Odyssey. Though Odysseus is a hero, the gods control his life. It is as if he were the main character in a video game and the gods are fighting over who controls his life. Personal responsibility is overshadowed by the gods’ eagerness to grab the controller.

A character trait defines someone’s personality, however not all of the character traits are the same for one person because different people have different opinion or view of them. In both Homer’s epic The Odyssey and Margaret Atwood’s novel The Penelopiad, Penelope is given similar characteristic of loyal and faithful to Odysseus l, but there is one major difference between both text which involves her knowledge. In the Atwood, the characteristic of wise and knowledgeable were shown as she took control of the kingdom while odysseus was a ways however, innocent and naive were shown through the way her son and the suitor treat her in Homer’s epic.

However, there is also a sense of injustice, as Juno's actions seem unwarranted towards Aeneas, as she acts out of personal hatred towards him. It is also significant that Neptune only calms the storm, as it threatens the peace of his seas, and not because he pities the wretched Aeneas: 'Power over the sea and the cruel trident were never his (Aeolus), but mine. '[4] This emphasises that the gods can be cruel, illustrated by the misuse of Juno's power to influence Aeolus, to start a storm; as well as, selfish and unjust.

     A comparison between Virgil's hero, Aeneas, and the Homeric heroes, Achilles and Odysseus, brings up the question concerning the relevance of the difference between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas. The differences in the poets' concerns are explained by the fact that Virgil lived many years after Homer, giving Virgil the advantage of a more developed literary and philosophical society than Homer had at his disposal. But the question remains: how are the differences between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas relevant to the epic at large? This question will be answered by first pointing out the differences between Greek and Roman society, then explaining

In the Hebrew Bible and The Odyssey there are heroic figures that play an important role through out each of the books. These heroic figures from the Bible and The Odyssey have many similarities and differences that reflect the different cultures they are from. These heroes are called upon by greater beings, such as gods, to complete difficult journeys and or tasks that the god has made them destined to complete. Each of these legendary heroes demonstrates a particular culture’s needs. Through these journeys and or tasks they are forced to overcome challenging obstacles and make sacrifices.

Odysseus’ freedom to make his own decisions is altered my what the gods have preordained for him.

The Odyssey is an epic poem that showcases the heroic actions contrasted with the grave disasters of Odysseus, a tragic hero on his way home from the war in Troy. The author, Homer, shows through Odysseus’ actions that even a hero such as he, has flaws. Flaws that if not acknowledged and learnt from, can spell grave disaster in the journey yet to come. Many Greeks recognize Odysseus as the most renowned hero of the Trojan war, thanks to his own accounts of his years away from Ithaca. Following the Greek beliefs, many believe that Odysseus couldn’t have kept himself away for so long, for only the gods can do something like this, and Odysseus can’t be the cause of the crew’s deaths, only the gods could be so cruel. While

Both the Odyssey and the Aeneid represent their cultures very well, but they express different ideas on what one should strive for in life.  There are also different forces that pushed both epics to be written.  The Aeneid expresses the Roman idea of pietas which means to show extreme respect for one’s ancestors. We see this in Aeneas when he is pictured caring his father away from burning Troy.  He has pietas because he cared so much for his father that in fleeing from Troy he took up his father over his shoulder to save his from certain death.  This is not the only major idea in the Aeneid.  There is also a very political focus.  The Roman were very interested in politics which comes through in the Aeneid. The Odyssey has the Greek

The Hero’s Journey is portrayed and widely known in many of the most popular films, songs, and novels. The Odyssey follows this format, and many of these entertainment pieces were inspired by this epic, such as The Chronicles of Narnia. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is led through many different adversities while trying to return home from the Trojan War. He finds himself and his crew in many situations that lead to death or put them in danger, before eventually making it home and being reunite with his family with the help of the goddess Athena. In the Chronicles of Narnia, three children are led into a strange new world in the wardrobe, where they face challenges with their enemies and have to eventually return home. They

It is consistently difficult to understand in old world literature, from Homeric epics to Virgil's work, The Aeneid, what the relation of fate is to the Pantheon of gods. There seems to be an ongoing debate within the texts discussing whether "fate" is the supreme ruling force in the universe and the controlling element of the lives of men, or whether fate is the will of the king of gods, Jupiter. In, The Aeneid, several situations and instances of the use of fate are presented to the reader. The direction and destination of Aeneas's course are preordained, and his various sufferings and glories in battle and at sea over the course of the epic merely postpone his unchangeable destiny.

“The Aeneid” and “The Iliad” are relatively two different epics that were written decades apart. However, they have their similarities. These are two epics with the fate of two heroes. In the epic “The Aeneid,” the readers follow the journey of a man named Aeneas who is a Trojan refugee who journeys from his homeland of Troy to find Rome for the generations of the future. “The Iliad” is a story of the Trojan War and the hero of the story Achilles. Achilles was one of the bravest soldiers of the Greek army, but he was just as vain as he was brave. Both heroes showed a great amount of heroic actions throughout their perspective epics. Aeneas kills the Latin warrior Turnus and ventures away from his burning Troy to find Rome and prepare it for the future generations to come. Achilles fights for the Greeks which eventually results in him dying a hero’s death.

the gods; while he was fleeing from the Cyclops he yelled "If I could take