Examples Of Archetype In The Odyssey

Archetypes can be seen in many places, such as books, poems, movies, and more. In Homer's The Odyssey, there are examples of archetypal heroes. Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus are all archetypal characters.

Odysseus’s escape from the Cyclops is one of great intelligence. A Cyclops is a giant one eyed monster. Homer said, “The booming voice and the very sight of the monster filled us with panic” (IX, 256). From the first moment Odysseus and his men set eyes on the Cyclops they know they are in trouble and will not be able to get out easily. The Cyclops, Polyphemus, eats two of Odysseus’ men from the start. As soon as this happens, Odysseus

Odysseus displays many examples of fatal flaws throughout The Odyssey, however, his most prominent is his hubris. Odysseus is favored by the gods, and he appears to have a strength and intelligence that are larger than life. As one may guess, he can be a bit proud. But Odysseus’ confidence can lead to trouble at times, especially when he gets trapped in Polyphemus’ cave. During this trial of his 20 year journey, Odysseus gets trapped with some of his men in a Cyclopes’ cave. Crafty as he is, Odysseus manages to escape at the cost of a few nights and some of his crew. By escaping on the Cyclopes’ sheep, Odysseus and his men make a hasty retreat to their ship; but Odysseus, proud of defeating the Cyclopes by blinding him and claiming that his name is Nohbody, shouts back at the Cyclopes instead of making a silent escape. In his ranting, Odysseus shouts at the Cyclopes, “if ever a mortal man

The villain, or in this poem, the various monsters on this are the antagonists of this story. They show up as grosseteste, terrifying giants of mass destruction,” The term meant some kind of creature that was enormous, ugly, and scary”(Harris pg.15). The cyclopes, for example, is a colossal, one-eyed monster that consumed most of the platoon Odysseus brought with when he went

Odysseus ' strongest character trait is his cleverness. When he and his men are stuck on the Cyclops’ island, they find themselves trapped in the cave of Poseidon 's son, Polyphemus. In order to close the entrance to the cave, a huge boulder must be moved to seal the doorway. No man or army of men could move the rock even in their wildest dreams. Odysseus knew that the one-eyed giant is their only way out. On the spot, Odysseus devised a plan in which he and his men stab Polyphemus in the eye. In pain and seeking help, the giant moved the boulder and opened the cave. Polyphemus cried for help from the other cyclops on the island. The Cyclopes called back to him and asked who or what was harming him. Odysseus told Polyphemus that his name was Nohbdy, so Polyphemus answered, “Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked me, Nohbdy’s ruined me!” (Book IX l. 444) In order to escape, Odysseus told his men to hold on to the

An archetype is a pattern repeated through the ages in folk and literary expressions. Archetypes are important in literature because there everywhere. Odysseus looks strong and brave he is also very intelligent and nice and cares about his men. His behavior is very smart he doesn't do anything without thinking of the consequences. Odysseus is strong, brave ,and smart which are three critical characteristics of the “Hero” archetype.

The archetype (in Jungian psychology) is a primitive mental image inherited from the earliest human ancestors, and is supposed to be present in the collective unconscious; basically this means that human beings have subconsciously passed down human stereotypes from generation to generation. This can be used to explain the striking resemblance between many stories all through time; it can be based on plot, characters, or even passing symbols. The resemblance between characters can be seen in the three Greek plays The Odyssey, Oedipus Rex, and Antigone, which share the archetypal characteristics of a hero, sage, and villain.

This long journey home from the trojan war was cursed to last several years because of his simple mistake. In act one Odysseus and his men are trapped in the cyclops, Polyphemus’ cave “Yet I refused (to leave the island). I wished to see the cave man, what he had to offer” (Homer 172). Odysseus’ men offer to take all the goods available to them and leave safely, yet he refused, he wished to challenge the Cyclops, Polyphemus. Which led to their capture in Polyphemus cave, they later blind the cyclops and disguise themselves as ram and escape the island without Polyphemus knowledge.

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, diction means choice of words especially with regard to clearness or effectiveness. With this being said, many writers use certain words to emphasize the tone of a story; including Homer, a legendary author to ancient Greeks. In his epic, the Odyssey, Homer uses diction to create a callous and candid tone when writing about the journey of a man, Odysseus, and his troubles returning home. While struggling through the rough sea, Odysseus, the protagonist, encounters a Cyclops. In this story, Polyphemus, the Cyclops, imprisons Odysseus and his crew.

When Polyphemus came he also grabbed some of his friends. Odysseus had to think of a way to set all of them free so he was forced to kill Polyphemus to set his friends free.It was a retribution for Odysseus to kill Polyphemus. “Straightforward they sprinted lifted it and rammed it deep in the crater of his eye”(pg 927). Odysseus and his friends used a masquerade to not be seen by the giant while they were getting the giant spear. Odysseus and 4 other men hurled a giant spear into the eye of Polyphemus. Polyphemus was so gullible to not be hospitable to Odysseus and his friends. Polyphemus should have not been so mean to Odysseus and steal his men. So Odysseus had to kill the cyclops but that is only the beginning of his journey he has greater enemies than just a cyclops. He is now up against the Sirens. “ He will not see his lady nor his children in joy crowding about him home from sea; the Sirens will sing his mind away”(pg

His pride and rash judgment prevent him and his crew from safely and quickly returning home. Odysseus and his crew reach the island of the Cyclops. There, they are trapped in a cave by the son of Poseidon, Polyphemus. Through a masterful plan, Odysseus and his men were able to get the Cyclops drunk, blind him with a large spike, and escape the cave by hiding under the Cyclops’ rams (The Odyssey 9). Odysseus demonstrated an incredible amount of cunning and knowledge through his plan.

Archetypes are evident in all kinds of classic literature, but Homer’s The Odyssey reveals archetypes in heroes, villains, and a journey. Odysseus, the Cyclops, and Penelope are specific examples of archetypes in this epic poem.

Archetypes are characteristics or characters that can define a hero. They can be villains, scapegoats, damsels in distress, and the hero themself . The Odyssey is the perfect story for examples of archetypes seeing as it has so many of them.

The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer. Some archetypes used by Homer in The Odyssey are the hero, the monster or villain, and the idea of temptation. Homer uses archetypes to help readers compare their culture to the civilization of Ancient Greeks.     One archetype

            Odysseus is no god.  He is man, and with that comes the mistakes and errors in all of us.  In many situations Odysseus' mortal side is seen.  An example of the power of Odysseus coinciding with his human flaws is his battle with Polyphemous the Cyclops (son of Poseidon).  After escaping the lure of the lotus-eaters and their island, Odysseus and his men find themselves on another island, rich with food and shelter.  After feasting, the men grab a large container of potent wine and go off exploring the new island.  Later in their search they stumble across a large cave filled with food.  Curious where the owner's whereabouts are the men encourage Odysseus to steal the food.  Odysseus (showing his hospitable and genuine character) decides to instead wait for the