Examples Of Archetypes In Homer's Odyssey

When people think of a hero, they think of a tall, handsome, loyal, brave, and a type of man that could do no wrong. The “hero” that is portrayed in the Odyssey is a man named Odysseus. This “hero” may be tall and handsome, but he is often arrogant, disrespectful, conceited, and rude. Odysseus consists of positive and negative characteristics that is shown in the text by Homer. These characteristics impact the characters day to day, or in the book’s case, the quests. In the Odyssey, Homer values the characteristics hospitality and cunning, but he objects bad leadership.

In Homers epic poem “The Odyssey” there are many archetypes, many of which were the origin of the archetype. An archetype is a character type, place, or symbol, every culture shares. In “The Odyssey” Homer uses archetypes to evoke meaning to the story. Some examples of archetypes in “The Odyssey” are the temptress, and the father-son conflict.

Ancient Greeks’ history consisted of monsters, creatures, gods, goddesses, fights, and battles. It shows that Ancient Greeks were very imaginative and creative. There were three main archetypes that were used in Homer’s epic ,The Odyssey, which show different aspects of Ancient Greek culture. Those three archetypes were: the hero/father figure archetype, the monster archetypes, and the search for love. The hero archetype explained the Ancient Greeks’ love for thrill and adventure; Odysseus went on many thrilling adventures while on his journey. The monster archetypes represented the Greeks’ love of horror; Odysseus’ men have died due to the monsters and creatures. There were also love stories that show the Greeks’ passionate and emotional

The character archetype, the creature of nightmare, is showcased numerous times between both novels, The Odyssey and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, respectively. Polyphemus, the cyclops and giant son of Poseidon, which is featured in the ninth chapter of Homer’s, The Odyessey, and the giant squid, featured in the eighteenth chapter of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, are just two examples of the character archetype, the creature of nightmare.

A trip to hell is not unique to Homer’s The Odyssey, but rather this journey is found as an archetype in multiple cultures. If you look at any story from any culture, there is always a low point or valley in the story where a hero must dive into the unknown to prove themselves as a hero. This also serves as a stage to show the hero their own mortality and enhance their bravery. What results is that they emerge from the hardships as a brave and justified hero. There is no place that maintains these circumstances of death and decay better than the underworld. Additionally, what makes the hero a hero is the fact that he or she has gone to the place of no return for most people, and has come back after conquering some form of evil. This gives the

    Most people think of a hero as a strong, superior, good-looking person that could never make a mistake. However, in a story called The Odyssey, a connection to real life reveals imperfections to be common in heroes. Each person has their low points and highlights, regardless of their “rank”. The author and epic poet, Homer, exemplifies our main character, Odysseus, to take on this idea of a hero throughout his writing. The time period took place in Ancient Greece, allowing Greek culture to relate to the poem. Different aspects of such culture and history may have influenced the works and creativity of Homer as well. A major point includes The Trojan War because it focuses in on Odysseus’ journey to bring Helen back home by devising a plan to destroy warriors in the city. Acknowledge this factor when reading The Odyssey, for not only evidence of heroism, but also other major points of archetypes, in which the device reflects the insights of readers in modern time and what is seen from Ancient Greek culture.

The Odyssey by Homer, is a epic based off the actions, travels, adventures, and heroic episodes of a greek by the name of Odysseus. Throughout the story, Odysseus’ travels take him to new places on new adventures with no insight on what could happen next. Odysseus refers to himself, and is referred to a number of times, as a hero. Throughout the time of book 9 to book 12, there are many scenes throughout the story that portray the qualities Odysseus possesses that lead him to be given the heroic title. On the contrary, there are numerous occasions where Odysseus does things that might not be expected of someone seen as heroic. One of the first things that stood out to me starting in book 9, was Odysseus’ pride for his native land and where he comes from. Here, Odysseus states, “Nothing is sweeter than your own country” (Book 9, Line 37). This quotes shows how Odysseus is prideful of his home, Ithaca, and believes it to be the “sweetest sight” (Book 9, Line 31). Another scene that represents Odysseus’ heroic qualities is when Odysseus and his crew were being held by the cyclops, Polyphemus, and he comes up with an escape plan. During this, Odysseus states, “And I bade my comrades cast lots among them, which of them should have the hardihood with me to lift the stake and grind it into his eye when sweetsleep should come upon him.” (Book 9, Lines 328-329). To me, this portrays Odysseus as a quick thinker and a problem solver. In this situation, the problem was that him and

Ancient Greece was full of mystery. They told of mystical, almost supernatural, heroes and monsters. One such story was told of a warrior named Odysseus. A king who ruled over the kingdom of Ithaca, but sadly left for war, leaving both his family, and his kingdom. Fighting for almost a decade, Odysseus set off on a long journey towards home. Through thick and thin, and through all of the bloodshed and fighting, he finally has a happy ending at home. At what cost though? His men, his ship, himself? Odysseus was put into the category of a hero, one of the many archetypes modern readers use to identify main characters and all other concepts in literature.   All heroes experience the fright and thrill of adventure in

An archetype is a model or ideal example in which other things are patterned. There are many archetypes that could represent many characters; but for my character, Haley Kincain, the caregiver archetype represents her the best. Haley represents a caregiver due to constantly caring for her father and his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, along with helping her friends with problems like divorce and bullying. I found her to be pragmatic, considerate and patient throughout the book.

The Odyssey by Homer is an epic poem that tells the story of the archetypal hero Odysseus. Archetypes are universal symbols; therefore, readers can see their features throughout literature. An archetypal hero is courageous and saves the day. They typically are very smart and creative. A few examples of archetypal heroes are Odysseus, Queen Penelope, and Circe.

In the book, The Odyssey of Homer, translated by Richmond Lattimore, the relationships Odysseus has with Circe, Kalypso, and Penelope all share a very different type of love. The weakest relationship Odysseus has is with Circe, her love is of respect and infatuation. Then, Kalypso’s love towards Odysseus, a bit stronger than Circe’s is full of selfishness and desperation. Lastly, Penelope’s love is enduring and hopeful for Odysseus making their relationship the strongest. The relationships Odysseus has with Circe, Kalypso, and Penelope share a type of love, the contrast is the different strength of love each woman gives to Odysseus.

Odysseus is classified as an epic hero in the “ Odyssey.” In the story Odysseus wanders around the ocean and islands in search for his solution to get back home safely. Although he wanders for twenty years without his family, just crew members, he possess characteristics of being a brave warrior, a loyal husband, and a creative mind tricking person.

Odysseus frequently displays hubris as a result of his tremendous courage and justifiable pride throughout books 9-12 of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, although this flaw reveals that even heroes can have imperfections. For instance, concealing his identity is key to Odysseus defeating the Cyclops, however his arrogance leads him to reveal himself as a “raider of cities” (9.561), demonstrating his desire to be recognized for his destructive power. Furthermore, even though he only flatters himself, Odysseus successfully motivates his men in the face of yet another threat, by boasting that his “tactics saved [them] all” (12.230), as if his actions alone rescued the rest of his crewmates. Odysseus’ crew admires him for his fearlessness, and they

Character archetypes play a part in the epic by moving the story along. They all help to assist Odysseus by giving him guidance, never leaving him, and by providing a reason to come home.

Along my journey as a ninth-grade student attending Capo Valley High School, I have learned many things about myself. The Odyssey, ¨This is Your Life (and How You Tell It),¨ ¨Ithaca,¨ The Hero Cycle, and the concept of archetypes has helped me create a clearer image of myself and taught me lessons to help ensure a healthy future. To begin with, The Odyssey, by Homer has taught me to never give up on someone or something in my life. Odysseus “‘Twenty years gone, and here I've come again to my own land… I killed the suitors to the last man!