Examples Of Ptsd In The Odyssey

Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and the main character in homer’s The Odyssey, was gone for twenty years before finally returning to his family and his homeland. He struggled through many hardships and lost many loyal companions. The King of Ithaca would not have made it home without the assistance of the Greek gods. Despite all of the help and advice that Odysseus receives from the gods, he is a very brave man because his courage and daring in the cave of the Cyclops, his inability to give up and abandon his men on Circe’s island, and his flawless following of the gods instructions are acts of bravery that is uncommon in most men.

“My mind is on fire as I fear that any second, another enemy round will rip into my body and finish me off” (Johnson 2). Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) effects the lives of many soldiers after returning home from war. PTSD is a psychiatric condition described in the DSM-IV as, a condition that requires a specific event to have occurred as a criterion for the diagnosis. The criteria for this disorder, according to the book Combat Trauma, can include flashbacks, times where you feel as if you are reliving the traumatic event, shame or guilt, upsetting dreams about the traumatic event, trying to avoid thinking or talking about the traumatic event, feeling emotionally numb or not feeling at all, anger or irritability, poor or destructive relationships, self-destructive behavior, trouble sleeping, memory problems, hallucinations, not enjoying activities you one enjoyed and feeling as if you no longer know who is living your day-to-day life.

In the Odyssey, Odysseus is quite the legend known to people, whether you are high up in the sky with Zeus, or deep in the ocean with Poseidon, everyone knows Odysseus. In the epic poem, the Odyssey told by the one and only Homer, the brave, the godlike human, Odysseus is finding his way home after the big battle victory against the Trojans. This story is about his travels home and how he got caught up in other business. Let’s just say he stabbed Poseidon’s son, had his crew turned into pigs, faced a six-headed monster and whirlpool, and that is to say the least. He may as well be on America’s most wanted list with all the trouble he was causing. Even though Odysseus is a troublemaker, he has multiple great characteristics of a leader. Odysseus, when it comes to his crew and family, is confident, compassionate, wise, and always knows a way to get out of any problem.

In The Odyssey, Odysseus sails from his home island of Ithaca, Greece, to Troy. (modern day Turkey) His army and him defeat Troy with a tactful strategy, then leave for home. On the voyage home, Odysseus makes many mistakes like conceitedly setting up camp in a cyclops cave, sending his men to meet the Lotus Eaters, and disappointing the gods by stealing food from the land of the Cicones. But Odysseus makes up for his mistakes by saving his men from Circe. He also sacrifices his

Odysseus is not a hero because he constantly puts his men in danger and makes decisions without thinking. Odysseus is sailing away from Cyclops Island and he is teasing Polyphemus about escaping. The crew tries to get Odysseus to be quiet, but his ego gets in the way, and he tells Polyphemus his name; leading to Polyphemus cursing him and his men to make the journey home slow and painful. Odysseus tells the Phaeacians in his story, “So they spoke, but they could not persuade my great-hearted spirit; and I answered him again with angry heart: “‘Cyclops, if any one of mortal men shall ask thee about the shameful blinding of thine eye, say that Odysseus, the sacker of cities, blinded it, even the son of Laertes, whose home is in Ithaca’””(Homer.9.500-506). Odysseus comments that his crew tried to calm him down and get him to stop talking, but he

This gives him the title as chosen one. His intention was to get home to Ithaca but he remarks with over prideful insults towards the gods. This low point results in punishment from the gods to face some of the worlds monsters. Through it all, he receives aid from those who think he can amount to more. He receives news of home from his grieving mother, and his prophecy from Tiresias. “For not to everyone will gods appear.” (pg.294) The only reason why Odysseus was able to survive through the quests was because Athena’s fondness for him. She covers him with a disguise when he finally returns home so that he may win his last battle. His restoration came with absence of pride and ego from all the horrors he has perceived. Although he had to fix his character, Odysseus is still known as a hero not only because of his cleverness but also how he fixed his

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

“A favorable wind brought us from the land of Troy to the land of the ciconians in Ismarus. Needing Provisions we destroyed the city and killed all the men. Page 34” This shows the complete savagery that Odysseus has and the lack of care for other people 's lives. He slaughters a whole city with his men only leaving woman and children with very little food as you can see here “They drank and slaughtered many sheep and cattle for a great feast. Page 34” This shows that they did not need this food for their journey, but wanted it so that they could satisfy their need for greater things. A feast is not something that you have when in short supply of food. This is why I believe that Odysseus is not a true hero. Not only for the all out slaughter, but also allowing for the rest of the people to eventually starve because of the actions of his men who he controls.

The Return of Veterans Veterans go through many traumatic events in wars and when they get back home some have PTSD. PTSD stands for post traumatic stress disorder. When veterans come home some can’t find jobs. Some veterans stay in “combat mode” and act out violently, some can’t find jobs, and some can’t leave their homes because they are afraid of crowds. Odysseus can’t transition right away back to civil life because he is still in “combat mode”.

Since 2013 there have been approximately 1,500 acts of mass gun violence in The United States, of those 1,500 almost 300 have taken place in or around a school. In five years there are around 1,800 days. That makes for a shooting every twelve days. Sometimes people can look at these statistics and brush them off like they were nothing. As humans, we are more likely to focus on the facts that make our hearts warm and fuzzy, not those that make us sad and distraught.

When they landed on the island of Hyperion, bad winds prevented them from leaving. Food soon became low, and when Odysseus was asleep, the crew killed the cows of Hyperion against the god's warnings. Hyperion was enraged to see this and had all of Odysseus' men killed in a great storm. After the storm all Odysseus had left was his own strength and the favor of Athena. Odysseus learned that the gods must be respected in order for any man to succeed.

In the past, veterans who disclosed suffering from signs of PTSD encountered a great deal of ignorance and bias. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (n.d.), veterans who had the illness were often considered weak, were rejected by comrades, and even faced discharge from military service. In fact, even physicians and mental health specialists often questioned the existence of the disease, which of course led to society’s misconception of PTSD in general. Sadly because of this existing prejudice it appears even today soldiers are still worried to admit having PTSD symptoms, and therefore they do not receive the proper support they need. While individuals are assured that their careers will not be affected, and seeking help is encouraged, most soldiers see it as a failure to admit having a mental health illness (Zoroya, 2013). Educating military personal of this illness, and making sure no blame is put on the veterans who encounter this disease is therefore vital.

When leaving troy, Odysseus and his men first lands in Ismaros where the resident natives called the kikonians lives. Odysseus and his men battle them and plunder them as soon as they step foot on the island. The Ithakans thought they had beaten the kikonians but they thought wrong. The Kikonians had retaliated dramatically though. Odysseus told his men to fall back before things really get out of hand. His men did not pay him any mind; they wanted to fight this battle till the end. Odysseus not thinking things through at the time did not know what he was getting his men into. Things started to clear up when he realized he was losing a lot of his men due to this irrelevant battle.

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

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.