Essay about Literary Analysis of "The Odyssey"

Brains over brawn, who will win this battle?Homer's tale of Odysseus' adventures in “The Odyssey” show that being intelligent and cunning can be far better than having physical strength. Being physically strong certainly has its advantages, but not in all circumstances. Strength in intelligence shows new meaning of strength. Odysseus is amused with himself when he defeats Polyphemus. His great skills with a bow outweigh the others abilities. Knowledge of the placement of his bed win his beloveds heart.

Homer's great literary classic, The Odyssey, represents and illustrates many emotional and mental values. All of these values can be classified under three different main themes that are constant throughout the epic tale. These themes are: A boy's struggle to be a man, a king's struggle to reclaim his kingdom, and a man's struggle to return home. As one reads this book it will become more and more evident to them that a man's struggle to get home is the most important theme throughout Homer's adventure.

The concept of guest hospitality is extremely important in ancient Greece. Hospitality, or Xenia, is so essential in Greek society that Zeus, in addition to being the king of the Gods, is also the God of travelers (Wikipedia). This created an obligation for the host to be hospitable to their guests, and conversely, the guests had their own responsibilities as well. If either the host or the guest was to break any rule set by Xenia, there would be severe penalties dealt by Zeus and also by society (Wikipedia). In The Odyssey, Xenia is a theme which is shown repeatedly throughout the book: Nestor and Menelaos take in Telemakhos warmly as a guest and Eumaios plays an excellent host to Odysseus, while Odysseus is disguised as a wandering

Homer values the characteristic of hospitality because the characters who do not demonstrate this characteristic typically suffer fatal or near-fatal injuries. In the Odyssey, Penelope (Odysseus’ wife) was hosting an event to make one of the suitors (potential marriage partners) her new husband because she had given up hope that Odysseus would not return home. The men who were at her house would just eat and drink, and showed no hospitality (21.70-78). In the Odyssey, Odysseus had attended this event disguised, and became aware of Penelope’s discourteous guests. Odysseus then goes on a “rampage” and slaughters all of the guests except for a few men who Telemachus (Odysseus’ son) swore their loyalty (22.16-529). Additionally, in chapter 21, Antinoös was the first to be killed because of his abrupt and rude manners, and distinctly

One example of kindness is when the doctor helped Elie with his infected swollen foot. Elie got sent to the hospital by of the gestapo's because he saw his foot that was swollen so he sent Elie to get cured. “The operation lasted an hour. They had not put me to sleep.

The Odyssey is a story made up of stories. Because there is very little action that happens in the present, the presence of storytelling within the Odyssey is something that characterizes it and makes it unique. The spreading of stories serve to form legends and myths that can have the effect of shaping a culture. In addition, since stories were such an important aspect of entertainment in Greek culture, stories also shape the audience, either by entertaining them or creating feelings of sympathy in them. The function of storytelling in the Odyssey, is to evoke emotions and leave powerful, lasting impressions on the audience. However, the stories that are told

The Odyssey is an epic poem attributed to the now-famous Greek poet, Homer, written approximately in the early sixth century B.C.E. The poem shares the tale of the wily adventuring solider, Odysseus', return from the Trojan war to his wife and home in Ithaca. The poem details his misadventures, the efforts of his son, Telemachus, to find him, and revenge on his wife's suitors. While many themes run through this poem, the most prevalent is that of hospitality. The Host-Guest relationship is significant in the Odyssey as it acts as one of the main thematic devices used by Homer and examples of good hospitality versus bad hospitality and their results serve as the main plot elements throughout the tale.

The Odyssey is filled with emotion and adventure. Homer’s ability to show and give the reader a visual of each and every scene gives the story its unbelievable significance. To all the people who read his work there is something to be captured within every sentence, each one different in its own, unique way. Through tales of courage and defeat, friendship and love this book tells of all the values within the life of a single, solitary man, and his journey to attain what is true and dear to him. And this journey is known to all of us as The Odyssey. The Odyssey is a test of human devotion and trust through the gods, the mortals, and the obstacles through which they venture. No matter where they go or what they do, humans are tested for

An example of a lack of hospitality was when Odysseus and his men came upon the Kyklopes’, and the one-eyed monsters treated them terribly. On first sight they tried to kill Odysseus and all his men.

Finally, perhaps the most vital and well-known aspect of Greek culture is its religious beliefs and ideologies. Deeply pious in the gods, the Greeks believed the Zeus guarded the world with other Olympian gods, and these higher beings determined each individual’s future. Fate and destiny were believed in, and sacrifices were constantly committed in order to please the gods and gain their favor. Prayers to the gods for aid and help were common. Prophecies were numerous, although accurate ones were rare. And of course, the Greeks believed in the Underworld, a dreadful land with Hades as its ruler. “The Odyssey”, being in a Greek lifestyle, is naturally filled with references to these religious beliefs and thoughts. Odysseus and his companions often made sacrifices to the gods. He visits the Underworld to speak with the blind prophet Tiresias who accurately predicts Odysseus’s travels. Because of the prophet’s words, Odysseus is able to make his journey safely.

Hospitality is the idea that no one is unwelcome in your home; everyone is treated like an honored guest. In the Iliad, written by Homer, this practice is extremely important in the culture present, as it a reoccurring idea throughout the books. The characters in the Iliad are split between the Greeks and the Trojans, excluding the gods, all with their own separate interpersonal conflicts, all of which are greatly affected by hospitality. Hospitality in The Iliad is an important theme, whose importance is shown through the situations it shifts along with its affects on character development, that is either respected or ignored, both with dramatically different results.

Xenia is the ancient Greek concept of hospitality, the generosity shown to those who are far from home. Xenia is an important theme in the Odyssey – it is shown in the numerous characters, whether royal or monstrous, that Telemachus and Odysseus encounter, and could be shown as willingly given and wanted hospitality, unwanted/overwhelming, or unwillingly given; these encounters can also show lack of hospitality. This essay will discuss what xenia was to the ancient Greeks, and how this virtue was portrayed in the Odyssey.

Odysseus invited himself to an open feast of the king and elders in Phaeacia where he begged Arete for mercy. Odysseus was observed by the feasters lying at Arete's feet begging for rapid voyage home along with praying that the God's give good fortune to the feasters. Echeneus, the eldest Lord in Phaeacia responded by stating,

The next day Alcinous also ordered a feast and an athletic contest to be held in honor of the stranger. If Odysseus did not receive the courtesy that the people of Scheria showed to him while he was at Scheria, there would have been a good chance for him not being able to make it back to his family and kingdom.

The life of a God, forever bliss, complete happiness: Odysseus slights all of these things in order for him to return to his loving wife and son. The concept of true commitment was a very commendable quality for a Greek hero to possess. With this character trait, Odysseus models the ideal husband, father, and leader. Unfortunately, in today’s society, one rarely encounters such outstanding morality. Being raised in an explicit society, a decrease in certain morals has become fashionable. In particular, the college experience has become accepted as the “wild times” of one’s life. Certain activities ordinarily shunned are now perceived as a learning experience when involving a college student. Drugs and alcohol abuse are commonplace around