Power In The Odyssey

he Odyssey, as written by Homer, intricately and excitingly weaves Colin Renfrew’s Subsystem Theories throughout the entire play. Many of the five subsystem theories can be seen and support understanding of the novel. Of the five systems, trade/communication, social/ political hierarchy and symbolic subsystems will be the focus of analysis in this paper. All of these subsystems come together in The Odyssey to explain the characters and their lives, and also how they fit into the society which they live in. To understand the growth and development of the characters, we must understand the systems theories, “many human actions have a meaning at several different levels, with undertones and overtones… it is the complex interconnectedness of the subsystems which gives human culture its unique potential for growth.” As this paper will demonstrate within The Odyssey, trade and communication, social and political hierarchy and lastly symbolic subsystems create adventure in Odysseus’s harrowing, yet exciting journey back to his kingdom and family. These specific subsystems add depth and excitement because we see how each specific one impacts Odysseus’s journey back home. They help us understand who Odysseus is a man and sympathize with all that he goes through. The communication subsystem helps explain how communication between people (and gods) in different lands aid to the success of his return home. We are able to see from the social subsystem how Odysseus and other men

Greek Gods are known for, helping and fighting others, but is that really true, and do we really know their stories? In the book “Theseus” by Bernard Evslin, Theseus is a young man that lives a boring life, until one day, a seagull told him that Poseidon was Theseus’s father, and he wanted to find him. Theseus overcomes various obstacles, he finally reaches Athen and finds his father king Aegeus. Later on Aegeus ask Theseus’s to go on an important journey. Meanwhile, another, epic poem is The Odyssey by Homer. After ten years of the Fall of Troy, Odysseus was disregarding to the gods, and the gods were flustered that they set Odysseus and his men off course to where the cyclops lived. But luckily, Odyssey trick the cyclops into being

During, Homer’s, The Odyssey many strengths were tested throughout the entire book. This book was a mythological Greek folk tale that was created between the eleventh and eighth century B.C, therefore it is filled with many exaggerated stories about the Gods and treacherous adventures Odysseus had ventured on. He encounters a cyclops and after battles a six-headed monster. His crew discovers their talent for making mistakes such as being turned into pigs by Circe and letting strong winds out of the bag sending them farther from home. Odysseus experiences battles with his emotional stamina as well. His depression about his travels are shown through his lamentation on Calypsos’ island and his will power to discover the loyalty of his house mates is tested by Odysseus disguising himself as a beggar in his own home. Throughout, Homer’s, The Odyssey perseverance holds significance emotionally, physically, and mentally when enduring the battles and setbacks he experiences.

Is a hero only characterized by their success? If a leader’s last actions carry them to victory, are their flaws unimportant? The Odyssey by Homer narrates the ancient myth of a leader coming home from war in Troy who faces many trials, and despite returning home alone without any of his crew, he is looked upon as a hero for having survived. His ultimately sole success continues to define him, although the bitter truth being that he was the leader of his men when they all perished. As flaws of the all-mighty Odysseus and his crew are presented through their responses to the challenges they experience on their journey, people of the modern world may begin to understand that there exist several flaws that plague all men, whether they live now or lived thousands of years ago, and whether they are leaders or followers. The Odyssey is important in its characters’ responses’ to their trials ability to evoke emotional reactions that cause the reader to ponder their own tendencies by revealing the human nature of pride to be the fuel of the impulsiveness that oscillates fate.

Homer’s “The Odyssey” takes place ten years after the events in “The Iliad”, to which the Odyssey is an indirect sequel, and the fall of Troy; even though the story is believed to have been composed some time during the eight century B.C.E. it is estimated to be set sometime between 1300 and 1000 B.C.E. in Mycenaean Greece during the Bronze age. In this novel all Greek heroes have returned home after the fall of Troy, except for Odysseus who after a three year journey has been held captive by the goddess Calypso, who has fallen in love with him, on her island, Ogygia. After the ten years have passed Odysseus is presumed dead, his wife Penelope is courted, and his estate is auctioned off by the Suitors, the young men of Ithaca who attempt to win Penelope’s favor and hand in marriage.

Thus far in The Odyssey, Homer has introduced several characters. The Gods discussed what they should do about Odysseus’ struggles as he attempts to get home to his wife and son. Athena then appears to Telemachus as Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus’. She convinces him that he should set sail in order to find out if his father is dead or alive and to take back control of his father’s kingdom from his mother, Penelope’s, suitors. Antinous, one of her suitors, then tells Telemachus of Penelope’s deception toward them. After hearing this, they exchanged more words, and then he set sail to find his father. He goes to see King Nester who remembers what it was like during the Trojan War and tells Telemachus to be strong and brave. The Gods met again and discussed Odysseus’ capture by Calypso. Zeus sent his son Hermes, the messenger of the Gods, to tell Calypso that she must release Odysseus. Calypso reacts vividly to this, stating that the gods are unfair in their treatment of gods and goddesses. Calypso then begins to speak to Odysseus. During this conversation in book 5, Homer reveals to us the importance of a person’s wit and the deception of others in order to help yourself, as well as the importance of one’s will power.

In the Odyssey, by Homer and “The Lady, of the Tiger?’ by Frank R. Stockton there are many examples of responsibilities of power. Power can be used for good or bad. In both passages, Odysseus and the king both use there The Odyssey shows many examples of power being used for good. For example, Odysseus sacrifices many things to help him and his men get back to Ithica.

Competition for beauty and other feminine qualities is not the only struggle that is presented throughout the story. One big issue the Penelope struggles for is for power and control; however, most of her life deals with a true lack of power and respect. One example of a lack of power is with the entire wedding procedure. Instead of picking someone who she would like to marry, there is a competition for her hand it marriage and she does not have any control over it at all. Ultimately, she is wedded to Odysseus and her struggle to gain power yet again continues. The next time Penelope battles for power is when she gets to the island of Ithaca where she meets Odysseus father, mother, and the woman who has taken care of Odysseys his entire life, Euryclea. Penelope and Euryclea

It can start a war or end one. Give you the strength of heroes or leave you powerless. It can be snared with a glance but no force can compel it to stay. Love. It was the downfall of Troy and the triumph of Odysseus. The dual nature of love in Greek myth as both destruction and salvation may have led to Plato’s unique conceptualization of love. In The Symposium he speaks of two Aphrodites: Common and Heavenly. The first has domain over physical attachments and is considered vulgar. The second, being divine is concerned with the soul, not the body. It is a heavenly love, a love of the mind, the spirit. It is also exclusively for same-sex partners. Although Plato’s conception of love may not have been the prevailing notion of the time, it is

Power is the definitive goal for the characters of Homer’s The Odyssey. In a society ruled by gods, relationships are influenced by a gods’ power, which also affects relationships between two mortals. This explains why the relationship between Telemachus and Athena becomes submissive opposed to the dominant and disrespectful relationship, which Telemachus has with his mother, Penelope. The difference in relationships between Telemachus and Athena to Penelope and Telemachus, in Fagles’ translation of Homer’s The Odyssey, is due to the significance of power within the poem.

As states began to expand, empires began to form and these empires effectively highlighted the power that humankind possessed at that time, and still possesses today. In this age of empires we see leaders stepping up, conquests for land, and stories of epic journeys that all display how powerful humans have become. For example, the podcast about the Lachish reliefs describes the ancient ruler of the Assyrian empire, Sennacherib, as a triumphant king. His power is shown because his empire was the largest ever at that time and it was all a result of war. Other people rose to positions of power all over the world.

Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus is described as cunning. His thoughts are always working towards the best outcome for himself and like a good chess play, he always remains one move ahead. Odysseus’ cunning can be observed through his interactions with the nymph Calypso in Book Five and the Phaeacian Princess Nausicaa in Book Six. During these interactions, Odysseus flatters the females and evokes pity for his suffering in order for the situation to work to his advantage. He is not always honest, but his command of language allows him to win people over with his lies. Odysseus wishes to get home as quickly as possible and is willing to lie and flatter to complete the journey.

In Homer’s The Odyssey, while Odysseus was away from home, there were suitors who lounged around his house and wanted Penelope’s hand in marriage. When Odysseus finally arrived home, he was outraged and eventually killed the suitors and the servants who were disloyal to Odysseus’s family. Some people might believe Odysseus was inhumane for killing the suitors, but Odysseus had a reason for everything he did. Odysseus killed the suitors and most of his servants in order to protect himself and his family, assert his title as King of Ithaka, and to enact his revenge for betrayal. This teaches us that Odysseus knew what he was doing and that he had a reason why he chose to do those actions.

In the epic, The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus proves to be a very respected and admirable leader. Before he leaves for the Trojan War, Odysseus is king of Ithaca, an island home to his dear wife and son. He is respected by his people and known for being a very powerful and intelligent man. In Troy, Odysseus leads his men to victory with his cunning and power, destroying their city. It has now been ten years since he saw his family, and returning home safely alongside his crew is his highest priority. However, he and his men are faced with trials like they have never seen, and Odysseus must take charge and command them using the skills he is most known for: his bravery, his genius, and his unwavering resolve.

The Odyssey and The Penelopiad’s storyline are both based off the same social context as Homer recorded the epic poem during Homeric society (when he was alive) however when the story was composed the literary context is completely different in comparison to Atwood, as Atwood wrote her novella - The Penelopiad, in the 21’st century and homer recorded the epic poem during 8th C BCE. The difference between each time period meant there were societal differences which had different impacts on each of the stories literary context. The odyssey is a historical epic poem that was verbally told by bards around ancient Greece and recorded by homer in 8thC BCE, following the dark ages. During this time there was no real sense of freedom or self expression and people were not very opinionated.This was because during this time, Homeric society was overruled by patriarchal views and a hierarchy within their time, meaning some people were seen as much less than others. In contrast to Margaret Atwood where her fictional Novella the Penelopiad was crafted in 2005, during a modern society where freedom of speech was more or less accepted than in Homeric society. The Odyssey has a major influence on Margaret Atwood’s novella the Penelopiad, as she based her opinions and perspective off the facts and historical content from the Odyssey. The Penelopiad’s central theme consists of the double standards that occurred against the women within the Odyssey such as the maids and Penelope. Margaret