Odyssey Hero's Journey Essay

The Odyssey English Final Essay The story of Homer's the Odyssey is and is not a heroic story; Odysseus is a hero because of his return; however it is also not a heroic journey because he cheated on his wife and the lack of a treasure One of the reason that the Odyssey is considered a heroic journey is because of Odysseus return from his long journey. When Odysseus returns, the workers are overjoyed and wake up Penelope saying, "Wake up, Penelope, my dear child, so you can see for yourself with your own eyes what you've been wanting each and every day. Odysseus has arrived" (Homer, Book 23, line 70).

Around the 1200 B.C., Odysseus was sailing the Mediterranean Sea for the purpose of reaching home. In his long narrative poem, The Odyssey, Homer conveys how Odysseus desperately wishes to go home to Ithaca. However, he faces brutal treatment and obstacles from several different antagonists, and more obstacles appear when he reaches home. Odysseus came across many external conflicts, which he dealt with intelligence, determination, and loyalty.

Some of the obstacles included the Lotus-Eaters, Cyclops, Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis. In many ways these creatures and temptations represent all obstacles that get in the way of goals. They are the classic feat that the protagonist, Odysseus, must overcome to get to his goal, home. One of the most fearsome, brutish obstacles was Polyphemus, the Cyclops. Polyphemus ends up destroying a large portion of Odysseus's crew as described in lines 746-752. 'Neither reply nor pity came from him, but in one stride he clutched at my companions and caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out, spattering the floor. Then he dismembered them and made his meal…'; This descriptive brutality shows you just how much a gigantic, intimidating obstacle Polyphemus was. Another one of these obstacles was Scylla. Scylla's attack was described in lines 1338-1343. ' Then Scylla made her strike, whisking six of my best men from the ship. I happened to glance aft at ship and oarsmen and caught sight of their arms and legs dangling high overhead.'; This is yet another grim reminder of just how determined Odysseus is to get to his home and family.

Watching a film, one can easily recognize plot, theme, characterization, etc., but not many realize what basic principle lies behind nearly every story conceived: the hero’s journey. This concept allows for a comprehensive, logical flow throughout a movie. Once the hero’s journey is thoroughly understood, anyone can pick out the elements in nearly every piece. The hero’s journey follows a simple outline. First the hero in question must have a disadvantaged childhood. Next the hero will find a mentor who wisely lays out his/her prophecy. Third the hero will go on a journey, either literal or figurative, to find him/herself. On this journey the hero will be discouraged and nearly quit his/her quest. Finally, the

A hero isn’t shaped by his strengths but by the values he possesses. Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, reveals the moral and ethical constitution of the ancient Greeks. Over time, certain cultures have grown to value a number of human characteristics. Those who acquire such values become respected heroes. After the fall of Troy, the protagonist of the epic, Odysseus, set sail for his home, Ithaca, where his faithful wife and son were waiting for him. Over the course of his journey, Odysseus faced some of the most ferocious opponents known to the Greeks. Even through this formidable journey, Odysseus and his family have stayed true to the diverse aspects of the ancient Greeks. The Odyssey exemplifies the human ideals of hospitality, loyalty and

Heroes, as shown in literature, often undertake the most difficult tasks and place themselves in mortal danger in order to bring back, for themselves and their societies, both knowledge and treasure. Their stories follow “Hero Journey.” The Odyssey, as the epic story of the hero Odysseus, follows closely the complete cycle of a Hero Journey, both as a physical and as a psychological undertaking. The Hero Journey, used as a framework for both Odysseus’ physical and mental journeys, serves to bind the two together. Each of Odysseus’s physical difficulties can be viewed as a metaphor for a psychological hardship that he must overcome, and by overcoming these hardships, Odysseus matures—achieving a more complete understanding of himself and

In The Odyssey, the Greek hero Odysseus must make it back to his home in Ithaca after the battle of Troy. Along his journey, he encounters obstacles that require the upmost perseverance and willpower to survive. Some of these obstacles include a giant cyclops who wants to eat him, lotus-eating peoples that drug his crew, violent storms that

In the Epic, “The Odyssey", spoken by Homer, conveys a heroic tale of an epic hero named, Odysseus, who faces many challenges as he sails to get home. One of the tasks Odysseus faces is, "The Sirens", who challenge Odysseus 's will power. Another challenge Odysseus encounters is, “The Cyclops", who torments and slaughters some of Odysseus 's men due to his curiosity. One of the hardest threats he had to confront was, “The Land of Dead" which tested his self-restraint, and revealed his human weaknesses of sorrow. The Epic Hero, Odysseus, struggles with many challenges such as, the taunting Sirens, the brutish and cruel Cyclops, and one of the arduous territories Odysseus has ever crossed, The Land of the Dead.

The monsters of Homer’s The Odyssey as written by Robert Fitzgerald all share traits in common, but there is always the small differences which make each close encounter more gripping than the last. When the not-so-glorious Odysseus, son of Laertes just manages to elude the cannibalistic clutches of the blinded Kyklops (IX) and takes to the high seas, he becomes arrogant and taunts his nemesis. He does not realize this, but the very words he uttered then sets the holy executioner upon the necks of his crew. Every island he passes or makes port at, his men become feasts for native monsters; however upon the beautiful island of Aiolia his men are not eaten, nor do they die at the hands of any mortal or immortal foe. What is so significant

Odysseus must journey from Troy to his homeland of Ithaca. Throughout this journey Odysseus experiences a lot of inconsistent emotions. A lot of this is attributed to the physical and mental hell he goes through on this remarkable

While they got ready for the next attack, Colonel Graff and the international military are training with the young mind to find the next Mazer. Then Ender Wiggin was recruited to join the elite. When Ender arrived at Battleschool, he quickly and easily mastered the difficult challenges and simulations. When Ender was soon promoted to Command School he was trained by Mazer Rackham to lead his fellow soldiers in a battle. And that would determine the future of Earth and save the human race. Then the plotline of The Odyssey is ten year after the fall of Troy, the Greek Hero Odysseus still hasn’t returned home to his native Ithaca. A group of rowdy suiters believed that he was dead, and they wanted to overrun his palace. They were also going to court Odysseus’s lovely wife Penelope. When Telemachus tracks Odysseus trail through stories from his old comrades in arms, Athena plans to release Odysseus from the island of the goddess Calypso. Odysseus was her prisoner for the last eight years. Then Odysseus set sail but then got caught by the sea god Poseidon, then he came across the Cyclops Polyphemus, who conjures up a storm. Then with Athena’s help they reached the Phaeacians. Their princess, Nausicaa, opens her palace up to let them stay there. They also came across a man-eating Laestrygonian. They met the goddess Circe, who tricked Odysseus men and turned them into pigs. They also came across the dangerous Sirens, they also navigating through the sea monster Scylla and the whirlpools of Charybdis. Then at sea, Zeus punished everyone and killed everyone but Odysseus. Then Odysseus reached Calypso’s Island. When Odysseus got home he had a bow and he shot the suitors, then Antinous revealed Odysseus. Finally Odysseus and Penelope lovingly

The Hero’s Journey is never an easy one. This particular journey, as detailed in Homer’s The Odyssey, is one of struggle, loss, heartache, pain, growth and triumph. It is comprised of many steps that Odysseus has to overcome and battle through in order to achieve his final goal of reaching his home and his loved ones. From the Call to Adventure to the Freedom or Gift of living, Odysseus conquered them all. The story begins in the middle of the story, as many of the oral Greek traditions did, with the Journey of Telemachus to find his father. Although Telemachus has not yet met his father, it is almost as if they are journeying together, where the end of both of their journeys results in being reunited. Telemachus journeys from being a

leave Ithaca cannot be simply based on a whim: he is a young king with

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

As Telemachus tracks Odysseus' trail through stories from his old Comrades- in- arm, Athena arranges for the release of Odysseus from the Island of the beautiful goddess Calypso, whose prisoner and lover he has been for the last seven years. Odysseus sets sail on a makeshift raft, but the sea god Poseidon, whose wrath Odysseus incurred earlier in his adventure by blinding Poseidon's son, the Cyclops Polyphemus, conjures up a storm. With Athena's help Odysseus reaches the Phaeacians. Their princess, Nausicaa, who has a crush on the handsome warrior, opens the palace to the stranger. Odysseus withholds his identity for as long as he can until finally, at the Phaeacians' request, he tells the story of his adventures.