Palamedes Treachery

The Odyssey by Homer is a great text that manipulates the skill of storytelling bringing out the meaning of being human, the spiritual and physical homecoming. It is an archetypal epic expedition essential for understanding ourselves and other modern texts following the same pattern. The text brings out the ancient Greek beliefs and customs that are essential in studying Western Literature through the evaluation of different characters, and the themes manifested are essential in establishing a good foundation for any literature student. The themes therein such as leadership skills, folly, retaliation, mythology, death, ogres, temptation seduction, deceit, and warfare make the text an essential student companion in the quest of comprehending literature.

The Underworld—an ultimate challenge, facing the darkest parts of human nature or dealing with death

In the works of Greek and Roman literature many aspects of their writings are similar. For example, in both Greek and Roman literature universality is stressed which means that we are only moved by the fall of the heroes in their plays because we can relate to their situations and project ourselves into similar circumstances. I believe that is completely true, only through the fall of our heroes we see ourselves in the characters. Before their downfalls, we don’t see us in them because they seem basically perfect. Since none of us are perfect it is only when they make mistakes leading to their downfall we see that the heroes are like us.

One is a story of revenge and murder, the other a story of greed and materialism. On the surface, the short stories appear quite different, but at their heart, a similar drive beats within the three main characters, determining their actions and altering the pathways of their lives. “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allen Poe is a story of the proud Montresor, obsessed with getting revenge on the foolish Fortunato. “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant, is a story of a beautiful woman who felt she belonged to an upper class but was forced to live a banal, ordinary life. While the plots of these two short stories are different, the central characters all share the overarching quality of an obsessive pride— hubris. This hubris comes in many

Say “Greek Tragedy” to an English major and you’re likely to elicit a groan, or even perhaps a screech of terror. For me however, Greek tragedy, as well as Greek mythology, has always fascinated me. When I was younger, the Greek God’s always captured my interest, and I could never get enough of them. As I grew older, I became interested in the more refined aspects that Greek literature had to offer. Sophocles and The Three Theban Plays in particular, left me awestruck. I quickly began to realize that many of the new and inventive books and movies I had seen, had actually been written in one form or another, generations ago.

Starting with setting, mythological stories often occur in historical time periods. Alongside remote and mysterious, the historical setting aids the believability of the story. When a work of fiction takes place in a time period that does not match the reader’s,

     A comparison between Virgil's hero, Aeneas, and the Homeric heroes, Achilles and Odysseus, brings up the question concerning the relevance of the difference between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas. The differences in the poets' concerns are explained by the fact that Virgil lived many years after Homer, giving Virgil the advantage of a more developed literary and philosophical society than Homer had at his disposal. But the question remains: how are the differences between the Homeric heroes and Aeneas relevant to the epic at large? This question will be answered by first pointing out the differences between Greek and Roman society, then explaining

Homer wrote The Odyssey centuries ago at the 8th Century BCE, yet many themes found are like modern literature. An example of literature of today's time is J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Harry Potter goes through difficult tasks to defeat the Dark Lord, Voldemort. Odysseus is sailing from the battle of Troy back to his home, Ithaca. Poseidon, the God of the sea, curses Odysseus for being too arrogant to teach a lesson about being humble. In both books, Harry Potter and Odysseus go through a series of events for the greater good of society. Harry Potter and Odysseus face similar journeys when going to the magical world, facing trials, and their return to the normal world.

Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey follows Odysseus on his long journey home. The Epic also includes the stories of Odysseus’ family left behind: the travels of his son, Telemachus, and how plenty, of what we would now call “home wreckers”, suitors pressured his wife, Penelope, into marrying one of them. The characters are beautifully crafted and the story is truly epic. All the elements presented can bring in any reader from any century, the Cyclops, the Gods, the trickery of Penelope, and the disguises of Odysseus, are all legendary literary hooks . There are many things to learn—about writing, about the world around us, the world ahead of us, and the past behind us—from The Odyssey. (26) It is undeniably evident that this ancient text has

Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, stars Odysseus, who goes on an unfortunate journey after the Trojan War, to reclaim his kingdom in Ithaca. Odysseus is a courageous, intelligent being who serves as an example of todays, modern heroes. Harry Potter, created by J.K. Rowling, is a modern heroic character who shares some of the same qualities as Odysseus. Both epic heroes possess great power and strength, care for the ones they love, and, at one point, require assistance in order to achieve their goals, but Harry Potter serves as a better epic hero, because of his kindness and modesty, compared to Odysseus’ hubris.

The stories told in the Iliad and Odyssey are based on stories handed down over several generations, for they preserve (as we have seen) memories of an already quiet far distant past. The two pomes show clear connection in their language and style, in the manner in which their incidents presented, and in the combination of agreement with level, which distinguish their creation.

Some of the greatest writers of all time actually found the start of their best ideas and works from other artists. William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, for example, used the same archetype that the Greek writer Ovid used in his short story, “Pyramus and Thisbe.” In each story, two star-crossed lovers meet against the will of their parents, which soon leads to the pair’s demise. However, more than just the archetypical plot is shared between these two masterpieces. The tragedies of Romeo and Juliet and “Pyramus and Thisbe” both have their own representations of lack of communication, misinterpretation, and impassable obstacles for crucial information.

The ancient Greeks and Romans contributed to western civilization in many different forms of literature and architecture. Both of these cultures produced a variety of literary works which are still studied today. One of the biggest contributions to literature was from the author known as Homer. Homer was known for two of ancient Greece’s most epic poems, The lliad and The Odyssey. Both of these poems have had a profound impact on western literature and continue to influence teachers and authors today. “The lliad and The Odyssey have provided not only seeds but fertilizer for almost all the other arts and sciences in

Historians use literary techniques and even poetic devices to craft historiographies that are compelling for readers. For example, a historian may construct a plot or narrative based on a series of events or on biographical data. A fiction author likewise relies on historical events and biographical data to construct plots: a process White calls "emplotment," (1714). Emplotment is basically the "encodation of facts," (White 1714). The storyteller is a historian, for no fiction is created out of thin air. Likewise, the historian is a storyteller, for readers of history require a

Through the late 1700s and early 1800s, the period of Romanticism blossomed. “Romanticism” very loosely describes the era in which modern culture began to take shape. During the Romantic era, many advancements were made in all aspects of people’s lives and cultures. One aspect in particular has held great value even to this day. That aspect being the expansive amount of literature created during the era. The era of Romanticism had its name for a reason. It can be greatly attributed to the romantic style or genre of literature that defined the period. Romantic writers wove many tales of admiration, longing, and aspirations. They were fantastical, in a sense, and almost the antithesis of realism, even. Amidst the great breadth of literature