The Epic Of Homer 's The Odyssey

With its larger-than-life plot twists, The Odyssey is a classic representation of an epic in literature. With that understood, it is no surprise that the main character of the story helps to define an epic hero. A character must express certain virtues to be considered such. Strength, courage, and nobility are almost prerequisites. Cleverness is an added bonus. Odysseus possesses many characteristics and virtues that make him a true representation of an epic hero.

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

One can be judged by their actions, but what truly shapes a person is their personality. Odysseus is an over-confident and ill-tempered man. On the cyclops's island, Odysseus's boasting nearly proves costly. A modest and heroic person would have had his men in mind, rather than himself, and left the island. Also, Odysseus revealing his true identity to the cyclops could very well have resulted in the death of his men. After Odysseus's boasting, Polyphemus prays to his father, "Let him lose all companions, and return / under strange sail to bitter days at home" (Homer 9. (537-8). This prophecy, of course, becomes a reality. Another sign of Odysseus's over-confidence shows while he is explaining himself to King Alcinous. In some of his first words to the king, Odysseus again boasts of his accomplishments. "Men hold me / formidable for guile in peace and war: / this fame has gone abroad to the sky's rim" (Homer 9. (127-8). Another very important fact is Odysseus's position on monogamy. Odysseus believes he's above monogamy, as he stays with many goddesses during his journeys while Penelope stays faithful at home. A hero is not a boasting, over-confident person, but someone who does their actions for no reward.

Homer’s The Odyssey is very much an epic tale of a man’s heroic quest. The protagonist, Odysseus, is a cunning, brave, strong, and tenacious character who is given the title of a hero. This “hero”, however, does not always show characteristics of a hero, which leads many to believe that Odysseus, is not a true hero after all. In fact, Odysseus cheats on his wife multiple times, is willing to sacrifice his men in order to get home, and slaughters all his maids even though he did not have to. In The Odyssey, Homer attempts to create a complex portrait of a hero, but fails at his attempt when making Odysseus unforgiving, self absorbed, and a philanderer.

Throughout the plot of The Odyssey, the main hero Odysseus encounters a few women on his journey home to Ithaca. He even had affairs with a couple of them. Despite caring about his wife as much as he does, Odysseus had succumbed to temptation more than once. There were three other main female characters that he encountered during the epic. He met Calypso, Circe, Athena and at the end he finally reunites with his wife Penelope. Odysseus has a different relationship with each woman and they each treat him differently as well.

The Odyssey is a a beautiful Epic about a man who has hope through his entire journey.When we see him on Calypso he has been to sea for a while, while he wants to go home he continues to go to her bed each night,however regrets it in the morning.One part about this journey that sticks out is why its taking so long.It wouldn't have taken this long is he didn't poke out Poseidon's son (Polyphemus) eye,which let to the Polyphemus praying that Odysseus does return home he just happens to return home alone through treacherous journey.This led to the twenty year journey.

In the classic, The Odyssey, the male and female expectations for the Greeks are mentioned. Homer and modern day people have very different opinions on what values the perfect man or woman are obliged to fulfill. Odysseus and Penelope had desirable traits and together they were the image of perfection. Today, Odysseus would have been disgraced for his values and Penelope would have been praised for her weaknesses then. Although Odysseus and Penelope were the ideal man and woman in their time, many standards have changed for the modern male and female.

The Merriam-Webster defines a hero as “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability.” Does that mean every single hero has to have great strength and have the skill and style of Superman? To try to define the word hero is useless because it can be interpreted in too many ways. Presidential candidates, philanthropists, and even religious leaders are considered heroes by many. Odysseus is seen as the first real hero put on paper and seen taking “the hero’s journey” just like the heroes we look up to in everyday life, such as Abraham Lincoln. With such a tall, lean, magnificent structure, Abraham Lincoln at 6’ 5’’ looks like a true hero, and that’s not all of it. A man not only with the perfect

Women have been portrayed in many ways throughout history. Some of those portrayals have been documented in books, art, epics, and other forms of literature. In the epic The Odyssey, by Homer, the hero Odysseus goes on a journey to get back home to Ithaca from Troy, where he was fighting in the Trojan War. The entire expedition takes about ten years, and over those years he faces many dilemmas, and meets many women who are portrayed in various different ways. An examination of The Odyssey will reveal that most women are depicted as deceiving, mischievous, rude, and often in various other negative aspects. This can be seen through the action, descriptions, and words of Circe, Penelope, and Melantho, three women in The Odyssey.

Odyssey is one of the best known ancient literature. It tells the story of a hero, Odysseus, trying to make his way back home. Despite the fact that this is ancient literature, it still corresponds with the modern society as it explores human nature. In sections five to eight, the readers find Odysseus in the island of Kalypso, a place of paradise, reassembly the Garden of Eden; the women in these sections illustrates their own wisdom and power, proving to be strong; Odysseus’s actions also justifies himself as a noble and good guy in the context of the story. However, he would be proven to be a bad guy in the modern standards.

“Death of 100 men? This is ridiculous.” Zeus stated. There were 12 gods sitting in a round table discussing about different events that occurred in the moral world.

Epic Heroes are those that portray extraordinary traits, in which of displaying honor, integrity, sacrifice for the better, and loyalty. They are considered role models in a sense, thus providing the lessons, morals, and beliefs. Whether it is judging right from wrong, accomplishing the greater good, and many others teach lifelong messages that will continue to be passed down generation after generation. The Odyssey was written by a blind poet named Homer, who was also renowned author of The Iliad. Inside the story, the literary elements of this legend had brought these types of Heroes alive, like a perfected dream becoming into a reality. They are jam-packed throughout the story, bringing the story alive through various techniques. Two specific examples are sensory imagery, and characterization, both of which are exposed the most and play the most vivacious role in Book 12 of the Odyssey: The Sirens; Scylla and Charybdis.

The Odyssey of Homer, a Homeric epic translated by Richmond Latimore, has an abundance of women, all of whom fulfill various roles within the narrative. In The Odyssey, women are portrayed as obstacles, or, more specifically, temptations that men need to surmount in order to obtain what they truly desire. As a result, women are associated with negativity in the reader’s mind; however, it is this depiction as negative temptations that grants them power within the epic. Women, such as Penelope, Circe, and Kalypso, act as catalysts who drive the Homeric tale forward.

The Odyssey, an epic poem written by Greek poet Homer, follows the story of Odysseus, a war hero and king of Ithaca, as he went on a journey to return home from Troy ten years after the Trojan War. On his journey, he was confronted by various monsters, including the one-eyed Cyclops, and faced the loss of his men and his ship. Not to mention, when he returned to his land, he also had to defeat the suitors who had overrun his home and were trying to court his wife, Penelope. Homer not only tells us the adventure of brave Odysseus, but through his story, he also tells us the four qualities that a commendable Greek must possess: hospitality, humility or absence of hubris, honor, and heroism. First, hospitality, also known as “xenia,” refers to showing generosity to guests or visitors. By treating every guest with generosity, people in ancient Greece believed they could avoid angering a god if one appeared at their door disguised as a stranger. Not doing so could result in punishment from the gods. Then, hubris refers to extreme, ignorant pride shown by an individual and is punishable by the gods. Homer emphasizes the importance of showing humility and not possessing a sense of superiority over others throughout The Odyssey. Next, honor refers to having a reputation for excellence, and it can be earned through killing others in battle, looting, or even dying. In ancient Greece, battling others was considered the duty of a soldier, and dying in battle was a glorious feat.

An epic is a long, episodic narrative poem that recounts the adventures of a historical or mystical hero. Episodic narratives have a larger story broken down into closely connected, but individual and separate sections. Some important qualities that distinguish an epic are unrealistic antagonists, the Gods and Goddesses playing important roles, and a story involving the re-establishment of a proper leader. “The Odyssey”, by Homer, is an epic because Odysseus (the hero) faces supernatural antagonists, the gods and goddesses play an important role, and Odysseus is being restored as a rightful leader.