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 …show more content…
He welcomed the dangers that lay in wait. ‘The more, the better,’ he thought ‘Where there’s danger. There’s glory. Why I shall be disappointed if I am not attacked’(Evslin 156). Theseus wants to take risks, and so he is using the habits of mind taking responsible risk from the habits of mind. Theseus ventures out even though he might put himself in danger. Taking responsible risk means that he wants to do things that might be dangerous but is worth it. Theseus wants to venture out to find his father, even though he is going to danger himself.
Although many people are faced with life threatening problems, Odysseus will always try his best to get him out of a situation, by creating imagining, and innovating. The cyclops captures Odysseus and his men and was going to eat them. But luckily, Odysseus had a plan to escape from the cyclops by making the cyclops drunk. So later on Odysseus obtains some wine from his ship and says to the cyclops “Cyclops, try some wine. Here’s liquor to wash down your scrape of men”(Homer 9. 904). He wants to trick the cyclops into getting intoxicated so they could escape and return to his land. Odysseus was using something from the habits of mind and that is creating, imagining and innovating. Odysseus is smart to trick the cyclops and escape. He knew that if the cyclops was intoxicated the cyclops would not pay attention to Odysseus and his men, and they could escape. Using
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.
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
Many years after the end of the Trojan War, Odysseus still hasn’t returned home to Ithaka. Many believe that he is dead, but the author lets us know that he is being held as a sex captive on the goddess Kalypso’s island. Kalypso has no plans of letting him go to return home either.
When Odysseus becomes trapped in the Cyclops, Polyphemus’s, cave, he realizes that now is the time to use his strategy rather than strength. It all starts with his ‘libations’ to the Cyclops. Odysseus consistently gives Polyphemus wine “to top off the banquet of human flesh [he has] bolted down!” which is the crew members that Cyclops has eaten ( 9. 222). The most crucial part of Odysseus’s plan is when he tells Polyphemus his name is “Nobody- so my mother and father call me” (9. 223). This particular name that he tells Cyclops helps him escape the other cyclops on the island. Once they stab Polyphemus’s eye with a burning hot stick, the other cyclops wake up to ask him if anyone else is in there with him. Polyphemus, thinking that Odysseus’s name is actually ‘Nobody’, tells them that ‘Nobody’ is in there with him, While escaping death from the cyclops, Odysseus also blinds the cyclops, and saves the rest of his crew. Odysseus chose to use his strategy in place of trying to use his strength which would not have helped him escape. In this situation, strength is no use, seeing as the cyclops is ten times as strong as him.
The Cyclops is obviously pleased with the spoken words and gestures, and as a result, he gives in to his greed as he takes the wine. Odysseus's confidence in his own ability was the first step towards his success with the Cyclops. However, he has to take it a step further in order to make a successful get-away. Once again, a demonstration of his sharp intellect shows how Odysseus is smarter and more cunning than the average human. A quote that demonstrates his intelligence is,
Gorgeous women, vengeful gods, helpful gods, numerous riches, ugly monsters, and a hero with his crew. The Odyssey of Homer, translated by Allen Mandelbaum, tells of the hero Odysseus' journey home from Troy. At his home in Ithaca, Odysseus' estate and wife, Penelope, have being overtaken by suitors. Odysseus' son, Telemachus, begins a journey to discover news of his father. After being away from home for numerous years, Odysseus' main goal is to reach home and regain his wife and estate. Along the way Odysseus learns many lessons about life as he grows from an immature lout to a humble, mature man.
“Circe – how could any man in his right mind endure the taste of food and drink before he’d freed his comrades-in-arms and looked them in the eyes? If you, you really want me to eat and drink, set them free, all my beloved comrades – let me feast my eyes.”- Odysseus (P. 242, L. 421.) He proved to Circe the goddess, that he was a noble and selfless (at this moment) and by convincing her to let his men be released displayed shrewdness. He displays patience while he makes his plans, therefore making his move at the right time. “ Here Cyclops, try this wine- to top off the banquet of human flesh you’ve bolted down! Judge for your self what stock our ship had stored…”- Odysseus (P. 222, L. 388) Odysseus is planning to get the Cyclops drunk so he will stop eating all of his men. His quick thinking saved all of his companions from cretin death. Odysseus is the type of leader who maintains loyalty to his men, when they are in danger his careful planning and cunning end up saving them from destruction. Even though by the end of the book there are no men left to return there are many examples of Odysseus’ cleverness which preserved the lives of the men for another day of the journey.
Throughout the battle and the journey back to Ithaca, Odysseus faces many complications, and he is able to apply his bravery and intelligence to overcome the obstacles. To survive the deadly situations he comes across, he has to devise many solutions for the achievement of his goals and escape death. For instance, he faces a life-threatening obstacle during the Trojan War. The severity of the situation triggers him to come up with a strategy of the Trojan horse that allows him to succeed in the situation: “…they decided to resort to a trick thought of by Odysseus..." (12. 218). Another serious instance where he demonstrates his diligence during the journey was when he was trapped Cyclops' cave together with him men. His intelligence was revealed as he applied his leadership skills to unite the men to fight the common enemy by reminding them of how they had triumphed before by working together as a unit. To plan for a safe escape, he made a strategic more. "Friends, we're hardly strangers at meeting danger and this danger is no worse than what we faced when cyclops penned us up in his vaulted cave with crushing force! But even from there my courage, my presence of mind and tactics saved us all" (12. 226-230). This trick was influential in helping them reach the green island quickly and safely. The ability to plan
Odysseus goes through many troubles because he puts an immense amount of confidence in his strength. Bravery is not exhibited by constantly diving into battle; rather, it is the courage to fight in the necessary battles. Odysseus is unable to see when he should back down and instead views everything as a challenge. Whenever there is a possible battle on the horizon, Odysseus marches ahead and fights, whether it is necessary or not. He says, “Much have I suffered, labored long and hard by now / in the waves and wars. Add this to the total--bring the trial on!” (5.245-247). He is proclaiming that he has fought and suffered for a prolonged amount of time; nevertheless, he asks for more trials and hardships. Now, he is no longer being brave and is simply being foolish. For example, he puts himself in harm’s way again as he chooses to explore a cave belonging to a Cyclops named Polyphemus. Once more Odysseus’s bravery and courage do him wrong as he says, “But I would not give way-- / and how much better it would have been-- / not till I saw him, saw the gifts he’d give” (9.256-258). He reiterates that his actions and thirst for adventure may be harmful to him; yet, he reveals that he must see the treasures that the Cyclops has to offer. Knowing the catastrophic nature of this journey, Odysseus bravely goes into the cave. Although Odysseus emerges relatively unscathed, he loses six men to the Cyclops and the remainder of his crew is frightened. Odysseus’s brave and courageous nature save his life numerable times; nonetheless, his need to put himself in dangerous situations is the reason he must face so many life and death situations in the first
Odysseus might’ve been a very strong mortal, but throughout the story he learns that cunning overpowers physical strength. In some parts of the story Odysseus knew that with his strength, he wouldn’t be able to defeat the obstacles by with his physical strength so he used his cunning powers and outsmarted his opponent. Just like in the passage The Cyclops, Odysseus states, “Cyclops, try some wine, there is some liquor to wash down your scraps of men,” (Line 296-297.) That explains that Odysseus knew that he couldn't out strengthen the cyclops with his physical strength, so what he did was that he gave the cyclops some wine to get Polyphemus drunk and stabbed his eye so then Polyphemus wouldn’t be able to see and they could escape with the sheep with no problem. Also in the story, The Challenge, the narrator says, “Penelope says she will marry the man who can string Odysseus’ bow… the suitors try and fail.
“There is something in the human spirit that will survive and prevail, there is a tiny and brilliant light burning in the heart of man that will not go out no matter how dark the world becomes.” The Odyssey and The Long Walk both exemplify the characteristic of humanity which Leo Tolstoy was referring to within this quote. The main characters of both works, Odysseus and Slavomir, go on journeys that, while physically challenging, tests the strength of their will. The determination and the overwhelming desire to return home of both men is what drives these characters to overcome immeasurable odds. Multiple parallels can be drawn between the two books, from the obstacles the characters face to the symbolism that can be found in Slavomir’s and Odysseus’s journeys. The Long Walk shows how Grecian Epics, such as The Odyssey, are still applicable in the modern day as representations of Humanities’ predominant and all-consuming desire to survive, and the specific desire to not only survive but to do so in the place one calls home.
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
Ten years after the fall of Troy, the victorious Greek hero Odysseus has still not returned to his native land Ithaca. A band of rowdy suitors, believing Odysseus to be dead, has overrun his palace, courting his faithful—though weakening—wife Penelope, and going through his stock for food. With permission from Zeus, the goddess Athena, Odysseus' greatest immortal ally, appears in disguise and urges Odysseus' son Telemachus to seek news of his father at Pylos and Sparta. However, the suitors, led by Antinous, plan to ambush him upon return.
The Odyssey by Homer and the Old Testaments: King James Version are two of the most read and most sophisticated pieces of literature that have transcended through generations. While they share similar qualities; both greatly differ as well, especially when it comes to the women characters. Classical historian and professor of classical studies at Wellesley College, Mary Lefkowitz, makes a significant contrast between these two famous writings. She believes that a major difference between the women of each story differ dramatically when it comes to their personality and actions. “[Although] the notion... that a man should be active and aggressive, a women passive and subjected to the control of the men in her family, are expressed in virtually every Greek myth, even the ones in which the women seek to gain control over their own live.…[so] that it is possible to show that the Greeks at least attributed to women a capacity for understanding that we do not alway find in the other great mythological tradition that has influenced Western thought, namely, the Old and New Testaments." (Women in Greek Myth, Mary Lefkowitz). I completely agree with Lefkowitz statement on these characters, it’s very clear that most of the women in the Old Testament are very flat while the Odyssey is full of well rounded characters especially when it comes to Jacob’s wife Rachel and Odysseus 's wife Penelope.
When Odysseus arrives at the island of the Cyclops, his first mistake occurs when he decides that he and men should stay in the cave and meet Polyphemus, even when his men advised him to take the goods and leave (IX.215-217). At this instance, Odysseus’s decision is influenced by his ego. He sees all the goods in the cave and the reason he stays is because he hopes that the Cyclops would give him a gift of hospitality. This is interesting because Odysseus does not know whether the Cyclops is civilized or a brute; however, Odysseus goes forward with his plan because he believes the Cyclops will listen to him since the gods are on his side. In this instance, Odysseus is calling himself powerful because he has the support of the gods especially Zeus, when he threatens the Cyclops that “Zeus avenges strangers and suppliants” (IX. 262). If his ego was not already high, Odysseus boosts it even more when he believes that he has outsmarted the Cyclops by not falling into the trap of telling the location of his ships (IX.273-277). At this point, Odysseus