The Odyssey : The Archetypes Of The Odyssey

In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus is an archetypal hero. An archetypal hero is a courageous figure, the one who's always running in and saving the day (Mrs.Ward). In the Odyssey, Odysseus is called king, master, champion, and lord. He is also a hero because he defeated the large and powerful city of Troy. When he arrived to see Circe, Circe said " What champion, of what country, can you be?...." (Applebee et al. 920). This quote proves that Odysseus is a champion because Circe approaches him as a champion. As a result of his victory, he is now recognized everywhere as the conqueror of Troy.

Ancient Greeks’ history consisted of monsters, creatures, gods, goddesses, fights, and battles. It shows that Ancient Greeks were very imaginative and creative. There were three main archetypes that were used in Homer’s epic ,The Odyssey, which show different aspects of Ancient Greek culture. Those three archetypes were: the hero/father figure archetype, the monster archetypes, and the search for love. The hero archetype explained the Ancient Greeks’ love for thrill and adventure; Odysseus went on many thrilling adventures while on his journey. The monster archetypes represented the Greeks’ love of horror; Odysseus’ men have died due to the monsters and creatures. There were also love stories that show the Greeks’ passionate and emotional

One strong archetype in the Odyssey is the hero archetype. “The archetype of heroism allows an individual to serve as the primary example of what society deems as valuable and moral.”(Harris 2) Ancient Greek civilizations valued strength, loyalty, wisdom, and ingenuity. This is made known to the reader because the hero Odysseus has all of these traits. Odysseus used his knowledge, strength, and ingenuity to his advantage in everything he did.Another example of the hero archetype in the Odyssey is “nine days I drifted in open sea.”(Homer 989) Odysseus was able to survive nine days with no food,most humans can survive for five to seven days without food or water. He was also able to hang from a tree for a full

A trip to hell is not unique to Homer’s The Odyssey, but rather this journey is found as an archetype in multiple cultures. If you look at any story from any culture, there is always a low point or valley in the story where a hero must dive into the unknown to prove themselves as a hero. This also serves as a stage to show the hero their own mortality and enhance their bravery. What results is that they emerge from the hardships as a brave and justified hero. There is no place that maintains these circumstances of death and decay better than the underworld. Additionally, what makes the hero a hero is the fact that he or she has gone to the place of no return for most people, and has come back after conquering some form of evil. This gives the

Among the plethora of archetypes that present themselves in Homer’s The Odyssey and the film O Brother, Where Art Thou? is the character of the Blind Prophet. This character is an older man who has the gift of foresight, yet lacks the gift of physical sight. In the ancient epic poem, the hero Odysseus travels to the Underworld during his time on Circe’s isle to consult the blind seer Tiresias. In the film, Ulysses Everett and his hunting group of companions encounter a nameless blind soothsayer upon the railroad tracks after they first escape incarceration.Tiresias warns Odysseus of the trials ahead on his journey, including the Sirens and the monstrous Scylla, giving advice on how to best surpass them. The film’s blind seer describes a “long

    Most people think of a hero as a strong, superior, good-looking person that could never make a mistake. However, in a story called The Odyssey, a connection to real life reveals imperfections to be common in heroes. Each person has their low points and highlights, regardless of their “rank”. The author and epic poet, Homer, exemplifies our main character, Odysseus, to take on this idea of a hero throughout his writing. The time period took place in Ancient Greece, allowing Greek culture to relate to the poem. Different aspects of such culture and history may have influenced the works and creativity of Homer as well. A major point includes The Trojan War because it focuses in on Odysseus’ journey to bring Helen back home by devising a plan to destroy warriors in the city. Acknowledge this factor when reading The Odyssey, for not only evidence of heroism, but also other major points of archetypes, in which the device reflects the insights of readers in modern time and what is seen from Ancient Greek culture.

Ancient Greece was full of mystery. They told of mystical, almost supernatural, heroes and monsters. One such story was told of a warrior named Odysseus. A king who ruled over the kingdom of Ithaca, but sadly left for war, leaving both his family, and his kingdom. Fighting for almost a decade, Odysseus set off on a long journey towards home. Through thick and thin, and through all of the bloodshed and fighting, he finally has a happy ending at home. At what cost though? His men, his ship, himself? Odysseus was put into the category of a hero, one of the many archetypes modern readers use to identify main characters and all other concepts in literature.   All heroes experience the fright and thrill of adventure in

Who exactly was Odyssey? Odyssey was an epic hero, although he had good qualities he also had many flaws that led him and his men into trouble. Odyssey is also considered to be an archetype, why is he thought to be this? Well in this essay I will give examples of how he is an epic hero, what his good and bad qualities are, and why he is considered to be an archetype.

To summarize book five of The Odyssey, all of the gods met to decide Odysseus’s fortune, and Athena persuaded Zeus to intervene. Zeus sent Hermes to Calypso’s island to tell her to let Odysseus return home. Calypso agrees with the request from Zeus to let Odysseus go, and she helps him build a new boat. Also, she provided him with food for his journey home. When Odysseus sailed off the island, Poseidon spotted him.

Although The Odyssey is a poem about Odysseus’ trek home after The Trojan War, gender roles are an important part of the story and female archetypes that are still used today. The five main female characters who fit into these archetypes are Penelope, Athena, Calypso, Scylla, and Charybdis. Each of these women fit into the archetypes of the maiden, the temptress, the monster or villian, and the nurturer. Greek philosopher Aristotle believed that “the male is by nature superior and the female inferior, the male ruler and the female subject” which seemed to reflect the Greek society’s thoughts at the time. In ancient Greece, women had little to no rights and lived in a patriarchal society.

Gregg Easterbrook once said, “heroic people take risks to themselves to help others. There's nothing heroic about accepting five million dollars to go out and run around chasing a ball, although you may show fortitude or those other qualities while you do it.” Being a hero is about displaying valued qualities of a role model and making a difference that has a lasting outcome upon others. In Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey,” the theme of the heroic quest is shown as Odysseus makes his way back to Ithaca facing the endless struggles presented to him. The myth utilizes character archetypes to highlight a hero’s journey. The character archetypes outline a model for all other pieces afterward; defining the patterns in the quest these characters

Archetypes in Ancient Greek Culture     Archetypes are found in several genres of literature. From adventurous heroes who save the world to terrifying monsters who bash out brains, common patterns are found in many stories. Archetypes are a broad range of subjects used to compare patterns of behavior. Readers can compare their everyday lives to archetypes they encounter in literature. The use of archetypes in The Odyssey help modern readers understand Ancient Greek culture.

The Odyssey, a ten year long epic journey consisting of love, war, and despair; the odyssey dives into human tragedy that no man would ever want to experience. This is a reason why the odyssey is so significant in today 's literature. The Odyssey occurred ancient Greece times. The odysseys genre is an adventure but has aspects of all other genres. This essay be explaining the archetypes in the odyssey that are most relevant in the Odyssey. This essay will be going into full detail on these three archetypes the hero, villain/monster, and the damsel in distress. I chose these three archetypes because I recognized them the most while we were reading the Odyssey.

The Odyssey is full of heroic, trustworthy, and loyal characteristics. The Odyssey is best known for its Greek hero, Odysseus. The Odyssey is an Ancient Greek epic by Homer. It was written in the eighth century. It is the second of the two epic poems written by Homer, The Iliad being the first.

In the epic poem and the biblical narrative, the “Odyssey” written by Homer and the “In the Beginning” which is by Moses, they face a similar obstacle. In both of these stories, they face a task of temptation. They must not give in to it, but if they do, they are given consequences. However, when they get their consequence, it somehow ends up helping them with their journey.