The Odyssey is an epic poem envisioned centuries ago by an individual name Homer. The poem tells a tale concerning a Trojan War hero named Odysseus who after ten years has still not returned home to Ithaca. A large mob of suitors overrun Odysseus’ palace and pillage his land, as well as court his wife the wise Penelope. His return home is dire in order to vanquish these suitors and reclaim his land and position as king. Along his journey home he is captured and imprisoned by a witch/nymph named Calypso who is possessed by love for him. Odysseus longs to return home yet has neither a ship nor crew to assist him in escaping. On Mount Olympus, Zeus sends Hermes to rescue Odysseus from Calypso. Hermes persuades Calypso to let Odysseus build a …show more content…
The value of hospitality manifest’s within the Odyssey due to the fact that traveling in the Hellenistic age was much more extensive and lengthier than in modern times. The less advanced methods of transportation (by foot or by boat) were much slower than in today’s society. Also, there were obviously no hotels around. Because of this, travelers had to rely on the hospitality of others for shelter, food, and protection. Hospitality is important because it forms the moral and ethical constitution for most people. In the Odyssey Odysseus is affected by hospitality throughout his travels. For example, the Phaeacians welcome Odysseus with open arms, providing him with not only food and a place to lay his head, but also a ship with a crew to get home. Another central core value that is expressed in the Odyssey is loyalty. Odysseus’ devotion to his family, his country, and his god is unwavering. Along his journey, Odysseus is presented with the opportunity to be unfaithful to his wife, renounce his country, and ignore his beliefs. Even though he sometimes falters and some of his decisions have negative consequences, his allegiance, love for his wife, and desire to return home never declines. Lastly, I believe one of the most prevalent core values in the Odyssey is perseverance. Despite the many obstacles and challenges Odysseus faces, Odysseus never gives up. For example, when Odysseus does not know how to escape the Cyclops, he makes a noble attempt to survive by riding under the bellies of sheep. Odysseus’ perseverance pays off though, when he returns home and reclaims his position as
The Homeric scene of hospitality described in the encounter of Odysseus and the Cyclops has the same elements of what we see in the other hospitality scenes, however, there is a change in the form and content. As Reece points out,
The Odyssey is an epic about Ancient Greek culture written by Homer. This is one of the two major Greek poems. Odysseus is on a long journey back to Ithaca after the fall of Troy. The most valued life traits in an Ancient Greek culture is respect. Odysseus helps portray this by worshiping gods through the epic.
The Odyssey is an epic poem attributed to the now-famous Greek poet, Homer, written approximately in the early sixth century B.C.E. The poem shares the tale of the wily adventuring solider, Odysseus', return from the Trojan war to his wife and home in Ithaca. The poem details his misadventures, the efforts of his son, Telemachus, to find him, and revenge on his wife's suitors. While many themes run through this poem, the most prevalent is that of hospitality. The Host-Guest relationship is significant in the Odyssey as it acts as one of the main thematic devices used by Homer and examples of good hospitality versus bad hospitality and their results serve as the main plot elements throughout the tale.
“The world is full of wonders, but nothing is more wonderful than man.” This quote shows that the Greeks valued themselves, but also their intellect in which they know that the world about them is great. The Greeks valued beauty, art, intellect, honor, and truth; the list is long. Some of these values are shown through the story of the Odyssey, which tells of the adventures of Odysseus and his family. In order to understand Greek values and how they are portrayed in Greek society, one must examine how some values are portrayed in the Odyssey: hospitality, intellect, and beauty.
Throughout Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus the main character in the story is tested with the true meaning of hospitality. In the heroic age, hospitality was viewed as punishment or acceptance of a stranger. While Odysseus longed for his return to home, he faced the two different kinds of hospitality offered within the heroic age. My theory is that Odysseus was provided with good hospitality when he would enter a town that allowed him to eat at their table, bathed within their baths, and sleep within their homes. The townspeople and their king often provided superior hospitality for strangers without questioning them first. It's thought that maybe the wonderful hospitality was provided in return of viewing the stranger as a
Throughout The Odyssey, there are many different themes that are extremely significant. The reader seems to learn about each character through specific themes that pertain to that character’s journey throughout the story. Hospitality is one of the strongest and most prevalent themes that Homer portrays in The Odyssey. Homer includes both positive and negative interpretations of hospitality in The Odyssey and gives many examples of how each one can shape characters, storylines, and outcomes.
The Odyssey by Homer has many themes that are important throughout its books, although hospitality is one to not forget. “Hospitality is our motto!” is what Scott Humphrey, one of the Bar J Wranglers, said when he hired me to work at the Bar J Chuckwagon for the summer. The hospitality found in The Odyssey holds true to our everyday lives as it did to the Greeks around 800 B.C.E. The greeting to a guest is very similar, the feast is eaten, and the new found friend is sent on his merry way. The greeting to a newcomer is crucial.
The Odyssey is an epic poem about a man named Odysseus who is trying to get home from battling in the Trojan War 10 years ago. On his way home, he battles mythical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods. Meanwhile, in Ithaca, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus try and outsmart suitors who want Penelope's hand in marriage. Eventually, Odysseus gets home and fights off the suitors and his family lives happily ever after. Throughout the journey, Odysseus experiences a lot of different kinds of hospitality. Odysseus experiences good hospitality with Nausicaa, but he had some bad hospitality with the Cyclopes. Odysseus showed hospitality as well when he brought food and wine to the Cyclopes.
In Homer’s The Odyssey, hospitality is presented as a pretense for a host to garner information or a story from their guest. A good host is introduced as one who seemingly selflessly offers their home, food, and ear to the guest, asking for nothing tangible in return. However, guests are expected to respond to such a hospitable reception by being civilized, not over extending their welcome, and supplying their host with their due fare: information. Throughout The Odyssey, and specifically in Book 1: Athena Inspires the Prince, these qualities of an amicable hospitable exchange, the consequences if it does not go smoothly, and the façade of hospitality as a ruse to acquire information become apparent.
I love going to hotels and getting to take home all the little shampoo bottles! Don't you? This is one-way hotels make you feel welcome! This act is called hospitality! Greek religion is a huge part of the Odyssey written by Robert Fitzgerald. In Greek religion, when the king has a visitor he is to feed him food and wine, and give him gifts. Hospitality is a main part of the Greek culture as it is in many.
The exaltation of hospitality is shown throughout the story of The Odyssey by the way that the characters deify the act of hospitality. This is exhibited when Odysseus, the hero of the story, uses gods to defend his crew when they make themselves welcome
Guests, on the other hand, were expected to be polite, attentive, and grateful for what they received. Throughout Odysseus’ travels, we saw that not every host he encountered treated him with the same generosity. While he did get lucky with hosts such as Alcinous and Aeolus, some hosts he did not get as lucky with like the Cyclops, Circe, and Calypso. Regardless of whether or not the hosts followed their expected behavior, Odysseus did an honorable thing by consistently meeting expectations placed upon him as a guest. Even more so, Odysseus does all this while portraying himself as a different person with each encounter.
Throughout The Odyssey, we are given scenarios in which hospitality, both on the part of the guest and the host, plays a key role in the events that emerge immediately afterward. We the readers soon come to learn that a good or bad act of hospitality can often alter the outcome of events that transpire, in either a good or bad way. When comparing and contrasting different occasions of hospitality throughout The Odyssey, the importance of this theme will be better interpreted and understood. It is important to understand that hospitality in The Odyssey is different than any present definition or custom we know today. In today’s society, hospitality is thought of as, to treat guest in a warm, friendly generous way, to entertain a couple of friends and to host some parties.
The final aspect of positive hospitality that is shown in the Odyssey, is by Eumaus, the old swineherd of Odysseus. Eumaus uses his very appropriate upbringing (he was kidnapped royalty) in order to provide help to Odysseys (in disguise as a beggar) all the help and wealth he can afford to share, in his meager setting. Odysseus used
Odyssey a long series of wanderings filled with notable experience and hardships, or in other words the journey of life. Homer's The Odyssey is an epic poem telling of one man's journey. Odysseus, the chosen traveler of this Odyssey, represents the will and perseverance of all humanity. Odysseus' journey symbolizes the true toils of mankind's development through, agility, doubt, and faith.