Who Is Helen In The Odyssey

Homer is a legendary writer who is foreshadowed by many other writers in his work. While most agree with and follow in Homers footsteps, there are also those who deliberately see and do things in a dissimilar way. This can be presented by the use of the character, Helen, in the Odyssey and in Sappho’s Fragment 16. Homer and Sappho use Helen in their stories in conflicting ways to differentiate epic and lyric poetry while also expressing different ideas and perspectives.

The epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, is about a character named Odysseus and his journey from the Trojan War back to Ithaca. Odysseus showed what type of man he was within his choices. His choices displayed traits such as, wisdom, loyalty, and leadership.

Not much is known about Homer, but according to Shelmerdine (2007), “Some scholars believe that Homer lived on the island of Khios or that he may have lived in a Greek city near the Aegean Sea. Homer is said to be the son of Epikaste and Telemuchus. According to www.classicalwisdom.com (2013) “Due to some parts in the Odyssey some scholars concluded that Homer may have been a young Sicilian woman” (p.2). Some scholars believe that “Homer” was a name given to many different poets who wrote The Iliad and the Odyssey. According to www.sacklunch.net (n.d) , “One thing that is certain about homer is that he lived considerably before the year 776 B.C” (p.1). According to www.ancientgreece.com (2012), “Before Homer wrote epic poems, he made his living as a court singer and a storyteller” (p.1). Homer was said to be blind because “Homer” was slang for a blind man in Ancient Greece. According to Www.ancientgreece.com (2012) “The Greek alphabet was also introduced around the 8th century so Homer must have been among the first rhapsodies that were literate (p.1).

Helen of Sparta’s portrayals in many different accounts of mythology and history are extremely dissimilar. Helen was said to be the daughter of Zeus and Leda (Queen of Sparta), and was the wife of Menelaus, king of Sparta. Helen was abducted by Paris of Troy and when Menelaus came to retrieve Helen, the Trojan war began. In “The Odyssey”, Helen is shown as living happily with Menelaus after he brought her back from Sparta. She is portrayed as an intelligent person who sees things for what they truly are, but is mostly reserved to wifely duties. In “Trojan Women” by Euripides, Helen is shown as a person who was used by the gods as a reward for Paris with nothing else in mind. However, she fights vehemently for her own innocence in the

In the Odyssey, Odysseus and Telemachus each have a journey of their own, which in turn makes up a double plot in the epic. Odysseus’s plot has many more struggles and is the central role that creates the actual story in the whole novel. To many, the act of Odysseus moving across the sea in search of his own solutions to his issues is just a quest that is constantly being blocked by various obstacles. In all reality, with the help of the sea being a very important symbol, the journey turns Odysseus into a dynamic character as he proceeds through his travels. It is easily seen that in the beginning of his journey, starting when he and his crew landed on Polyhemus’ island, he is portrayed as a rash, egotistical young

In The Odyssey by Homer, the development of Odysseus’s characterization through the course of the epic portrays the hero’s journey structure. The hero’s journey chiefly consists of the departure, trials, and the homecoming; the hero matures with the successful completion of each stage. Therefore, Odysseus’s character transformation as a hero metaphorically conveys his progress in the hero’s journey. In the beginning of the epic, Odysseus is like any other young, inexperienced hero with excessive pride in his raw strength. As he truly begins his journey into the unknown (departure), he learns that his character flaws threaten his objective. Up until his encounter with the Cyclops, Odysseus was accustomed to winning with his physical might (Trojan War). However, when his strength could do him no good while trapped in a cave with a beast, he was forced to think beyond killing and combat; ultimately he met success by using his mind, something he had never done before. Yet, still an immature hero, Odysseus brooded over his success and taunted the beast as he left the island. In response, the “blind thing

In The Odyssey, many major events and relationships occur in Odysseus’ life. Odysseus is an epic hero in the epic poem The Odyssey, which details his dangerous travels from Troy back to his kingdom in Ithaca. Throughout his journeys, Odysseus demonstrates characteristics of leadership and bravery. There are many important relationships Odysseus has to reveal these traits. Relationships such as his bond with the goddess Athena and his son Telemachus. There are many events where Odysseus’ characteristics and relationships are helpful.

The Odyssey, is a series of books about the epic journey of the hero Odysseus, the legendary king of Ithaca. Throughout the book Homer tries to establish theme by showing things may not appear as they seem and that many actions have its consequence. Odysseus barely came out alive with Scylla because of her appearance and his crew died due to their excessive pride. Homer uses figurative language, such as similes and repetition, to develop theme.

A name does not define who you were, who you are, or who you will become. It is just a sounds others use to get your attention. Some of these “sounds” have a famous (or infamous) history that make the name difficult to live up to or break away from. In the case of Helen of Omeros, the narrator is constantly trying to fit her into the box created the legacy of Helen of Tory/Odyssey. However, Helen of Omeros’ strong will and personality and overall uniqueness is still able to shine through, despite the narrator’s biases, and we are able to see the individual differences between the two women and their connection to the evolution of Helen throughout history.

The Odyssey, in essence, is a tale of Journeying. After Odysseus has endured countless near death experiences, he lands in the land of the Phoenicians. We follow Odysseus and his crew as he recounts his laborious journey from war and violence, to home; his wife and son. We are forced to understand the importance of each of Odysseus’s trials, from the battle with the Ciconians, to the underworld, to his seven year stay with the witch-goddess, Circe, and finally to match his own wife’s suitors at his home in Ithaca. Odysseus’ wanderings are equally as important as the stops between. The relevance and importance of Odysseus’ courage and cunning in each of his trials and journeys

Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, tells the story of the famous Greek hero Odysseus. Odysseus was a leader and a great fighter in the Trojan War. But, he had many challenging trials before returning home to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus. Both the movie and the book had many adventures and showed an insight on Odysseus’ character.

The major theme found in this story is hospitality. Many characters in the story show an abundance of it. The main character in The Voyage of Odysseus is Odysseus. As you progress in reading the story you will see what Odysseus and his crew have to embody during the voyage into the Trojan war. He has to figure out ways to overcome these obstacles that come at him and how to deal with them in a suitable way.

Literature almost always portrays a hero as one who makes a life-threatening journey for a specific goal. The Odyssey is essentially one long and detailed journey. The epic follows a hero, Odysseus, and his journey home from war. Additionally, the book details Odysseus and the effects that him being gone for so long has on his family. The Odyssey gives two examples of different types of journeys. Odysseus finds himself in a physical journey as he takes years to get home. Likewise, Odysseus also takes a mental journey during this time to try to find himself and what he believes. Penelope and Telemachus strive for the homecoming of Odysseus. They have proven that they will do anything for his return. When Odysseus returns home, he has defeated physical challenges and has become a better person mentally and emotionally.

Homer, traditionally represented as a blind singer, a poet, who roamed the Mediterranean world by declaiming his poems, is the most ancient Greek writer whose work has come down to us. He is considered the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, founding poems of ancient Greek literature. Its existence was surrounded by legends from the 6th century BC

In the Iliad, the humans are at the mercy of the Gods, meaning that whatever the Gods want to happen will happen regardless of the humans. The Greek Gods in The Iliad are split amongst themselves, with Zeus being the only God who is not on a definite side. It is commonly noted that the mortals in the Iliad are serving more as a pawn piece on a chess board controlled by the Gods. The Gods seemingly use the mortals to settle their own disputes. The Trojan war, which the Iliad is based on, is said to have started from Paris declaring that Aphrodite is the prettiest of the goddesses. Aphrodite in turn, awarded Paris, Helen of Troy, who was married to Menelaus. Menelaus then asked for help from the Greeks, and ignited the Trojan war. In book 1, it is mentioned that “and when he(the old man) had gone some distance the priest prayed to Lord Apollo, son of Silken-Haired Leto: