The last part of the hero’s journey is the return. In the Odyssey the return is when Odysseus gets to reveal who he really is to his wife and father. Penelope did not want to believe the man before her was really Odysseus.
Odysseus in The Odyssey Odysseus is the main character in an epic poem called the Odyssey. In the poem Odysseus has had some bad luck getting home, with some of the gods helping him and some hindering him; his journey towards home is a constant struggle. In this poem we
In the “Odyssey”, Odysseus goes through obstacles throughout the book that a normal man couldn’t subside. One example is in book 9, his main obstacle that he is trying to face is to escape from being held hostage in a cave by a Cyclops better known as Polyphemus. Odysseus is a archetypal hero, he is also a role model, with an ambition to get to his homeland Ithaca. He goes through resisting temptation and using his intellect and physical strength to get him there, no matter the obstacle nor the negative flaws that he faces. Odysseus put himself and his men in that situation by being curious and wanting to know what kind of land his ship and the winds led him to. This was selfish of him because it cost him some of his men, but a leader and hero has to play that role and some lives will be dealt with on the way. Odysseus says, “The rest of you will stay here while I go with my ship and crew on reconnaissance. I want to find out what those men are like, Wild savages with no sense of right or wrong Or hospitable folk who fear the gods” (Homer 429). Saying this quote alone makes Odysseus a humble man due to the fact that not even a piece of land is going to slow him down on his journey back home.
In the poem it reads, “The crew reminded me of home. . . . The gosses [said] ‘You will never see you're home again . . . by sailing there directly. You must detour to the land of Death, there to consult the blind prophet’” (Homer 10). A trait of a Epic hero is that they always strive to complete their goals no matter what situation is put in front of them. When Odysseus is traveling home, more and more obstacles attempt to divert his path. However, Odysseus never stops his quest to return to his home and reunite with his son and his wife. Since Odysseus has such an extensive amount of resilience, he fits his hero
Character Foils for Odysseus Throughout the epic Homeric poem, The Odyssey of Homer, Odysseus is a hero known for his cunningness, vigilance, and overall attainment of homecoming. Odysseus’ journey home is one of many mental and physical tests that which involve numerous encounters with others whose characters are in opposition
The ancient hero Odysseus of the epic The Odyssey possesses numerous notable heroic traits, many of which have influenced the modern perspective of a hero in literature, real life, or otherwise. For instance, he demonstrates paragon amounts of loyalty throughout his return voyage to Ithaca, along with leadership, courage,
Home is a place of comfort, clarity, and relaxation. In The Odyssey, Odysseus uses a reverse metaphor in order to prove that one is truly at home in the presence of family and loved ones. When separated from this amenity, the emotional toll can cause a change of identity. In this particular passage, Odysseus morphs into the image of a distraught woman. This dramatic change represents the effect of Odysseus’ lack of contentment within his body and soul while away from home, which is represented by his wife, Penelope.
After being away for twenty years, Odysseus is surprised by the fact that his wife questions his actual identity even saying to her, “ Who would keep aloof as you do from her husband if he returned to her from years of trouble,...”(23.374-6). His intention of exposing the wrong in her thinking shows his ignorance to how much he has actually changed over the years. Many soldiers experience the same thoughts and such realizations usually come from their loved ones. It is not until they say like Penelope, “ Strange man, if man you are...I know so well how you- how he- appeared boarding the ship for Troy”(23.381-4), does a soldier gone for many years see how much they have changed and how little their closest companions know of them now that they only have memories. This expression of the hardship for both Odysseus and Penelope shows the struggle of others and themselves finding out about their new personality. This can lead to comfort knowing that warriors back then have gone through the same changes in personality as soldiers today because of the events of
Thesis statement: Throughout Odysseus long journey home to Ithaca, he faces numerous challenges, which he overcomes, giving him qualities of an epic hero.
Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey follows Odysseus on his long journey home. The Epic also includes the stories of Odysseus’ family left behind: the travels of his son, Telemachus, and how plenty, of what we would now call “home wreckers”, suitors pressured his wife, Penelope, into marrying one of them. The characters are beautifully crafted and the story is truly epic. All the elements presented can bring in any reader from any century, the Cyclops, the Gods, the trickery of Penelope, and the disguises of Odysseus, are all legendary literary hooks . There are many things to learn—about writing, about the world around us, the world ahead of us, and the past behind us—from The Odyssey. (26) It is undeniably evident that this ancient text has
Reflects on the Society in Gulliver's Travels Jonathan Swift wrote Gulliver's Travels in 1762 with the intent of providing entertainment for people. Entertainment through satire was what Swift had in mind. In Gulliver's Travels, Jonathan Swift traveled to four different foreign countries, each representing a corrupt part of England. Swift criticized the corruption of such parts and focused on the government, society, science, religion and man. Not only did Swift criticize the customs of each country, he mocked the naive man who was unable to figure out the double meaning of things. When reading Gulliver's Travels, reflects upon plot, characters, settings, theme, point of view, conflicts, climax, resolution, symbolism and figurative
Lamuel Gulliver Jonathan Swift is one of the best known satirists in the history of literature. When one reads his works, especially something like Gulliver’s Travels, it is easy for one to spot the misanthropic themes, which emerge within his characterization. Lamuel Gulliver is an excellent protagonist: a keen observer, and a good representative of his native England, but one who loses faith in mankind as his story progresses. He ends up in remote areas of the world all by accidents in his voyages. In each trip, he is shipwrecked and mysteriously arrives to lands never before seen by men. This forms an interesting rhythm in the novel: as Gulliver is given more and more responsibility, he tends to be less
The only thing Odysseus truly desired for twenty years was to return home to his family. Although Odysseus was looking forward to his homecoming, when he finally arrives home he disguises as a beggar, which is an odd thing to do considering that he was already home. He disguises himself, as a beggar because he was not sure whom he could really trusts considering he has been away for twenty years. He also wanted to test all the citizens and Penelope, his wife, of her loyalty. I believe that Odysseus unconsciously knew that the notion of home that he knew before has not changed. Once he proves that he could trust his family, he is just there for one night. It seems he could never truly stay home and Poseidon’s curse is true. Also, Odysseus seems to come to realize that his true home is actually being in an adventure with his crewmen. Odysseus undergoes so much suffering such as near death experiences just to arrive home.
A Simple Life The novel, Gulliver’s Travels, is just that, a novel about the main character, Gulliver who goes on many journeys. The part of this book that brings out the reader’s interest is Gulliver’s character and the ways his character changes as the story progresses. He begins as a naïve Englishman and by the end of the book he has a strong hatred for the human race. Gulliver shows that his adventures have taught him that a simple life, one without the complexities and weaknesses of human society, may be best, but the simple life he longed for should not have been the route he took.
At first Gulliver’s travels comes off as a fantasy/adventure, but in actuality it’s a satirical commentary on society in Johnathan Swift. It starts off with Gulliver talking about himself. Later he gets shipwrecked and ends up in Lilliput, where the people are 6 inches tall. At first they think Gulliver is an enemy, but then realize he is no threat. He is taken to the palace and housed in a cursed temple. Gulliver is amazed at how silly the government’s rules are, for example to gain entry to the court the candidates must petition to the emperor. After the emperor gets 5 or 6 petitions he sets up a competition in which the candidates must do the Dance on the Rope, whoever jumps the highest without falling gets the job. The Lilliputians