Dogs have been considered symbols of loyalty for generations, even earning the epithet “Man’s Best Friend. ” The great amount of love and faithfulness that dogs display toward their families is so iconic that outlines of dogs have become common symbols of loyalty. In Romeo and Juliet, loyalty runs in families from the head of … Read more
Although it is clear women in Homer’s The Odyssey are hierarchically lower than men, and have to follow societal norms and the orders of men, women also have the power to disrupt and distract Odysseus’ journey home. Men have clear dominance over the lives of women throughout The Odyssey and make choices for them in … Read more
Throughout Homer’s “The Odyssey,” Odysseus’ actions and choices are the driving point of the plot. When he and his crew encounter Polyphemus the Cyclops, he tries to secure his legacy by shouting his real name, and giving other important information away. The Cyclops prays that a curse befall him and his friends and Poseidon hears … Read more
The stories of Genesis and The Odyssey would be fundamentally different without the presence of God and the gods in their respective narratives. However, how their respective presences manifest themselves are markedly different. The singular God of Genesis plays a passive role in the development of His plan for the mortal realm, acting from a … Read more
As one can surmise from the tumultuous situations he is forced into over the following years at sea, Odysseus endured great hardships all due to his hubris. His crew was decimated and he was forced to live without his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, for far longer than he ever expected. However, like Gilgamesh, Odysseus … Read more
Book 11 of Homer’s The Odyssey continues Odysseus’s tale of how he came to arrive in Scheria, with him relating his voyage to the underworld. He makes the interesting choice of cutting his narrative choice halfway through his tale in order to incite a reaction from his Phaeacian audience. Odysseus makes this interruption because he … Read more
Homer is allegedly a blind writer, who verbally dictated his poems. There is a blind bard that also appears in the Odyssey. Homer composed the Iliad and the Odyssey in 8th Century BCE, and they were changed a lot as they were passed down verbally. His poems were most famous especially because they survived the … Read more
Homer the Odyssey tells the tale of a journey of the hero Odysseus and the journey through danger, temptation, and self evaluation. The monsters of greek mythology test the heroic side of a person and that’s what they did to Odysseus. “This time his opponents are not military, instead, he encounters various monsters who try … Read more
In Greek mythology, there are many, many gods and goddesses that the people prayed to on a regular basis for everyday things we take for granted. There was usually a different deity for anything a person wanted to pray for: love, money, children, success or almost anything else one could think of or want. People … Read more
In The Odyssey, Odysseus had to face many challenges during his travels; a few of these difficulties were a cannibalistic Cyclops, huge whirlpools, determined suitors, along with many hardships. Odysseus fought constantly to return to his homeland of Ithaca, but to accomplish this Odysseus had to be clever, resourceful, and have great leadership qualities. Odysseus … Read more
The views and beliefs of societies are often portrayed in the literature, art, and cinema of a certain era. The epic poems, The Iliad and Odyssey, give scholars and historians an idea how the Ancient Greek lived their everyday lives. By reading the two “novels,” the reader is able to experience the three thousand years … Read more
Odysseus: a hero in every way. He is a real man, skilled in the sports, handy with a sword and spear, and a master of war strategy. Most of the challenges and adventures in his return voyage from Troy show us this even if we had no idea of his great heroic stature and accomplishments … Read more
The great muses are called upon by Homer to tell the great adventure of Odysseus in his travel back to his home. Prayers are given to the Greek Gods and muses by Homer in order to proceed this story. The Greeks life revolved around the gods in a matter of fashion as we presently revolve … Read more
In The Odyssey written by Homer and translated by Richard Lattimore, several themes are made evident, conceived by the nature of the time period, and customs of the Greek people. These molded and shaped the actual flow of events and outcomes of the poem. Beliefs of this characteristic were represented by the sheer reverence towards … Read more
Virgil was a creative genius from his time, but it can be understandable that many of his works may have been influenced from previous works of literacy. A comparison of Virgils, The Aeneid, and Homers, The Odyssey, will help to show the different aspects of Roman and Greek cultures. It will also help to illustrate … Read more
Women are important to the plot and overall theme of the Odyssey. In fact, without many of the women there would not be a complex plot to this epic poem. In the narrative and in Greek society women played a variety of roles, as mothers, herons, and many other strong roles yet, they were treated … Read more
How does the Ancient Greek beliefs of religion and death differ with the view of other cultural groups? Death, the way it is represented in Homer’s book, The Odyssey, is always caused by human error. Whether their death was caused by greed, selfishness, or just being curious, many people died in The Odyssey. Still, the … Read more
The Odyssey is an epic poem about a Greek warrior named Odysseus, who just finished fighting in the Trojan War. He journeys home only to find his house overtaken by suitors trying to marry his wife, and kill his son. During his journey he comes face to face with deadly creatures, and has mind-boggling experiences … Read more
In “The Odyssey”, Athene helped Odysseus numerous ways physically and mentally by aiding him, Telemachus, and Penelope. In book I, Athene urged Telemachus to give up boyhood, act like a man, present his case to search for his father to the assembly, and take stronger steps to search for his father. After Telemachus presented his … Read more
Many people regard Homers epics as war storiesstories about men; those people often overlook the important roles that women play in the Odyssey. While there are not many female characters in the Odyssey, the few that there are, play pivotal roles in the story and one can gain a lot of insight by analyzing how … Read more
At the beginning of the book Telemakhos is troubled with the suitors trying to marry his mother. He tries to keep them in line but they are rampant, especially when they’re drunk. They kill Odysseus’s herd for their own feedings and disrespect the house of Odysseus. So Telemakhos is obliged to search for his father … Read more
There are many traditions and values that the people of Ancient Greece followed very closely. These acts, such as, hospitality and respect for one’s peers are usually overlooked by gods and goddesses. The people are expected follow these traditions or they may feel wrath from a god or goddess. In the Odyssey, the tradition of … Read more
Everyone has a home. Regardless of its location, it is a place of acceptance and belonging. In a sense its where the heart is. Though in The Odyssey, the concept of home is blurry and for the most part incomplete, it is the most important thing to Odysseus, and he is willing to go through … Read more
Death and Rebirth The Odyssey, by Homer, is a classical piece of Greek literature. Throughout The Odyssey, Homer makes use of many literary techniques in order to give meaning to the poem beyond its significance as a work of historic fiction and help his readers in the comprehension of the story. One of these techniques … Read more
The Odyssey The lessons that Odysseus learns on his way home to Ithaka will allow him to get back to being a good, father, and leader of his civilization. He needs to relearn all of what he once knew as leader of Ithaka in order to safely survive there. Luckily, Odysseus has a strong will … Read more
The Odyssey: The Use Of Hubris “There is no safety in unlimited hubris” (McGeorge Bundy). The dictionary defines hubris as overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. In The Odyssey, Homer embodies hubris into the characters Odysseus, the Suitors, and the Cyclopes. Odysseus shows hubris when he is battling the Cyclopes, the Cyclopes show hubris when dealing … Read more
In book twelve of The Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, is confronted with three obstacles that he and his crew must conquer in order to get home to Ithaca. The first of the three obstacles that Odysseus and his crew must face are the sirens and their enchanting melody. This obstacle is the easiest one … Read more
