In The Beginning And The Odyssey

The biblical narrative, “In the Beginning” and Homer’s epic poem, “The Odyssey” share many commonalities. The pair of writings have their own heroes and villains. In each they face similar struggles, one of which is temptation, the main theme of both passages. They also share the basic archetypal of a hero’s journey, complete with protagonists, antagonists, and a common theme.
In the biblical narrative and epic poem alike, there are heroes. In the biblical narrative, adam and eve are the heroes of the story and in the epic poem Odysseus is the hero. Both sets of heroes start out one way in their stories, but by the end of their tales, they have experienced a change in character. For example, at the beginning of the story, Adam and Eve are
In “The Odyssey”, Odysseus is selfish, cruel and reckless, and these aspects of him cause him to be cast out to sea. During his journey his character becomes changed and he is wiser and more grateful. Additionally, they share a recurring character, an antagonist. The antagonist in “the Odyssey” is Poseidon; he pushes Odysseus and his men out into the sea, never to return. On his journey home he faces many other antagonists, consequently he faces many adversaries who inadvertently change him and his character. In the narrative, “In the Beginning” the antagonist is the serpent who coerces Eve in the garden to eat of the fruit of the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil”. As a result, Eve gives into this coercion, or temptation, leads her and Adam to be cast out of the garden forever. In “the Odyssey” and in “In the Beginning” alike, temptation is a very important theme. Adam and Eve are cast out of the garden because they give in