Preview

Odyssey Curiosity

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
386 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Odyssey Curiosity
Perceptions of Curiosity In The Odyssey by Homer, like in most ancient Greek stories, curiosity is frowned upon. Homer displays many tragic consequences due to curiosity to convey his definition of curiosity. One example of how curiosity killed the cat would be when Odysseus and his shipmates head home after their visit to Aiolia Island, and homer explains, “ Temptation had its way with my companions, and they untied the bag”(Homer 166). This line is referring to the temptation of curiosity, that lead the men to open the bag that Odysseus specifically told them not to. This act of inquisitiveness was rebuked by delaying their arrival to Ithaca. Another example of how curiosity is often punished in The Odyssey is exhibited when the crew arrives at the Kyklopes’ island and Odysseus narrates, “ When Dawn spread out her finger tips of rose we turned out marveling, to tour the isle,”(Homer 149). The men’s urge to explore was punished with a deady encounter with the Kyklopes. Homer defines the curiosity as a destructive desire to know, and he explains his views on curiosity by repeatedly punishing curiosity throughout The Odyssey. In modern culture views on curiosity are very contradictory. On one hand curiosity is rewarded yet punished under a different light. When looking back on the past society find is very easy to praise curiosity as if they have be advocates from the start, yet when regarding present day present day encounters with curiosity potential revolutionaries are mocked every day. An example of this mockery made can be found in the discovery of the atom. The theoy of the existence of the atom was first proposed in the 5th Century B.C by the Greek philosophers Democritus and Leucippus, but because they were punished for desire to explore by society at that time, the mere possibility of the existence was not considered legitimate until the 19th century, where it was formally discovered by John Delton and Amedeo Avogadro. Now when people looks back on

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In Homers’ Odyssey, Homer wrote about the story of Odysseus and his crew, who went on an expedition to find out whether the Cyclopes are “wild savages with no sense of right or wrong or hospitable folk who fear the gods” (Homer 303). On their expedition, Odysseus and his crew came across the cave where the Cyclops Polyphemus lived. When they went inside the cave, they found “crates of cheese, and pens crammed with lambs and kids” (304). Odysseus’s crew members wanted to steal the produce and…

    • 1183 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the Odyssey, Homer gives Odysseus’s challenges that detours his journey home. These problems affect his desire to get back home and what he will do for his family. Odysseus states “ I drew on all my wits, and ran through the tactics, reasoning as a man will for dear life…”(Homer 1220). Odysseus was already wanting to get back to his family but the problems he came across made him want it that much more. Circe told Odysseus to plug his oarsmen's ears with bees wax and tie himself to…

    • 395 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Space Odyssey Analysis

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages

    until there is light; the darkness reveals the dark side of the moon, then the earth and the sun rising behind it. This new perspective ignites our imagination and curiosity. It offers us life and death, beginnings and endings. In the film, a space mission to Jupiter is led by Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Poole (Gary Lockwood), in order to trace signals being transmitted there by a monolith discovered on Earth's moon. Overseeing the voyage is a supercomputer known as HAL 9000 (voice of Douglas Rain). It should not go unnoticed that each letter of HAL's name is exactly one before IBM. The main reason this movie still holds our attention more than 30 years after its making, is its respect for its own mystery. Its vision of what science-fiction authors…

    • 457 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Odyssey shows how faith affects the life of every human being. Faith gives direction and meaning to our life in times of struggles and problem. The movie have shown what will happen to a man without the Gods and Goddesses guidance and help. We should always give thanks and praise to our God for all the things they have done for us in our everyday life.…

    • 183 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Upon Odysseus' return to Ithaca from his long and dangerous crusade, he discovers suitors raiding his palace. Due to the fact that these suitors are posing a great threat to Ithaca, Odysseus is justified in taking his revenge. Since these suitors try to steal his property, assume his wealth, and threaten the royal family of Ithaca, his right to defend himself is just.…

    • 479 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Homeric epic, the Odyssey, is set in the peaceful years following the Trojan War, and concerns the returning heroes on their journeys home, in particular Odysseus of Ithaca. Odysseus is an epic hero; he displays courage, superior strength, and leadership, all qualities that people admire. While displaying these archetypal heroic traits he also displays his weaknesses as a man, particularly his excessive pride, which actually make him easy to relate to. So by demonstrating his strengths, and overcoming his weaknesses he becomes an epic hero, not only in Homer 's time but in the 21st century as well. Yet these archetypal heroic qualities are not his only heroic qualities, in order to win his battles and find his way home he needed to display other qualities such as cunning, shrewdness, and ingenuity.…

    • 1215 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    19th Century Dbq

    • 1376 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In the 19th century one can see an increased amount of curiosity, discovery and knowledge, but that suddenly didn’t appear out of nowhere. Real scientific discoveries were brought to life and proven by observation and experiments unlike the answers people before them had thought. Questions about the universe were all explained by divine intervention, karma, or just bad luck in the 18th century. Lots of “answers” were more of less theoretical than based on actual observations. People made up reasons as to why the sky was blue or why someone was dying, but as science started to blossom, many of these misconceptions were corrected.…

    • 1376 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages

    His curiosity also led him to make foolish decisions like when Odysseus went to explore the island of the Cyclops and foolishly entered Polyphemus’s cave uninvited which disrespected the rules of xenia. His thoughtless decision caused the death of 6 of his loyal men. Odysseus was also keen to show off so that he could feel more important than everyone else around him, when he told the Cyclops to mention his name if asked who blinded him.…

    • 817 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odyssey Research Paper

    • 432 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A characteristics of an epic hero demonstrated in Homer epic poems was the interference of supernatural beings either as allies or enemies. Ancient Greeks society believed in gods and goddesses who live above Mount Olympus and watch over mortals below. The Greeks believed that these gods and goddesses interfered with life below Olympus. This is seen in both Homers poems the Iliad and the Odyssey, where the gods interfered throughout the stories. In the Iliad, the gods interfered in both side of the war, by favoring who they were going to help. When Agamemnon did not return Chryseis, her father a Trojan high priest turned to Apollo for help. In turn, Apollo sent a plague throughout the Greek army. When Hector took Achilles armor from Patroclus,…

    • 432 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The odyssey

    • 544 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Even a hero has character flaws that make him more human than hero because of their good traits being weighed down by their bad traits. That is what keeps Odysseus in The Odyssey from standing out as the hero he was. The Odyssey was written by Homer and it is an epic poem. The Odyssey is about a young war hero, Odysseus, who has to make a journey home after the ten year Trojan War. He needs to arrive home before his son grows up because that is when his wife will move on to another man that will inherit his kingdom. Odysseus, the protagonist can be indirectly characterized both positively and negatively because he is both smart and arrogant.…

    • 544 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Keys to discovery

    • 767 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Discovery is a crucial element for the future of society. The actions that lead to new advances, however, are questionable. Science and new discovery almost always go hand in hand, and mistakes are bound to happen when they are paired together. New innovations, findings, and advancements happen every day, and whether or not mistakes are key to that fact is in question. The unearthing of the city of Troy, for example, was discovered by archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann and was said to be one of the greatest historical discoveries in history. The truth was, though, that the city was disturbed more than it should have been due to Schliemann’s mistake. New advances are a crucial part of our world today, but mistakes along the way hardly ever result in good things.…

    • 767 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many cultural values are transmitted and discovered within myths, especially in the story, The Odyssey written by Homer. The Odyssey continues from the events of the The Illiad, focusing on Odysseus after the Trojan War and his long journey back home to Ithaca, to his wife Penelope and his son, Telemachus. Throughout the ten year journey, Odysseus faces many hardships and while doing so, he learns more about himself and the human condition, which helps him successfully come back home to his wife Penelope.…

    • 1312 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    the odyssey

    • 698 Words
    • 3 Pages

    This quote relates to the epic poem, The Odyssey, in many ways. Odysseus, the main character in this epic, faces many struggles on his way back home to Ithica, Greece. Odysseus is the king of Ithica, and goes to fight with his men at the Trojan War for the Greeks. Using his qualities of extreme intelligence and strength, Odysseus led his men to be victorious at the Trojan War. Then Odysseus and his men had to make their way back home to Ithica, where they all faced many struggles throughout the journey. The island of the Cyclopes was where the first initiation occurred. The Cyclopes doesn’t follow the tradition of hospitality, but Odysseus and his men barged into his home and ate all of his food anyways. Then he and his men stabbed the Cyclopes in his eye, but the Cyclopes forgave them. Odysseus shook off and refused the apology and revealed to the Cyclopes his real name is “Odysseus” not “Nohbdy,” which shows a lot of hubris. During another part of the journey they all had to cross through the Sirens, who are evil mystical creatures. The Sirens lure men into their island with their beautiful looks and voices, and then they eat them. All of the men put wax in their ears to prevent themselves from being lured in by the Siren’s songs, but Odysseus being his prideful and hubris self, wanted to hear the Siren’s songs. While at Helios’ island, Odysseus’ men ate the sun god’s cattle, which in turn meant that they would all die leaving only Odysseus to survive. While at sea, Odysseus lost all his men and his ship, and was left with absolutely nothing. He sails home to Ithica alone, on a different boat, and as a beggar because he upset the gods.…

    • 698 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odyssey and Calypso

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages

    During Odysseus’ journey in ‘The Odyssey’, Odysseus runs into a couple problems. He leaves home ready to fight in the Trojan War. Although he had plans on coming home, he never made it home. His wife Penelope and his son Telemachus assumed that Odysseus was dead. It was not until Athena came to Telemachus and gave him everything he needed to make it to his dad. What Telemachus did not know was that Odysseus wanted to come home, but he could not because he was being held prisoner on an island named Ogygia. Odysseus wants nothing more to return home and see his lovely wife Penelope.…

    • 1021 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    The Odyssey

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Odyssey, one of the most well known epic stories Introduces Odysseus, the King of Ithaca. This story demonstrates Odysseus’s physical and intellectual strength. Striving to return home after 20 years of his treacherous journey, he uses strength, skill, and superior ability to overcome his troubles. Although he faced numerous obstacles and fought many battles, he made it appoint to get home to his kingdom through his physical ability, intellectual insight, and overcoming his epic flaw.…

    • 997 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics