In book nine Odysseus has to confront Polythemus, the Cyclops who is Poseidon’s son. Odysseus and his men where trapped within Polythemus’s cave, which had wine and other luxuries in it. But the Cyclops is intent on eating every last one of them and saving Odysseus, or “Nohbdy,” as Odysseus presented himself to the Cyclops, for last. Odysseus later blinds Polythemus with a burning stick, leaving him aggrieved and in pain. Writhing in pain, he opens the rock, letting Odysseus’s crew escape. This is just a primal form of the myth, but by injuring Polythemus Odysseys is released, illustrating the productive side of violence.…
Poseidon seeks revenge involving Odysseus. In order to escape from the cave of the Cyclops Odysseus blinds Polyphemus. Unfortunately, Odysseus blinded Poseidon’s son. As a result, “But now Poseidon, god of the earthquake, saw him- / just returning home … it made his fury boil even more … with that he rammed the clouds together- both hands / clutching his trident- churned the waves into chaos.” (5. 309-322). This represents after Odysseus is released from Calypsos Island onto his voyage to Phaeacia, Poseidon ship wrecks him. This is important because Poseidon is Odysseus’s worst enemy. He cannot kill Odysseus, but will help fulfill his blinded sons wish that he come home to Ithaca late and alone. Odysseus is lucky because his fate is returning to Ithaca, but on the other hand he’s one of the unluckiest men alive considering all the horrible events he went through. Revenge is a tricky concept because say holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the idea to throw is at someone, who gets burned? In other words, revenge is almost like a temptation something you shouldn’t give into because it’s simply not worth the…
Odysseus encounters many trials on his grand journey homeward, and these trials teach him many valuable lessons. Polyphemus, pride. One of the first lessons Odysseus learns comes from Polyphemus. After outsmarting Polyphemus, Odysseus and his men are sailing away from the island. Odysseus then decides to boast to Polyphemus, saying “if any man on the face of the earth should ask you/ who blinded you, shamed you so- say Odysseus” (Homer IX 559-60). Consequently, Polyphemus curses Odysseus, praying to Poseidon to avenge him. This encounter shows Odysseus that pride can destroy even the strongest man. Another trial Odysseus learns by comes from Circe. On Circe's Island, Odysseus must be cautious and cunning to survive. After he has overcome her,…
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 him. After this, half of Odysseus’ men are turned into swine when they encounter an enchantress and give into temptation, and though no men are killed, the crew is again delayed in their journey by a year. Misfortune and death are prevalent throughout the consequent chapters, where men are constantly lost, and those that survive begin to lose faith in their leader. By the end of chapter 12, all of the men have died,…
Since the birth of prose, various literary techniques such as tone, imagery, similes, and foreshadowing have been used by authors to engender specific impressions upon their audience. Like an artist's pallet of paint, authors color their words with vibrancy through the use of these literary tools. In the Greek work the Iliad, Homer skillfully utilizes similes and foreshadowing in an innovative way. Rather than approaching them as separate entities, he notably combines them by foreshadowing in the form of a simile about what will come to pass. Though the fall of Troy may not be told directly in the Iliad, numerous comparisons are drawn between the element of fire and Ilion, alluding to its anticipated and foreseen demise. Through critical analysis of three specific epic similes, it is apparent that the functions which Homer's similes serve not only surpass extravagant imagery, but also heighten anticipation about an expected occurrence and expand the descriptive power of each scene in which they appear.…
Poseidon went out of his to make sure that Odysseus didn’t make his way back home to Ithaca. This all started because Odysseus poked the cyclops eye out and there at that moment the cyclops calls on to the god of sea, Poseidon.”O hear me, lord, blue girdler of the islands, if i am thine indeed, and thou art father: grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, never see his home[...].(966). None of the gods or goddess had a problem or seen anything wrong with it until the goddess of war and wisdom,Athena, brought it up. She didn’t like seeing him suffer or his family. How did what Poseidon did to Odysseus help him on his journey? This very well help Odysseus to think outside the box. For instance when he almost drowned because of the waves sent by Poseidon he managed to get around…
In The Odyssey, Homer gives Odysseus qualities of cleverness and skill while he overcomes his obstacles. Odysseus and his men face these challenges when Poseidon’s son, Polyphemus, curses Odysseus and his men when Odysseus tells Polyphemus who blinded him. Polyphemus then prays to Poseidon who asks for chaos on Odysseus’ voyage home, and he would rather have him dead than return home hurt. Because of this, Odysseus faces many decisive tasks ahead of his embarkment back home. When he lands at the island of the Lotus-Eaters, he saves his men and he forces them to stay on the ship. He decides to tie himself to a pole because he wants to hear the sirens, but he doesn't want his ship to go towards them. He decides between Scylla and Charybdis, and Odysseus makes a decision because he wants his men to stay alive. When Odysseus arrives home to Ithaca, he is sneaky when learning about the suitors in his palace. Odysseus uses his…
`How did character choice affect the outcome of The Odyssey? That is the question that this essay will answer. Odysseus the hero of The odyssey goes on many adventures. During these adventures there are many choices that have to be made by Odysseus and his men. With all of these choices Odysseus and his men don’t always make the right choice. The events in The Odyssey occurred because of character choice, as shown with Odysseus’s ignorance, Odysseus’s faithfulness towards Penelope, and Odysseus and his men’s curiosity of dangerous things.…
The use of a symbol has the potential message to send a potent message. Symbols take the form of words, sounds, gestures, or visual images and are used to convey ideas and beliefs. Food is a big part and symbol in The Odyssey. Whatever it may be, either poisoned witch-food, Helios’s cattle, or lotus fruit, Everyone is constantly eating. Although throwing a feast for a guest is a common part of hospitality, hunger and the consumption of food often have negative associations in the Odyssey.…
The epic poem The Odyssey is an epic written by the Greek writer Homer. It centers on the character Odysseus who is a great leader and a king of Ithaca whose actions portrayed a great deal of intelligence, bravery, and determination throughout his many encounters during his journey.…
A hero can be real or fictional but either way a hero goes through the same stages and has choices to make to help others at whatever cost. Someone may not seem like they could be a hero but by doing what they can, could help make a huge difference in someone’s life. Being a hero is not always what movies and comic books make it out to be; a hero can be a regular person being generous. Making the right choices and decisions is what helps shape a person to be a hero; they don’t become one just for the fame.…
In order to underscore the circumstances behind the death of Homer, it would be quite significant to first underscore that fact that the entire is bestowed with the themes of change and death. However, the theme of death takes the center stage in this paper. Death and change are actually the factors holding the underlying message in the story. The author clearly brings out the idea that it is actually better for an individual to accept the instances of death rather than to ignore the episode through the simple accounts he gives on the lives of Miss Emily (Faulkner 15). She chooses not to accept the fact that her father is dead by clinging on the father and extremely controlling the instances in which the fate of her father could be well versed…
However, these actions were justified, and even portray him in a sense of loyalty and justice. The importance of family is a reoccurring theme in The Odyssey. When Polyphemus, Poseidon’s son, was blinded by Odysseus and his crew, he cries out to Poseidon, a child making a request to his beloved father, “If I am truly thine, and thou art called my Father, vouchsafe no coming home to this Odysseus…” (89). Akin any normal father, Poseidon answered the pleas of his child. Revealing that Poseidon does care about his son, and that he is a kind-hearted God. The importance of family being a reoccurring theme, the Ancient Greeks treasured it, and to have a God demonstrate that verifies that the Gods were thought of to be…
In “The Odyssey” by the ancient Greek poet, Homer, feelings of grief and old memories haunt the characters throughout their journeys. These feelings of what could have been and mourning what was lost drive the characters and push them on to better things and also keep them from making poor decisions that could impact their lives forever. Grief because of memory is considered a healthy and valued emotion but in order to achieve this they must balance memory with despair and make sure that they are mourning for the right reasons.…
Since the beginning of time, people have put their fate into what they believe in. Whether it was a god, or a powerful object, it was customary for them to always have a answer to everything. The Egyptians relied on the gods for basic human necessities. Something as little as rain for the harvest so they have food. If it didn’t rain, they thought that they must of distressed the gods in some way and that was their punishment. The Norse’s believed in doppleganger gods. Gods such Oden and Thor were looked at as the most powerful of their gods and were worshiped. The Greeks were polytheistic. They beloved in many gods. Homer is able to show that The Iliad portrays fate and destiny as the supreme and ultimate force that is decided by each person's actions and decisions.…