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 the gods and the humanities the Greek society exhibited, and are both deeply rooted within the story.…
The gods have played their part altering the course of the hero’s voyage. Seemingly, in the epic harmony does not last long and challenges follow Odysseus like a plague. Calypso, the audience believes holds the last installment of the global journey, our hero has yet more battles ahead of him. In fact, the king of Ithaca wandered the Mediterranean and its coastal lands for 10 years before finally arriving home. As waves crash against the raft, “he was seen sailing the ocean”(284). The sea near the land of the Phaeacians is only one region Odysseus has been driven to. All these occurs as a number of loyal citizens and a hopeful family await his return, a period when others dependence on him shines through. As Odysseus is under the angry waters…
The engrossing story, The Odyssey, tells the tale of the heroic Odysseus’ journey to reach home after the Trojan War. In the first four books, the reader learns about Odysseus through other characters eyes. They follow the footsteps of Telemakhos, the son of Odysseus, and his awakening to save his father. Telemakhos’s house is being overrun by his mother's’ suitors, however dear Penelope can’t help change that. Telemakhos is then visited by Athena, in which she arouses him and gives him the confidence and steady mind to search for word on his father. Telemakhos and the reader can interpret from the stories told about Odysseus that he was an important warrior and is thought to be dead. Therefore he is held to a higher respect than most Trojan…
In the time of Ancient Greece a man named Home wrote one of the most influential works of human history. This Epic tale has been acclaimed for it's influence on modern literature and its historical description of life during his time period. One important theme from this Ancient Epic is Homers description of women during the Dark Ages. he women in Odyssey are unique in their personality, intentions, and relationship towards men. All women in this epic are different, but all of them help to define the role of the ideal woman.…
The first four books, other wise known as the Telemachy, is able to prepare the readers for the story of Odysseus as it gives background information on the characters and foreshadows what is to come in the books ahead. Foreshadowing is prevalent throughout the epic and the journey's in it. In the case of Agamemnon, his life is ultimately ended in the hands of his wife and the suitor she had chosen. His son's revenge can foreshadow and parallel to what Telemachus and his journey may bring ahead. The story of Orestes (Agamemnon's son) and the vindication for his father, "Orestes killed the snake that killed his father. He gave his hateful mother and her soft man a tomb together, and proclaimed a festival day for all the Argive people." (44), brings to light the similarities between Telemachus and Orestes.…
. The roles of Zeus, Athena, and Poseidon in the Odyssey either aid or hinder Odysseus’ journey home. First off, when Odysseus was held captive from Calypso,”Hermes explains that he has brought with an order from Zeus that Calypso must not detain Odysseus any longer but send him on his way home.”(Homer 1208). Zeus is considered to be helping Odysseus by agreeing to let him out of the island. Poseidon has been a burden because he heard his son, Polyphemus’ curse towards Odysseus, “O hear me, lord, blue girdler of the islands...grant that Odysseus..[shall] never see his home...dark the years between...Let him lose all his companions”(Homer 1223). Poseidon ends up cursing Odysseus and his crew by sending many storms, delaying the trip, therefore…
Prometheus was the kindest of all the Titans or even the gods, but one day, Zeus ordered that everyone was forbidden to interact with the humans. Prometheus could not stand to see humans- let alone anything- suffer and to watch them go extinct because Zeus threw a fit, so he gave the humans fire in order to live. When Zeus found out about it, he became enraged and killed him a hundred times, then chained the titan to a large tree, only to watch mankind. Then, as he was not satisfied, Epimetheus’ story comes into place: Zeus asked Athena to make him a daughter, and after she did so, he called her Pandora, and offered her as a wife to Prometheus’ brother. After he accepted, Zeus gave them a beautiful box as a wedding gift, which had a note that read “DO NOT OPEN” which was obeyed for many months. One day while her husband was not home, Pandora’s curiosity got the best of her, so she opened it, and all the terrible things in the world flew out, no matter how fast she closed it. Famine, disease, murder, and much more flew out of the box, making her sad. But following everything, a small bug crawled out of the box, and smiled at the woman. The bug was named…
* Prometheus represents on who has defied and challenged the natural order; one who has transgressed on forbidden territory. His actions are not couched in connotations of courage or heroism but recognised as reckless and without any thought to the possible consequences.…
In The Odyssey the reader learns about what the Greek people valued by learning that they valued hospitality no matter who you are, and lineage. The story shows the reader that if someone is found in a situation in which they do not know someone, the host should be hospitable and help the stranger with what he or she needs. Also, the idea that where someone comes from, who their father is , and who is their family is determines how they should act and what they are like. The Odyssey Shows many examples of these ideas in the text, by making the characters experience these situations.…
After ten years, Odysseus still has not returned to his kingdom in Ithaca. A large…
Prometheus, whose name means forethought, was a god that sided with humans. He was always…
Although The Odyssey, written by the Greek poet Homer, is an epic tale of a man’s quest for home, women also play a large role. The role of each gender within The Odyssey is made extremely evident, and on multiple occasions Homer makes reference to the expectations of each sex. Throughout the epic, presentations of women are somewhat limited, unless they appear as mothers, servants, deities, seductresses, or a combination of these. Although women occupied an entirely different position in Ancient Greek society than men, they too held a certain amount of power and influence in society; they merely exerted it in ways that were distinctive from men’s tactics.…
Drama, escapade, and vengeance is all in The Odyssey. (H) This book is written by Homer who is a Greek poet. (Auth) Homer’s effect on Western culture has had a colossal effect on Western culture. (Auth) Homer uses mythical creatures such as The Cyclop’s and Poseidon to illustrate how the Western culture worshiped and feared the gods and the dangerous creatures. (HC) The Odyssey analyzes universal themes such as vengeance throughout the book, one example is Poseidon and Odysseus. (TH)…
Homer’s The Odyssey is a tale about a man journeying home to his family while facing many trials along the way. Throughout the story, there are many themes that illustrated the Greek Society’s beliefs at the time. One of the most prominent themes is how the Greek Gods were portrayed throughout the story. Due to their significant aid to Odysseus’s endeavors, the Gods in Ancient Greek Society were revered as good and pure.…
Classic literature often provides insight to an ancient society, their values, and their beliefs. Many books that are considered classics today focus on ancient Rome and Greece. Revenge, hubris, and other themes, and the relation of this book to modern life, classifies the poem The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Fitzgerald, as a classic. For this reason, it is still read today.…