Essays on Odyssey

A Tool of the Hero

The topic of my essay addresses how the wisdom of Odysseus is a tool he uses in order to complete his tasks as a heroic character. Without wisdom, which is not found in every hero or even heroic leader, this character would not exist; the poem would not exist. There would be in all essence no need for the story. This is why wisdom is so very important to the plot, character development and “moral of” the story. It was Yu’s article that gave me the inspiration for this topic. When reading the article I was drawn to ...

Gilgamesh and Odysseus are well-known heroes from old epics of Mesopotamian and Greek cultures, correspondingly. The two characters have similar traits, such as courage and physical strength. However, there are also differences between the two of them. Each hero’s traits divulge fascinating information about their cultural ideals. Additionally, cross-referencing fictional individuals with real-life cultural ideals is worthwhile when examining any culture, at any point in history. Contemporary American culture, for example, appears to value physical attributes and attractiveness, more than anything. Examining Gilgamesh and Odysseus can be helpful not only in revealing details about the different cultural ideals ...

Why do the myths, works of art and literature history and artwork concerning the Trojan war furnish such a great opportunity to engage all the major questions of life and society and of the humanities The Trojan War which is a legendary conflict between the people of Troy and the Greeks is said to have been fought for about 10 years with great influence from the gods. The myths and the arts value the Trojan War because it shows that mortals are subject to the fate decided upon them by the gods. In this case, Zeus saw that the ...

In the late Bronze Age, war fought by the Greeks and the city of Troy defenders in Anatolia emerged. This war was known as the Trojan War. In this case, Odyssey refers to the adventures of the Odysseus in the Trojan War that is his return from the Trojan War. There are several characters involved in Odyssey. They include Odysseus, Penelope, Aeolus and Telemachus (Cline, 2013). In this paper, I have chosen Odysseus as a character from the Odyssey who was the Ithaca king in Greek who had involved in the Trojan War for ten years. The paper exemplifies ...

Although the Odyssey is often considered the story of Odysseus’ homecoming, there are many other characters who have significant roles to play in the development of the general social milieu in which the epic is set. Two of the most important characters are Telemachus and Penelope, both of whom have to contend with suitors who, literally, eat them out of house and home. Since neither of them have the strength, either physically or politically, to drive out the suitors (called the Porci), they seek power through other means, particularly through the exercise of their intellect and their character. Although ...

The life, unfortunately, does not always resemble a happy kingdom where people live in peace and harmony. One day it brings you an ocean of happiness and glory, the other day it throws you to the dark abyss of poverty and solitude. In spite of all life’s ordeals, the person should never give up and show courage in overcoming everyday difficulties. Only the bravest and most ingenious ones, who are capable of learning on their own mistakes, will definitely attain success in the adventurous life journey. The courage is surely the most important trait of character which not ...

The Mask of Agamemnon

There are a lot of artworks that will always contain some secret concerning its true origin and authenticity. One of such sculptures is definitely the case with the Mask of Agamemnon. This artifact from the Greek Bronze Age was discovered by distinguished German archaeologist, Heinrich Schliemann, in Mycenae dated 1876. After the stunning discovery of the real location of the legendary Troy, Schliemann was next planning to find the final resting place of Agamemnon, the famous king of ancient Mycenae who headed the Greek troops during the Trojan War. All his grand triumphs and tribulations are eulogized in Homer’ ...

Greeks and Mesopotamians are well known for their myths about gods and how they affect the human existence and can determine your fate. Shared amongst them also are epic tales of heroic demigods and mortals who with great courage, help from the gods and bravery defeat many obstacles. The aim of this study is to examine the heroic qualities of two characters of Greek and Mesopotamian mythology; Gilgamesh and Odysseus. Special attention will be taken to ascertain how alike and different they were and what these heroic exploits teaches us about the ideals and expectations of Greek and Mesopotamian ...

Every nation has own traditions and customs, but what really makes people well- known in every part of the word, is their hospitality and pleasant attitude to the guests. Nowadays and in the ancient times the tradition of hospitality was understood differently by individuals because each country had their own treatment and rules towards this concept. Many brilliant authors have depicted the theme of hospitality in their novels or stories, including Homer and his the best work, called Odyssey. First of all, the author in his ninth book tried to show us that some people or better to say “ ...

During the last decades many things in the world have changed and the concept of hospitality was not an exception. Many prominent authors have tried to depict the theme of hospitality in their works but only one of them was considered to be the best, Homer and his Odyssey. The main argument to support is that the king wanted the stranger to have some nice memories and therefore to share them by telling everyone how good the Phaeacians are at sport and dances. In those times, it was very important to make a good impression on a guest and ...

Introduction to Existentialism

Discuss the film in terms of Nietzsche’s eternal return “Inside Llewyn Davis” by Ethan and Joel Coen is centered on a harshly ironic existential joke and a secular riddle. The film starts and ends with somewhat dissenting versions of a similar event. Llewyn Davis, an aspiring folk singer performs onstage at a coffeehouse called Gaslight and mysterious stranger awaits to beat him up as he steps into the back street. People wondered whether the last scene was a flashback and the first scene was a flash-forward. It is framed in a playful harshness towards the audience and main ...

This paper considers the shared ideas among Homer, Dante Alighieri, Virgil, and the anonymous writer of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The idea of paradise and hell, right, and wrong, retribution, and reward are evident in the texts with some of them bearing a close resemblance to each other. For the conclusion, there will be an analysis of how the authors’ perceptions echo in present-day societies. Perhaps the most common theme availed in all the reading is pride. In the texts, pride dominates the actions of the heroes and even propels some to act irrationally for the sake ...

(Teacher)

The main idea is to look at the statement above and related it through the chosen literature, The Odyssey by Homer. Connecting the idea of revolting against authority. This paper will attempt to show how difficult it was for Odysseus during his journey, how he faced revolts in several of his adventures and how difficult it is to wear the crown. The story begins with Odysseus, the Greek hero who conquered the city of Troy. When we start the story we find that he and his crew have not yet managed to get home to the kingdom in ...

Summary (Heracles)

Heracles is considered a half-god; of course he was the son of the gods (Zeus) and a human mother. He is equally portrayed as the strongest man who has ever lived. He showed his extraordinary force and strength with the desire to win during his early life, for instance, when he fought a snake which slithered right inside his baby cradle (Caruth, p. 1-12). However, the most saddening incident throughout his life comes after his marriage with Princes Megara with whom they got three children. Because she cannot forgive Zeus, her husband, Hera’s jealousy prompted her to make ...

“Is Google Making Us Stupid?”

Since its creation in the 1990s, the internet has been an immense tool in acquiring knowledge in an instant. To help with the pursuit of knowledge, search engines, such as Google, have continuously been created in hopes of being the better way of finding specific information. Recently, there has been some concern about the constant use of Google and how it affects peoples’ mentality. The people who are against using Google on every search claim that the engine is making people stupid by replacing learning knowledge and critical thinking skills with simply obtaining information at the quickest convenience. It ...

Witchcraft can be defined as the use and application of magical powers typically obtained from sorcery or evil spirits in performing unbelievable things. Or it can as well be defined as the invocation and exercise of alleged powers which are supernatural in nature in controlling events or people with the involvement of magic or sorcery. Therefore, a witch can be described as an individual who performs these supernatural scenes. In most cases, the unavoidable element of witchcraft is the infliction of painful feeling to one party in efforts of satisfying the wants of the other party. These painful inflictions ...

Literature is entertaining and provides valuable lessons on various subjects to the reader. A writer must use different methods to pass their message across to the reader. Some of the time, the idea maybe plain, but possess a hidden meaning to engage the reader’s mind. The methods used by writers in accomplishing this fete are known as literacy devices. There are several literacy devices that play various roles in literature: chiefly among them is the theme of the story. Writers tell a story through the characters and reveal the theme through the events in the story. For instance, ...

Virgil and Homer were two authors who did excellent work that gave so much detail about the Romans and the Greeks. The odyssey was a written work that gave a reflection about the journey of one of the victorious heroes who came back from the Trojan War. Shrewd Odysseus was a true reflection of the society that existed in Greece during Homers time. On the other hand, Aeneid was a narrative that was created by Virgil who part of the roman society. The primary reason behind the creation of Aeneid was to create a national hero who would be ...

Odysseus’ Voyage home would not have been possible without the assistance and support of the goddess Athena. Throughout Homer’s Odyssey, she plays an integral role in guiding the epic hero home and bringing him to victory in his final battle to be with his family. While she and Odysseus share many traits, such as cleverness, guile, and prowess in war, in Book XVIII we see her acting to manipulate the situation at hand more than at any other moment in the story. The reason for this is that she alone knows the outcome of the impending battle against ...

Staring with the story of Odyssey by Homer, Lord has intervened in various circumstances. Odysseus went for a Trojan War where they left with victory. Like many other Greek warriors, Odysseus consulted a goddess who told him that he will win the war. Mysteriously Odysseus won the war of Trojan where many other warriors fell. The Trojan War was a war of treachery and in many cases the warriors didn’t have any clue of their fate. Odysseus however, through the intervention of goddess was able to survive from that Great War. At this point, the reader can observe ...

Some themes of "The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor" and typology of the character of Homer's poem "The Odyssey” are similar to some extent. Further, in the paper, such similarities will be discussed. The form of storytelling of “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor” recalls the story of Odysseus. Both stories start in a similar way. In “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor”, the poor meets Sinbad the Sailor in his house, after which the latter tells stories of his travels and adventures for seven nights in a row. Odysseus meets in the same way King ...

There is a huge discrepancy connecting the traditional literature and the modern literature. The classical literature is marked by a specific format and definitions. Most of the classical literature work often adhere to a specific format incorporating rhythms and meters. In the ancient writing, for instance in the Greek literature, most of the Greek writers spoke about the motivational forces like they were separate entities which were not part of their personal consciousness. Human motivation is often the major raw material in literature, both modern and ancient. The human literature criteria have evolved from being about humans as the ...