The Odyssey, the longest epic poem in history, said to be written by Homer, shows many qualities of Greek culture and beliefs. For instance, Odysseus, the main character, shows many characteristics of the Greek culture in many parts of his journey. The Greek people value a variety of many things shown in the poem, such as being thankful for not only their life but also friends and family, gods controlling the weather, and the belief in profit when asked for. The Greek people believe in gratefulness not only in their lives but their friends and family. In the Odyssey, Odysseus shows the amount of obligation for his friend's lives that he lost. He values his life but shows the grief and sorrow he faces while losing his friends. Odysseus loses …show more content…
In greek culture, it is clear that a god named Zeus, the god of the sky has authority over the skies no matter the place on Earth. In The Odyssey, Zeus creates obstacles such as storms, rain, and lightning that mostly results in the loss of Odysseus’s men. The storms created by Zeus often have a negative connotation and are made for a certain reason. This also exemplifies that the Greeks have many different gods for numerous roles in their culture. Once Odysseus leaves the island of Thrinacia, he describes, “With crack on crack of thunder, Zeus let fly a bolt against the ship, a direct hit.” (p.793-line.948) Zeus is seen creating thunder and lighting in The Odyssey which is commonly caused by another situation that affects Odysseus’s journey. “...when Zeus Cronion piled a thunderhead above the ship, while gloom spread on the ocean.” (p.791-line.938) Zeus displays a large role in Greek mythology because he is a ruler and protector of the gods which explains how he solved the complaint of Helios. Odysseus’s fate lies solely on Zeus in The Odyssey because he is seen as the god who decides everyone’s fate in Greek
The role of the archetypal hero, who has incredible bravery, power, leadership, and determination, like Odysseus evolves in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. Odysseus is a king who led his crew on a 10-year journey after a victory in the Trojan War. His motivation was to return home to his beloved wife, Penelope. The poem was written around the 8th Century BC and is set in Ancient Greece around 1200 B.C.E. Odysseus is the King of Ithaca, which is an important factor when considering him a hero. In Ancient Greece, being a member of royalty made Odysseus powerful and placed him in a leadership role.
Loyalty & Disloyalty in The Odyssey The Odyssey has many themes of loyalty in the story as well as themes of disloyalty. Throughout the story, Odysseus’ relationships with characters prove these motifs. Odysseus himself is a primary example of loyalty and he shows it in the interactions with the characters. Many of the disloyal interactions result in consequences that affect Odysseus in the form of the adversities he goes through in the story.
In the epic poem, Odysseus battles many obstacles on his long journey back home to Ithaca, where he must be reunited with his wife and son and confront the disrespectful suitors. Along the way, he and his son, Telemachus, experience support from the goddess Athena in particular, yet Odysseus also endures hostility from the antagonistic Polyphemus and Poseidon. In The Odyssey, Homer depicts the intimate, sometimes complicated relationships as well as the balance of power between mortals and the gods while showing the importance of loyalty and hospitality to ancient Greek life. The first powerful mortal-god
Odyssey Essay Did you know Odysseus let many of his men die in the Odyssey? Well, Odysseus is also known for his brave and heroic acts, but to further understand him, you have to know about his Greek Values. In the Odyssey, Odysseus’ strength and weaknesses of leadership, intelligence, and his selfishness. This reflects the Greek Values of leading others to success, and accomplishment, outsmarting others, and caring for others.
In Homer’s Odyssey, gods and other supernatural beings dominated every aspect of mortal life. All living things and phenomena that occur in the world can be traced back to the gods. Seeing as how gods are responsible for the lives of mortals and the state of the natural world, performing deeds that anger the gods would prove to be disastrous while performing deeds that please the gods would prove to be beneficial. Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War was took ten years due to angering gods like Poseidon and Helios. However, it was through Athena’s aid that he was able to make it back home.
The Odyssey by Homer is an exemplary story that teaches life lessons to those going on a journey for themselves. It illustrates how the challenges and obstacles one may face can help someone become a better leader. The Odyssey highlights one man, Odysseus, a man filled with excessive pride, experiencing the wrath of the god Poseidon. He expects to arrive at his home, Ithaca, safely to reunite with his wife, Penelope, but unfortunately faces many temptations and setbacks. Due to the challenges he faces, it prevents him from arriving home as early as he thought he would.
The Odyssey reflects Greek virtues, and Odysseus is the role model for all
From the onset of the book, death is a recurring event, persistent throughout the entire poem. In many ways, the Odyssey is the story of the death of all of Odysseus’ friends and fellow fighters during their return home from conquering Troy. These deaths are particularly heartbreaking to Odysseus because, normally, one would expect that all dying would conclude with the end of the war against Troy. In this case, however, the anticipation of his return to his family at home became a series of tragedies. This sequence of events changes his view and molds Odysseus’ character in regard to his surviving friends and family.
In The Odyssey, by Homer, Athena influences the lives of Odysseus and his family. In Greek mythology, gods challenge and control mortals. Gods also provide support to mortals and thus, mortals depend and act on behalf of the gods and their decisions. Athena, daughter of Zeus, is the goddess of wisdom, and both Telemachus and Odysseus benefit from her power. Athena possesses the ability to disguise herself and others, and this skill allows her to give advice and guidance.
From Odysseus’ time with Calypso in Ogygia up until the moment he takes back his home and wife from the suitors in Ithaca, the struggles he faces help answer what makes for a good life. Homer uses Odysseus’ journey throughout “The Odyssey” to identify four aspects of a good life: mortality, honor, hospitality, and experiences. Homer reveals that mortality is necessary for a good life when Odysseus denies the opportunity for immortality that Calypso offers, he shows the significance of honor in his description of Odysseus’ bravery in the Trojan war and the consequent respect that Odysseus’ crew has for him, Homer reinforces the importance of hospitality in each city Odysseus travels to, and he conveys that experiences, good or bad, define a good life. The Greeks held their gods in high esteem and therefore when Homer or other characters in the epic refer to Odysseus as being “godlike,” this is one of the highest compliments he could receive.
In Book 5, when all of the gods, except for Poseidon, discuss the fate of Odysseus, Athena fights for Odysseus to get her father, Zeus, to intervene and give aid to Odysseus. Athena says to Zeus, “Not one of the people whom he ruled remembers Odysseus nom that godlike man… Now he’s left to pine on an island, racked with grief” (5.12-14). Athena’s use of words such as “he’s left to pine on an island, racked with grief” shows the use of Flattery towards Zeus to feel pity for Odysseus. By getting Zeus to feel pity, this strategy encourages him to favor Odysseus because of Odysseus’ situation.
Poseidon, Apollo, Athena, Zeus, and Hermes are all Greek Gods that appear in the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer. These gods all play a significant role in The Odyssey by both helping and hindering Odysseus on his 10-year journey home. Homer illustrates the theme of divine intervention in The Odyssey using Poseidon’s wrath, Athena’s providence, and Hermes’ guidance. Poseidon is one of the main gods that appears throughout The Odyssey, Homer shows Poseidon's divine intervention through his wrath on Odysseus during his journey home.
Homer delivers very universal themes, such as loyalty is respected, but the epic also provides meaningful themes that are not as recognizable. The Odyssey is very focused on leadership and courage, as it centers on a hero's journey. There are many parts in the epic where Homer explains the actions of an admirable leader. In the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplifies the true meaning of being a leader through courage in the face of danger, which is shown by Circe, the Sirens, and the suitors. One might wonder why it takes Odysseus ten years to return to his homeland after he has achieved victory for Ithaca in the Trojan War.
The Odyssey by Homer is a book that involves the Journey of Odysseus and his men and the Obstacles they come across. The Odyssey portrays many themes including vengeance, hospitality, courage, bravery and more. Odysseus experiences some good and bad during his journey. He comes across people who help him, but also comes across creatures who hold him back. Odysseus is an Epic hero because of his quick thinking skills, bravery, and confidence for himself and his men.
Divine intervention, or the role of the gods, plays a predominant role in the development of the eventual fate of the main characters; Odysseus, his son, Telemachus and his wife, Penelope. Homer is able to effectively incorporate the employment of divine forces as facilitators in destiny, as well as efficiently engage the readers through his vivid description of the various predicaments faced by Odysseus. Divine intervention is a phenomenon widely used in mythological epics. The gods play protagonistic and antagonistic roles; they essentially toy with the character until his fate is evident. Homer utilizes this right from the very beginning; we see Athena coming to the aid of Odysseus when Zeus refuses to have sympathy for him due to the fact that most heroes blame the Gods for their doom;