Aphorism, adage, dictum, moral, life lesson: in other terms, things of which this paper will be of. This is a paper about a tale of true sacrifice and courage. Many stories have elaborate life lessons, and Homer’s epic tale The Odyssey is no exception. This paper will amalgamate the ones felt to be most important.
The first very important life lesson I found in the land of the lotus eaters; it being if you abstain from poor choices you will prosper greatly. This is demonstrated in the Odyssey. In which you find a chapter that is titled the land of the lotus eaters. Within this particular location, there happens to be a drug like substance that Odysseus and his men tragically stumble upon. For instance, in the aforementioned section there is
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Presented the best way through the scene A Death in the Great Hall. They were all gathered around eating dinner when Odysseus made his move killing the leader of the suitors. He then makes his stand. While the group is trying to recoup Telemachus, Odysseus’ son confronts him. He states, “father let me bring you a shield and spear, a pair of spears and a helmet. I can arm on the run myself; I’ll give outfits to Eumaeus and this cowherd. Better to have equipment.” Thankfully, Odysseus accepts his sons offer. In a different case where Odysseus would be unable to swallow his pride he would of ran out of arrows. Consequently, then he would be overpowered and killed for the deaths of the men. His wife Penelope would be given away to one of the ones whom lived, and maybe his son, Eumaeus, and the cowherd would all suffer death due to their part in the grand scheme of themes. For, Athena would not have deemed them physically worthy of her help and left them un aided in the battle. But Odysseus did accept help, and Athena did help them. Leading to the next quote. “Six of the suitors attempt an attack on Odysseus, but Athena deflects their arrows. Odysseus and his men seize this opportunity to launch their own attack, and the suitors begin to fall. At last Athena’s presence becomes known to all, as the shape of her shield becomes visible
But, after angering Poseidon by blinding his one eyed cyclops son, Odysseus must go through brutal situations to get home thanks to the fuming god. The theme, the search for justice, is very prevalent in this text because of the fight between Odysseus and the suitors, the reunion of Odysseus and his wife Penelope and when Odysseus visits his father Laertes and Athena must restore peace because of the fight that breaks out there. To begin, the theme searching for justice is shown clearly when Odysseus returns home and kills the suitors. The text states, “Odysseus took aim and hit him with an arrow in the throat.
The Odyssey In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, Odysseus is bestowed with great abilities. But along with this potential, he is cursed with great arrogance. Conveying that even the labeled ‘perfect’ among us have fatal flaws that causes pain and suffering among the ones closest to them. The author, Homer, uses Odysseus’ arrogance to create a melancholic atmosphere to convey the idea that arrogance is a fatal flaw that will lead those around them to pain and suffering.
Odysseus has grown from the man he was before, as now he finds comfort and safety in obeying the gods when in the past he did not consider their wishes. Odysseus has only returned due to Athena and he has recognized that and his compliance is founded in his appreciation and respect for her. Odysseus is now a hero due to the obedience he now has to the gods, founded in a sense of humility. Through Odysseus’ experiences on his journey, he learns the value of obedience and dangers of arrogance and ultimately, become a hero through the lessons learned.
Athena is a major character throughout the book of The Odyssey and is known as the goddess of wisdom and battle. Throughout the course of the book, it is evident that Athena has a weak spot for the main character, Odysseus. Odysseus is trying to return home after the Trojan War, as the other Greek hero’s have already done, however he faces multiple challenges a long the way. Fortunately, for Odysseus, Athena was there to guide him through a few of these troubling situations.
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.
Pride can often come with a cost, as it did for Odysseus. In addition, Odysseus didn’t tell his crew what was in the bag that he received from Aeolios, the god of the winds. “He brought along so many presents, plunder out of Troy, that’s it… I say we ought to crack that bag, there is gold and silver, plenty, in that bag!” (10. 45-50).
During Odysseus’ decade-long journey to his home, he encounters many forms of suffering, the most prevalent being transformative in nature. Transformative suffering, which is typically caused by mortals, themselves, alters a mortal being; albeit physically, mentally, or emotionally. In the first few years of his journey, Odysseus suffers the loss of much of his crew. He loses men while plundering a small island; he loses some to the lotus esters; and a few to Polyphemus. Throughout all these sufferings, Odysseus learns that he should listen to the advice of others; thus, transforming him mentally and emotionally through these sufferings.
“‘I’d rather die at sea, with on deep gulp of death, than die by inches on this desolate island here’’ (Odyssey 12. 377-378). Not only was this irony but a foreshadow of what was to come. The description of Odysseus’ ship being destroyed by Zeus is an epic simile and an epithet.
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.
Here, Odysseus tells Athena that she is all he has left and through her immortal powers, she is the only god still on his side who can help him in his time of need. Therefore, through Athena’s encouraging words, she is able to make Odysseus feel uplifted and more useful, especially as Odysseus is, at this point, very hopeless and miserably
When Odysseus finally returns home, he has Athena disguise him so he can look at how his home has been going without him. Everyone besides his wife, son, and two other of his men have been disloyal to him and there is a group of suitors there who have overstayed their visit trying to get Penelope to be their wife. Odysseus locks the suitors all in one room where the
Odysseus has clearly learned not to be impulsive in his decision-making from his past errors, for example on the island of the Laestrygonians and that of the Cyclops, his bad decision making cost many of his men their lives. This decision to wait and contemplate where he is and think about his decision is very smart because at his palace, there is a “world of pain” (11.132). If he ran home, he might have been killed by the suitors. This question shows that after suffering so much, he finally has learned patience. In response to this, and his whole speech, Athena praises him and says he is “so winning” and he is “worldly-wise” (13.377,77).
Odysseus says, “I drew it from the coals and my four fellows / gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclops / as more than natural force nerved them; straight / forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it / deep in his crater eye, and I leaned on it / turning it as a shipwright turns a drill / in planking, having men below to swing / the two-handled strap that spins it in the groove” (Homer 479). Another example of him being brave is when he faces the suitors. Odysseus says that the suitors will pay in blood for what they did to his property and wife. The fight begins and Odysseus and his men get support of Athena. Odysseus and his men show no mercy and kill all the suitors.
What is the definition of a good person? The view of a good person changes as time goes on. However, the Odyssey is still the foundation of human morality. The Odyssey, created by Homer, is an ancient telling of a man named Odysseus and his journey home from the Trojan War. The morals found in the Odyssey show readers the benefit of being able to view situations from multiple points of view.
Also, to dramatize the situation and emphasize the morality of the crew, Homer says "[the crew] put their backs in the oars, escape grim death." This passage shows how, while Homer considers Odysseus heroic, Odysseus may not follow expectations because of his pride and willingness to endanger his men. In this passage, Odysseus continually taunts Polyphemus' against his crew's wishes, and thus risks their lives. However, throughout the reading, Odysseus' claims to have great affection for his crew and wishes to protect them; thus, Odysseus' actions in this scene highlight an inconsistency in Odysseus' character and heroic nature. Because of this inconsistency and Odysseus’ prideful and