Homer was a unique poet of the 8th century BCE, where he included key values to base the epic poem The Odyssey off of to tell about the greek lifestyle and their common characteristics. The Odyssey was written by Homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald and tells the adventure of a father and son that reunite after 10 years apart during the Trojan War. Young Telemachos is trying to locate his father, while Odysseus is trying to get back to the city of Ithaca to his Wife Penelope and his son Telemachos. In Ancient Greece, four values were taught to all generations and were present in daily life. In Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, the greek values of cleverness, hospitality, and loyalty are featured and are either rewarded or punished.
The greek value of cleverness is presented in Homer's epic poem The Odyssey and is either rewarded or punished due to the degree it is used by and by whom. For example, when Odysseus and his men are trapped in Cyclops’ cave, and they need to trick him to escape but when he asks for Odysseus’ name, he responds with, "My name is Nohbdy; Mother, father, and friends. Everybody calls me Nohbdy." (IX 397-398) Odysseus is clever by doing this because he will never get the blame when Cyclops wants revenge after they escape. This shows how intelligent Odysseus is by thinking of the effects later on and he is rewarded by escaping safely. An example of
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In each of the given circumstances, there are lessons and principles to be taught or to learn from that were important to greek culture. Homer tells these stories clearly to show that the decisions you make are important and determine how you are treated by the gods and the expectations of the people around you. Greek values of cleverness, hospitality, and loyalty are featured in this epic poem and are either rewarded or
As one of the most prominent epic poems in Greek literature, the Odyssey incorporates many values upheld during the Bronze Age and allows us to understand what the community was like during that time. Readers can gain more insight into the cultural practices and daily life to help expand their knowledge of the Homeric age. Themes such as Xenia and masculinity were highlighted throughout the poem, but the most prevalent theme was the importance of the father and son relationship. The epic emphasizes the negative impacts of a son not having a father figure for guidance and shows how Telemachus needed Odysseus. The Odyssey displays the importance of a father figure for a son’s development as Telemachus’ lack of guidance and connection to his
Justification comes from the views of those around a being. Their actions and thoughts lead to what many deem as “justified” or not. Justifying an action is similar to viewing it as the right and correct way to do something. In order to show leadership and guidance, one must be able to justify their own actions and speak for what is right. In Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey,” the protagonist Odysseus takes on an adventure that would involve the death of many beings, innocent or not.
In Homer’s “The Odyssey” the traces and nuances of this pursuit can be found in the very structure and hierarchy of Ancient Greece. Through his storytelling, Homer paints a vivid picture of adventure and wonder, but even while Homer tries to deliver an
In this way, a Homeric hero can achieve what is his ultimate goal, immortality through an honorable “hero’s death.’ Because, society in which the Homeric hero bases his life on values that are primarily in line with war and deeds of astounding strength and athleticism, this means that the heroes actions throughout the poem seek to reiterate that defining goal. Their every action is a reminder of the strict moral and societal guidelines that they find themselves trapped in. Agamemnon, for example, is introduced as a prideful man often controlled by his emotions. In the first book of the Iliad, entitled “the rage of Achilles” we see how when Achilles demands he give up his prize to the war god Apollo to appease his wrath, his immediate response is a negative and defensive reply.
Odysseus does this because he is prideful and haughty and wants Polyphemus to know who Odysseus was and that Odysseus defeated him. However, by doing so, he alerts Polyphemus of their location, and the cyclops hurls a massive boulder at the men, causing, “a giant wave that washed the ship stern foremost back to shore” (III: 484-485). This shows that Odysseus’ pride and honor which causes him to boast to others about his victories and their losses, is very dangerous to him and his crew. Instead of taking the easy way out, Odysseus decides to show off to the cyclops, who nearly washed them back to shore and kills them because of Odysseus’ foolish arrogance. Figurative Language: 1.
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.
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.
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.
The Odyssey by Homer revolves around the character, Odysseus, and his ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. As the epic’s idol, he displays the combination of a clever, handsome, and courageous man popular among the mortals as well as the gods. Essentially, he embodies the ideals of the ancient Greek culture, being adorned with many favored characteristics of the era. However, an intriguing aspect of Odysseus lies in his personality. As the protagonist, he does not manifest the entirety of a stereotypical hero because Odysseus has a fatal flaw—his arrogance.
The Odyssey is an epic poem written by the blind, illiterate poet Homer. It takes place in ancient Greece and tells of a man’s journey home from war. The topic, intervention of the gods, is seen throughout the book numerous times as the gods who are in favor of Odysseus lend a helping hand. It is well-known that the gods are very important to the Greeks. In this epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer demonstrates the importance of the positive and encouraging intervention of the gods in Greek culture; the brave actions, encouraging words, and cunning strategies of Athena as she assists and guides Odysseus on his journey back 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.
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.
One way that Odysseus shows cleverness is when he is able to get his men out of dangerous situations. Two stories in which Odysseus uses his cleverness to get him and his men out of dangerous situations are in “Scylla and Charybdis”, and “The Cyclops”. Another way how Odysseus shows his cleverness is he deceives others to his advantage. In “The Cyclops” he deceives Polyphemus when he tricks him into thinking his name is Nohbody, and this helps him to escape the island and not get caught. Cleverness is a trait in The Odyssey that helped Odysseus to get him and his men out of dangerous situations, and cleverness also helped deceive others to Odysseus’
A major theme in the Odyssey is reciprocity: people getting what they deserve. Reciprocity is an important theme in the Odyssey because it explains why Odysseus’ journey was very long and treacherous. Eurylochus, Antinous, and Odysseus all suffered consequences due to poorly made actions. Each of them made the wrong decisions which lead to death and a long/adventurous journey. Eurylochus was the first to be killed by Odysseus and his men due to his actions.