Comparison And Contrast Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

Compare and Contrast: In Homer’s book, The Odyssey, Alcinous, King of the Phaeacians is a kind, rich, and forgiving man. He accepts Odysseus into his palace with open arms, places him on a shining chair, and gives him food (Homer 83). He tells his people to make sure that Odysseus is guided home and remains free from trouble, although he lives in a far away land (Homer 83). Alcinous is an extremely hospitable man, doing everything he can to assist Odysseus on his journey home, but also make him feel welcome on his island. In Edith Hamilton’s Mythology, Alcinous is described as “a good sensible man” (Hamilton 303). Hamilton talks of Alcinous the same way he is portrayed in the book: a courteous, kind man. There is one contrast between Mythology

He is egged on by Euryalus and Laodamas, who claim he is weak and old and “ ‘broken down by many hardships’ ” (Homer 91). Eventually Odysseus gives into their torment and competes, beating all the men at discus. Here we see Odysseus boast about beating the men, saying how he can beat them in everything except for the foot-race (Homer 93). In Mythology, however, this scene is never mentioned, although it is highly important in the sense that it shows the audience more of Odysseus’ character. Hamilton goes directly from explaining Odysseus’ welcoming into the palace, to “[the] next day in the presence of all the Phaeacian chiefs he told the story of his ten years’ wandering” (Hamilton 305). She never mentions the games, probably because they weren’t vital to the main storyline. Hamilton is set on merely explaining the story, while Homer uses the games to build Odysseus’ character and

The reason the games were thrown were to show Odysseus how great the Phaeacians were at everything and when this didn’t work, they were humiliated and forced to try and dazzle and astonish Odysseus with their dancers as a last resort (Homer 94). The Phaeacians should not have been so quick to judge so they wouldn’t have been embarrassed after being beat by an old, broken-down man at their beloved games. It is ironic how the color blue-which is one of two colors in this picture-symbolizes wisdom and strength, the two things that Alcinous and his men lack in this book. Also, the fact that this is a statue symbolizes how these games will remain in the Phaeacians memory for a long time, the same way a stone statue remains in the same