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Examples Of Power In The Odyssey

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I define power as the means to be in total control over anything that can and will happen from anywhere. In the Odyssey, power arises through the relationships between gods, mortals, and creatures, depending on their adherence to the laws of Xenia. The three following relationships that reflect power in the Odyssey and how they arise through Xenia are the goddess's imprisoned soon-to-be husband, escape plan one eye, and father-son blood slaughter. The first of these relationships is what I nicknamed "Father-Son Blood Slaughter,", in which Odysseus and Telemchaus bring down the karma from Odysseus and Telemchaus to the insulting suitors. In Book 22 of "The Odyssey", Odysseus says (to the suitors): "You dogs! You never imagined I'd return to Troy... ravished my serving women, wooed my wid behind my back while I was still alive!" (Od.22.36-39). For some context, while this is happening, Telemachus is getting ready to start absolutely slaughtering them like it's nothing, and Odysseus is getting his arrows fired after killing one, which causes panic among …show more content…

In the article, "Odysseus the Foreigner,", it briefly says in Section "Odysseus and Polyphemus", "When Polyphemus found out, through the false words of Odysseus, that the Greek ship had been destroyed, he grabbed two of the new arrivals and easily bashed their bodies against the ground." By the definition of Xenia, this was horrible treatment yet expected for the Cyclopes, because after he ate them, he revealed that he doesn't believe in Xenia; after all, he is the son of the powerful Poseidon, a powerful god. In my opinion, this shows the power of how Poseidon handled the situation for his now blinded son against the mortal Odysseus, which was creating the most inconvenient journey back home that took 10 years to even come close to his

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Original: Penelope was able to survive on her own even as the odds were against her, but she never would’ve achieved the goal of getting rid of the suitors with the amount of power she possessed. Correction: Penelope was able to survive on her own even though she is at a disadvantage, but she could never meet the goal of getting rid of the suitors with the amount of power she possesses. Rule: Past tense verbs ______________________________________________________________________________ Original: One could argue that Penelope used this plan as a long-term solution ultimately making her equal to Odysseus, but not only could someone else argue the opposite, in addition to the situation Odysseus saved her in the end after confidently revealing

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Not to mention demanding a gift since that was “custom” (Homer 566). Anyone could see that the situation was wrong and how Polyphemus could be angry. If Odysseus simply moved on from the island, his men’s lives could have been spared. A great example of this is when Odysseus and his men were coming up to Cyclops island and Odysseus knew that the people on the island were cyclops. He didn’t tell any of his men about the beings that lay within the island, causing them to blindly go toward their deaths.

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In the myth, The Odyssey, the hero Odysseus fights a cyclops named Polyphemius. During their battle, the hero's men were eaten by the cyclopes, and Odysseus uses the cyclop's bad eyesight to his advanage. Odysseus also mocks Polymethius by tricking the cyclops into thinking Odysseus's name was "Nobody." To escape the cave the cyclops trapped him in, he climbs on a sheep's underside and sneeks his way out of the cave.

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The epic poem The Odyssey by Homer deals with themes and ideas that connect with the real, modern world, despite it being a fictional tale written a long time ago. Some of these ideas include the concept of hubris as well as loyalty, both of which the main character, Odysseus, possesses. Although Odysseus can be arrogant and can lead his men into danger, he is a good leader because he uses his intelligence to get his men out of tough situations, and he is loyal and motivational towards them. While Odysseus’ curiosity can get him and his men into tough situations, his intelligence can get them out.

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Forrest’s momma always told him, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you 're gonna get.” A person should not be judged as stupid because of his IQ, but a person who does something stupid can be classified that way. In The Odyssey and Forest Gump, the protagonist had a purpose that led every decision they made; this shows that both were epic. Forrest, however not very popular himself, happened to be born into a very infamous family.

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In Robert Fagles’ translation of The Odyssey, Polyphemus, a cyclops, denies Odysseus hospitality, or xenia, because of his rebellious attitude and arrogance towards Zeus and the gods. After accessing Polyphemus’ cave, Odysseus and his crew members kindly ask for xenia, meaning hospitality in the greek culture. Angered by Odysseus’ request, Polyphemus selfishly kills two of Odysseus’ men, then turns around and arrogantly falls asleep. “With his hands towards my men and snatching two at once, rapping them on the ground he knocked them dead like pups… But once the Cyclops had stuffed his enormous gut with human flesh…he slept in his cave” (9.325-335).

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Odysseus uses his powers as king quite unfairly. The Odyssey, written by Homer around 3,000 years ago is an epic poem about how Odysseus restores justice to Ithaca. As Odysseus returns home, he brings with him a style of fear, revenge, and brutal justice. Ithaca's fear of Odysseus’s style of justice is restored in two ways. The first reason is how fear is restored to Ithaca.

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The Odyssey by Homer is an epic poem about the adventures that Odysseus goes through on his journey back home after the trojan war. Odysseus is portrayed as a hero throughout the story, leading his comrades and saving his family from the suitors. While this is happening, Odysseus can be seen to exemplify hubris and kleos; greek terms one of which means excessive pride and the other respect and honor. The Odyssey also covers xenia; the hospitality and respect that goes mutually from a guest to a host, as an important topic in which the gods are involved heavily in. With all this in mind, Odysseus can be seen as more of an antagonist in contrast to what some may think.

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Vidhi Patel Ms. Kottke Honors English 10 17 March 2023 The desire for power, although afflictive, is a common trait exhibited by many individuals. This intense craving can greatly impact actions and decisions. In the Odyssey, Homer examines the dangers of seeking power at the expense of others and showcases that characters who prioritize control over compassion fail.

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In the Odyssey Odysseus and his men are shown defeating the Trojans. When the battle ends Odysseus stands on a pile of rocks and yells angrily at the gods. The gods reply by cursing Odysseus and his men where they will

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Earlier in the epic, Odysseus frequently abuses his role as captain of his crew because of his curious nature. He makes several stops on their journey home in search of more opportunities to prove his skillfulness, even though he is already a king and has won a major war. One of these stops is at the Island of Polyphemus, home to the cyclops famed for eating all humans that enter his cave. Even though Odysseus is well aware of the danger ahead, his curiosity tempts him to

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1262 Words | 6 Pages

Polyphemus threatens Odysseus by saying “‘Come back, Odysseus, and I’ll treat you well, praying the god of earthquake to befriend you-his son I am, for he by his avowal fathered me, and, if he will, he may heal me of this black wound-he and no other of all the happy gods or mortal men’” (160, 564-559). Polyphemus wanted to make a deal with Odysseus; he would have his father make Odysseus’ voyage home smooth, and Polyphemus hoped that Poseidon could heal his eye wound. Polyphemus seemed to doubt that his father would help him with his blindness, which shows that their relationship is not close or strong. After Odysseus threatened to kill Polyphemus and says that Poseidon could not help his blindness, Polyphemus prays to his father, saying “‘O hear me, lord, blue girdler of the islands, if I am thine indeed, and thou art father: grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, never sees his home: Laertes’ son, I mean, who kept his hall on Ithaca.

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922 Words | 4 Pages

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.

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414 Words | 2 Pages

While Odysseus and his crew are slowly moving away from Cyclopes Island, Odysseus tells Polyphemus that he is “Odysseus, Laertes’ son,” whose home “lies on Ithaca” (Homer 459 and 460). Because of his arrogant decision to tell Polyphemus the truth of his origins, he essentially dooms him and his crew. Polyphemus, who is Poseidon's son, asks of his father to punish Odysseus for his arrogance, whom grants his prayer. In cessation, Odysseus’ haughty decision to tell Polyphemus his whereabouts leads to his utter

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1009 Words | 5 Pages

The cyclops Polyphemus effectively sets up the entire plot of Homer’s Odyssey, unleashing Poseidon’s wrath on Odysseus and consequently emerging as one of his most formidable rivals. Despite being perceived by Odysseus as an uncivilized savage and the polar opposite of a Greek citizen, it becomes evident that although the two are opposed in terms of customs, they fundamentally resemble one another when analyzed through the lens of xenia, rendering Odysseus’ worldview xenophobic. Thus, the Polyphemus episode turns into a powerful allegory for how the West has traditionally viewed people from foreign cultures that they sought to subjugate. Odysseus regards Polyphemus as inferior because of behavior that he sees as uncivilized when compared to

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