In Book 23 of “The Odyssey” Homer uses imagery to show Odysseus’s moment of glory after wiping out the suitors. Odysseus was found, “...in the thick of slaughtered corpses;/there he stood and all around him, over the beaten floor,/ the bodies sprawled in heaps, lying one on another... /How it would have thrilled your heart to see him-/Splattered with bloody filth, a lion with his kill” (23. 48-52). The slaughtered corpses made the scene visually appealing, emphasizing Odysseus’s victory at last against the suitors.
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.
This example shows how honor is not necessarily one thing, but a combination of how one acts, treats others and handles situations. It is a reflection of how others see us and something that others determine. In the encounter with the Cyclops, Odysseus is seen as honorable by his men due to his actions. Rather than run away, he stays with his men and finds a solution to save them all. He does not put his life or value himself more than his men.
Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, chronicles the homeward bound voyage of the main character, King Odysseus of Ithaca. After Trojan War which lasted ten years, Odysseus sets foot on another adventure, which also spans ten years, to return to Ithaca. Odysseus is gone from his home for a total twenty years, but upon his arrival back to Ithaca, he finds that his title has been defended by his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus, who have been awaiting his return this entire time. Odysseus and Penelope are meant to be a model couple, so people often argue about which of the two is more admirable. To be admirable is to have faced a struggle with honor and dignity.
Odysseus is known as a very honorable man recognized as brave, noble, and a hero in the Odyssey. He is described one way, but his actions are contradicting towards his distinguishable character. In Homer’s The Odyssey, it can be argued that Odysseus is too deceitful, narcissistic, and pretentious to be considered an honorable hero. To support this, I will be analyzing the use of the word “honor” in situations where Odysseus was described as a man with great honor by the gods.
“With pride, there are many curses. With humility, there come many blessings. -Ezra Taft Benson” This quote directly states the topic of my paper. Many times Odysseus gets over confident or too prideful in the Odyssey. The Odyssey shows that having too much pride, confidence, and anger can negatively affect you, and the people around you.
In Greek culture honor and shame is everything to them. With honor brings great joy, but with shame disgrace us brought upon the person and their family. The Iliad opens up with this line, “Sing, goddess, the anger of Peleus’ son Achilleus and its devastation, which put pains thousandfold upon the Achaians” (75). This summarizes the whole story of the Iliad, that Achilleus will becomes greatly angered which will bring horrible atrocities upon the Achaians.
Hubris is one of the many themes that were brought up in the Iliad. Its definition is extreme pride and arrogance shown by a person that will bring downfall to that person or to others. The first time this theme is brought up is when Helen leaves with Paris. Agamemnon uses Helen as an excuse to rile up all the Greek kings. Agamemnon knew that if they beat Troy, then he would control a major passage of trade which would make him the undisputed ruler of all of Greece.
The Odyssey by Homer follows the story of a man who left his family to go fight a war in Troy; with the help of his smart decisions and the help of others around him he finds himself having a very successful homecoming after 20 years of being gone. Odysseus, the hero of The Odyssey, is a very cunning man who knows how to get away with anything, with escaping from a cyclops to following orders. In The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy has been knocked unconscious after she is locked out of her storm cellar, she awakens not in Kansas, but rather MunchkinLand; Dorothy is confused in the colorful wonderland she has woken from, she wishes to go home and Glinda the Good Witch gives her the advice of following the yellow brick road to the Wizard, the Wizard will help her
Throughout Homer’s The Odyssey the after-effects of war, both on veterans themselves and their loved ones are shown. The events during war and the effects of war worsen the mental health of those involved in it. The way that war changes people as depicted in The Odyssey by having detrimental effects on their mental health is similar as compared to today’s world, however veterans are more emotionally closed and more recognized to have to deal with trauma caused it than depicted in The Odyssey. War changes people in The Odyssey mainly through affecting their mental state.
However, in The Iliad, honor is not an idea, but something material. Honor is a material representation of one’s achievements and greatness. This concept of honor being material is first seen in Book 1 of the Iliad, when Agamemnon does not want to give Chryseis back to her father. He obtained her as a prize of war, and giving her back to her father
The Ancient Greeks value specific qualities in a person however they did not value other. Ancient Greeks valued these qualities based on certain achievements or on a performances in war or even inside the city walls making substantial decisions. The Iliad is a epic novel by the Greek poet Homer. The Iliad is based off of the Trojan war between the Achaeans led by King Agamemnon and the Trojans led by King Priam of Troy. This novel focuses on the actions of several characters and how the disparate gods interfered with the war to help one or the other side have a chance to win.
The Ancient Greeks value specific qualities in a person, however they did not value other. Ancient Greeks valued these qualities based on certain achievements or on a performances in war or even inside the city walls making substantial decisions. The Iliad is an epic novel by the Greek poet Homer. The Iliad is based off of the Trojan war between the Achaeans led by King Agamemnon and the Trojans led by King Priam of Troy. This novel focuses on the actions of several characters and how the disparate gods interfered with the war to help one or the other side have a chance to win.
Iliad, the epic poem is written by a great epic poet Homer. This poem is a classic in real terms and recounts some historic facts about the last ten years of Trojan war and the Greek siege city of Troy. Tracing back its history, Iliad is thought to be written back in 8th century B.C. and it is considered one of the earliest works in western literary tradition. It captures the scene of blood, abductions, murders, wrath of Achilles, revenge, anger and intervention of gods. The scene of warfare and blood are presented in the poem through oral tradition initially.
Epic poetry is basically a long narrative poem, that is based on stories that are larger than life. For instance it is about the grandeur of warriors, bravery of heroes, various Gods, kings and their kingdoms. In style and theme, it is majestic. It basically incorporates mythicism, religious affairs, legend, folktales, historical events that are of national significance. It sometimes involves events that are of universal significance aswell.
