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Literary analysis of homer the odyssey
Athena and her importance in the odyssey
Role of gods in the odyssey
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Literary analysis of homer the odyssey
Athena and her importance in the odyssey
Role of gods in the odyssey
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
One of the islands he traveled to help a cyclops who was a cannibal. Odysseus saved his crew by spearing him right in the eye blinding him. The cyclops was the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea.
After blinding the cyclops, Polyphemus, Odysseus can not stand the thought of no one ever knowing his accomplishment, so he jeers at the cyclops and tells him that Odysseus of Ithaca is who blinded him. Obviously, Polyphemus is enraged, and since Odysseus had just basically given him his address, the cyclops prays to Poseidon, wishing that Odysseus never returns home. For the rest of the time Odysseus is at sea, he is dogged by Poseidon, as the surly god sends storm after storm to harry Odysseus and prevent his safe return home.
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.
Odysseus went through many obstacles throughout his journey. For example, the Lotus eaters who gave Odysseus and his crew the intoxicating fruit of the lotus. Polyphemus the one-eyed cyclops that Odysseus stabbed in the eye and the Cyclops asked the gods to punish him. As Odysseus went through his journey, Poseidon made it very eventful because of what he did to his son Polyphemus. The most important obstacle that affected his journey back home to Ithaca was seduction.
Throughout the story of Odysseus’s journey told by Homer, there are many defining examples of interaction between humans and their gods. The gods primarily interact with humans by either siding with or against them. The gods would often side with humans since they wanted to help them such as Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, helping Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, whereas the gods seeking revenge such as Poseidon, who sought revenge on Odysseus for slaying his son Polyphemus, would turn against them. While actual interaction between gods and humans seems to be a rather risible idea, there was much guidance given to humans by the gods throughout the Odyssey.
Books 5 and 6 of The Odessey are very significant parts of the story. In book 5 the gods (except Posiden) meet to discuss the fate of Odysseus. They conclude that he should be set free to return to his family but it will take him ten years. Hermes an artisan messenger, go to Calypso to tell her to set Odysseus free. When he does Calypso then begins to give a rhapsody saying that the male gods can do whatever they want but when it comes to female gods the males always interfere.
(Odyssey 50) He was taunting the Cyclops. So the Polyphemus went ahead to pray to his father to get rid of the trespasser. His father is the legendary sea god Poseidon. The Cyclops wishes that Odysseus will never see his family or friends again and that his men will die and Odysseus will live a sad and lonely life so that he will never be happy
The tale of the Land of the Cyclopes is a very prominent feature in Odysseus’ story. Here we really see our hero show his skills in a multitude of ways. Not only does Ody trick a demigod but he also blinds him. The crew of men our protagonist brought to the island believes that they should off Polyphemus in his sleep, but in that moment Odysseus shows a higher understanding of the world.
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.
In the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer portrays Greek gods and goddesses as possessing human qualities and faults. Through their actions and emotions, Homer emphasizes the detrimental effects of lust, envy, wrath, and greed in ancient Grecian society. He also never fails to remind readers of the importance of respect for holy figures because of their powerful abilities to create chaos and wonder". Homer wants to prove that gods and humans share a variety of traits, and the only difference is that god don’t allow these flaws negatively to impact their society. To help further his argument, we can compare Greek gods and goddesses to that of Christianity.
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
In Homer’s Odyssey, gods and other supernatural beings dominated every aspect of mortal life. All living things and phenomena that occur in the world can be traced back to the gods. Seeing as how gods are responsible for the lives of mortals and the state of the natural world, performing deeds that anger the gods would prove to be disastrous while performing deeds that please the gods would prove to be beneficial. Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War was took ten years due to angering gods like Poseidon and Helios. However, it was through Athena’s aid that he was able to make it back home.
In the Odyssey, I feel as if the Gods role was to function more as spiritual guides and as support for the human of choice. An example being Athena reuniting Odessyus and his son after 20 years, Hermes warning Odysseus of Circes witchcraft, and Circes giving him directions. Yet, I also feel as if they punish for poor behavior as well.
The Odyssey, gods like Athena and Poseidon interfere with humans to satisfy their own desires, showing that they are just as imperfect and flawed as the mortals that they rule over. Athena favors Odysseus since he reminds her of herself. He portrays the same cunning, guile, and intelligence as she does; Athena had confided to him that “two of a kind, we are, contrivers, both,” comparing how similar they are. “Of all men now alive,” she says, “you are the best in plots and story telling.
Poseidon, Apollo, Athena, Zeus, and Hermes are all Greek Gods that appear in the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer. These gods all play a significant role in The Odyssey by both helping and hindering Odysseus on his 10-year journey home. Homer illustrates the theme of divine intervention in The Odyssey using Poseidon’s wrath, Athena’s providence, and Hermes’ guidance. Poseidon is one of the main gods that appears throughout The Odyssey, Homer shows Poseidon's divine intervention through his wrath on Odysseus during his journey home.