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Epithets In The Odyssey

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The Epithets Of A Journey: An Essay On The Odyssey by Homer The Odyssey by Homer is one of literature’s most beloved classic epic poems. The Odyssey centers on King Odysseus’ journey home after the ten-year long Trojan War. His journey involves encountering multiple hospitable gods and goddesses, storms at sea, and monsters to fight or obstacles to face before he was able to reach the shores of Ithaca, his homeland, and fight one last battle until he would be able to “live happily ever after” with his lover, Penelope, and his now grown-up son, Telemakhos. Not only does The Odyssey showcase Odysseus’ journey home, there is an additional subplot involving his son, Telemakhos. This subplot is Telemakhos’ coming-of-age story in which he sets …show more content…

Courageous here is defined as “not deterred by danger or pain; brave.” It is manifest throughout The Odyssey that both of these heroes represented this major epithet of a Greek hero; courageousness. Every time Odysseus faced a danger, he never wavered like a hero would. He had to navigate the stormy seas Poseidon struck down on him. “Now Zeus the lord of the cloud roused in the north a storm against the ships, and driving veils of squall moved down like night on land and sea… We saw death in that fury, dropped the yards, unshipped the oars, and pulled for the nearest lee; then two long days and nights we lay offshore worn out and sick at heart, tasting our grief, until a third Dawn came with ringlets shining. Then we put up our masts, hauled sail, and rested, letting the steersmen and the breeze take over.” pg. 147 Instead of giving up, Odysseus and his men fight on through the “two long days and nights… worn out and sick at heart, tasting our grief.” And although they were tired and didn’t want to continue, they found a way to fight the dangers of Poseidon’s storms and survived. In another instance, Odysseus and his men valiantly fight the dangerous Kyklops, a terrible monster. “Now, by the gods, I drove my big hand spike deep in the embers, charring it again, and cheered my men along with battle talk to keep their courage up: no quitting now.” pg. 156 Being able to not give up or shrink away from danger makes Odysseus an admirable, courageous hero. Furthermore, there were oher moments in which he and his men had to overcome grief from losing men and facing dangers in which they risked their lives. Once Odysseus makes it home and has revealed himself to Telemakhos, Telemakhos proves himself to his father that he is also worthy of being a hero; being courageous. When fighting the suitors with only help from a few others, Telemakhos proves himself worthy. “Quick upon his father’s

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The Odyssey Commentary The Odyssey follows Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, on his long journey home after fighting in the Trojan war. As Odysseus is trying to return home he encounters many obstacles that present to be extremely difficult and challenging. However, these challenges help Odysseus grow as a character and teach him many valuable lessons. A particular trial he and his men faced was getting trapped in the Cyclops, Polyphemus' cave.

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“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.” -Erich Fromm ‘The Odyssey’ by Homer, follows the story of Odysseus, a great Greek hero. It tells of his venture to Troy, to lead his army in the Trojan War, and his separation from loved ones and his kingdom for twenty years. However, the novel mainly focuses on the story of his homecoming and all he, and many others, had to endure while he was returning from abroad.

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Odysseus was extremely brave on how on he put his life in danger. For an example is from book 11 The Land of the Dead Odyssey life was at risk when he entered the land of the dead, following Circe’s instructions. “Odysseus and his crew set out for the land of the dead. They arrive and find the place to which Circe has directed them.” (Homer 388).

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An example shining his courage is when him and his men had to go past Scylla when he knew any of them could die and he was also putting himself in danger. Another example is when he chose to be tied up for the passing of the Sirens. This was a courageous act because no other mortal man had been able to do that and make it out alive. One last example is When he came home to all of the suitors in his house. This is courageous because the suitors only cared about getting Penelope and if they cared so much about that why would they want Odysseus to come home to ruin their chances?

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In the novel, The Odyssey translated by Robert Fitzgerald, Telemachus gives a speech to Ithaca. He argues to the suitors about disrespecting his father Odysseus’ home even though they think Odysseus is dead and will never come home. Courageously, from the heart, Telemachus goes up against the suitors to state control over the key social practices of marriage hospitality. Telemachus’ speech was effective because it showed pathos, logos, and ethos. Telemachus looks and acts the part of his father, astonishing those who presumably knew him as a boy.

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Odysseus portrays those three heroic traits throughout his voyage home to Ithaca, which is why he is a hero. Odysseus is highly dedicated to his reputation and ego for the whole of his rocky and treacherous journey. From going up against a cyclops that is five times the size of him, to placing wax upon his crewmates’ ears to mute the singing of the Sirens, Odysseus is brave when he faces his fears and intelligent when he creates lifesaving tools from ship materials. A modern hero can be someone who saves a life or even sacrifices his or her own for someone else. Odysseus can be compared to a modern hero because he risks his own life to protect his crewmates.

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In the book called The Odyssey by Homer, it mainly follows the story of a king of a village called Ithaca, hundreds of years ago-This man, is named Odysseus. Odysseus goes through many adventures after the victory of the Trojan War. However, this is where Odysseus, is not being as strong as a great war hero and a king as he should be. Although Odysseus was seen as a very strong person, physically and mentally, he lacks the appreciation and the care of his crew throughout the trials and didn’t think through many of his actions thoroughly and how they would affect not only his crew but people around him.

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His actions prove that he is courageous because although he knew of the danger ahead he decided to proceed. Self discipline, just like courage, is a strength that was continuously shown by Odysseus in the selection in which he reveals himself to his son. For instance,  it is stated in lines 1124-1128 of page 599, “If they make fun of me in my own courtyard, let your ribs cage up your springing heart, no matter what I suffer if they pull me by the heels or practise shots at me, to drive me out.” This quote helps one understand why Odysseus could be categorized as disciplined by illustrating a way in which Odysseus’ self-discipline was enhanced, after all, not all people would be able to control their emotions after being humiliated in their

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In The Odyssey, many tribulations of conquest and vital society transformations take place. Homer included Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, in the epic poem to represent the disintegration of innocence through the will of courage. Also, throughout Telemachus’ hardships, the insights he obtained aided him to becoming more aware of his surroundings and guided him toward true wisdom. During Telemachus’ childhood, his absent father led him to accepting his fate of the suitors overrunning his home (pg. 190).

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Telemachus Growing into a Strong Mature Man Samuel Ullman, an American businessman and poet, once said, “Maturity is the ability to think, speak, and act your feelings within the bounds of dignity.” Samuel’s words hold true in Homer 's The Odyssey. In this extraordinary poem, Telemachus, the Son of Penelope, queen of Ithaca, and Odysseus, king of Ithaca. While Odysseus is at war fighting, Telemachus losing fait about his father coming home. He soon starts to question that he could be dead or alive.

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Yes, the terribly challenging circumstances in narrative in which the Odysseus finds himself is a challenge of courage and heroism of which very few would willingly volunteer. His ability to remain courageous in the face of brute beast, the actions of gods and demi-goddesses, and in almost impossible natural and supernatural circumstances certainly admirable. However, it is evident that there are circumstances where his hubris leads him to trust his intellect and wit over more reasonable course of action that not only endanger his life, but the life of his entire

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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.

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Odyssey Argumentative Essay The Odyssey is an epic by Homer. It is a story about Odysseus journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. All the Greek heroes had returned home after the Trojan War except for Odysseus who was an important hero in Ithaca. Odysseus was absent in his son’s life and Telemachus decided that, it was time to find his father and bring him back home to his wife Penelope.

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he thundered out, 'now who are you? Where did you sail from, over the running sea-lanes? Out on a trading spree or roving the waves like pirates, sea-wolves raiding at will, who risk their lives to plunder other men?'” Odysseus and his crew become frightened, but despite this, Odysseus shows the heroic trait of bravery by answering back confidently, “The hearts inside us shook, terrified by his rumbling voice and monstrous hulk.

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In a situation like this, a typical person would easily have given up knowing that all odds are against them. Odysseus, though, took the initiative to come up with a plan despite the size disadvantage and his crew members being paralyzed by fear. This text also shows how he fearlessly confronts the giant and tricks him despite knowing he might get killed in the process. Both of these instances demonstrate how much courage Odysseus has because of his willingness to do what frightened the rest of the crew. This, in turn, made him a hero because his courage allowed him to get his crew out of harm's way.

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