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Lotus Eaters In The Odyssey

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The Odyssey by Homer is an epic poem not only telling the story of Odysseus whereabouts after the Trojan War, but also sharing allegorical messages with the reader. The Lotus-eater episode is one of them. The allegory found in this episode is telling the reader that one should not stop at where they’ve found temporary happiness, but to finish their journey and reach their goal. When Odysseus and his men arrive on the land of the Lotus-eaters, his men are immediately greeted by these small creatures, the Lotus-Eaters, who worship this sweet fruit called the lotus. The Lotus-eaters are very kind to Odysseus’ men, and share the fruit with them. Any crewman who ate the lotus “lost all desire to send a message back, much less return, their only
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240 Words | 1 Pages

Throughout his journey, Odysseus and his men faces numerous temptations. When Odysseus is at Circe’s island to rescue his men, as he and his crew were about to depart Circe tell Odysseus “Remain with me, and share my meat and wine’ restore behind your ribs those gallant hearts/ that served you in the old days, when you sailed/ from stony Ithaka. ”(X.509-511). Odysseus falls into the hands of Circe as she tempts the crew with as much meat and wine they want. He and his crew givegave into Circe’s island, regaining the fat he lost, as the year goes by.

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536 Words | 3 Pages

The lotus eaters in the Odyssey are similar to soldiers returning home. Once you begin a routine you don't want to get out of it. When soldiers are out on the battlefield sometimes they don't want to leave because they like the adrenaline rush. The soldiers feel like they belong there, protecting their country.

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232 Words | 1 Pages

In the story, "The Odyssey," Odysseus told his men not to eat the Lotus flower because it would make them high, his men had ate the Lotus flower and they did not listen and it got them high. This states that his men are bad listeners, and do not obey orders. Odysseus told his men to be polite to Circe and not to act like pigs, his men act like pigs and the consequences they had was that they were drugged and their heads were replaced with a pig head. This states that his men are not obedient, and also do not follow orders. Odysseus told his men not to harm the cattle and sheep because Zeus the god of lightning will harm them, and his men killed a cow and ate the cow, Odysseus told his men that he would rather starve then eat the cow and Odysseus

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563 Words | 3 Pages

The natives there gave Odysseus and his men an intoxicating fruit of the lotus. After Odysseus and his men eat the fruit, they forget all of their thoughts about home and decide to eat more of the fruit. The only way that Odysseus can get him and his men back home is by dragging his men back to the ship and lock them up, Odysseus decides to go along with it. When Odysseus went back to Ithaca, He made the wise choice to go and see his wife Penelope. Odysseus was so brave to go see his wife because he didn’t know if she was going to recognize him at all or want to be with him for the rest of her life.

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290 Words | 2 Pages

Odysseus is extremely selfish by betraying his crew. His crew believes that Odysseus is trying to help them return home, when he is actually only concerned about himself.

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1881 Words | 8 Pages

Although Odysseus occasionally does something for the short-term benefit of his crew, he does not deserve their loyalty because he does not sincerely care about them, trust them, or listen to them. Even when Odysseus is in the middle of nowhere in a boat with his comrades and crew members for twenty years, he still manages to not care about them and think of his own life as more valuable than any of theirs. An example of this is when Odysseus sends his men into danger instead of being a leader and going first: “All I spied was a plume of smoke, drifting off the land. / So I sent some crew ahead to learn who lived there -- / men like us perhaps, who live on bread?”

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439 Words | 2 Pages

Odysseus is tempted by the land of the Lotus-Eaters he desires all that he can benefit by raiding their home. Homer writes, “Then I sent out two picked men and a runner to learn what race of man that land sustained”(92-93). In line 94 Odysseus then learned that his decisions were made in vain, because Odysseus’ men “.. fell in soon enough, with the Lotus-Eaters,” Odysseus took his pride from defeating Troy and turned it into arrogance. This then created problem with Odysseus and his crew and their ability to get back home. One would think that Odysseus would not run into a conflict like he had already endured, but as stated in lines 458-459 Odysseus didn’t learn.

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“Charles” Writing Prompt Laurie was a devious little boy. Shirley Jackson, in her short story “Charles” wrote about a kindergarten boy named Laurie. Laurie is an older brother to an infant sibling; consequently, he misbehaved at school because he wanted more attention from his parents. The story took place during the 1950s in a kindergartener’s home and school.

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757 Words | 4 Pages

The first is the theme of hospitality. Throughout The Odyssey, a common theme of hospitality has been shown. Eumaeus has welcomed the traveler into his home and has given him shelter and food despite the fact that he has little to offer compared to some of the other people that have hosted Odysseus. In this passage Eumaeus tells some of the other swine herders to get the largest hog and cut him up for their guest. This shows hospitality because Eumaeus wants the best for his guest no matter who the person is.

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Odysseus starts to learn the importance of being modest through moments of despair. One can perceive a change in character midway through the journey, during his trip to Helio 's Island. Prior to the trip, the crew was deliberately told not harm Helios’s, cattle, for they will suffer the consequences. However, hunger grew in all their bodies leading them to eat the sun god’s cattle. In despair, Odysseus cries to Zeus explaining how he needs a god to save him from starvation.

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1054 Words | 5 Pages

However, the monsters are not as interested in the indulgence of juicy steak, wine, or even the enticing and mystical lotus flowers, but rather in human flesh and blood. The Cyclops, Polyphemus, that Odysseus encounters on his journey gruesomely devours many sailors, tempted by the thought of being able to consume human “innards, flesh, and marrow bones.” The Cyclops continues his feast, “filling his belly with manflesh and great gulps of whey” (IX 312-322), as he greedily causes the demise of many sailors. This passage further reminds readers of the negative consequences of succumbing to the temptation of overindulging. It also acts as a clear warning to readers that feasting in excess is animalistic and inhuman.

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631 Words | 3 Pages

The Princess’s courtesy provides an example of the hospitality that exists throughout Odysseus’s interactions with the Phaeacians. When Odysseus asserts his plea for help, King Alcinous and Queen Arete offer “...to take him safely, comfortably, well and happily, with speed, to his own country, distant though it may lie.” (7.208-210). By granting Odysseus’s request, King Alcinous and Queen Arete demonstrate selflessness, a chief pillar of Greek culture. Later that night, as the Phaeacians hold a feast in honor of Poseidon, King Alcinous and the twelve princes offer Odysseus gifts to take on his return home (8.421-426).

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Odysseus and his crew members longed to return home, however this desire was in conflict with the many temptations that they faced. These are similar to the temptations that people today face. For example, on the island of the Lotus Eaters, Odysseus and his men were offered the Lotus

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472 Words | 2 Pages

We can depict this through a quote found in chapter 9, “A wind from seaward served him, drove us there. We are survivors, these good men and I.” Being the heartless creature the cyclops is, he still goes on to eat Odysseus’ men, shocking them as they believed they should have gotten better treatment and a gracious greeting from the Cyclops as if they were noble heroes. However, soon Odysseus learns that

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716 Words | 3 Pages

I looked out the window, expecting to see the runaway crew member but instead I saw a different man who I immediately recognized as Odysseus. My spirits rose because I knew he was smarter than the others. Once again I lured him into my palace and offered him food and wine, which he refused. He only wanted to get his men returned to their original forms and to continue his journey to Ithaca with them by his side. When I finally convinced him to drink my wine, he was not affected by it.

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