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Manipulation In Homer's Odyssey

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Mankind and the divine living in coexistence has endured the test of time due to the “glass ceiling” remaining intact. This barrier has restrained humans and empowered gods creating a relationship of ruler and subject. Humans have been pious and humble towards the gods, believing they are perfect beings. The gods themselves are ignorant of their own flaws and very humane qualities. Ancient Greek literature depicts gods as reflections of troubled mankind’s need for a role figure who are similar to themselves in stature and personality. Although manipulation is seen as a negative action, it is committed by both humans and the godly. Agamemnon, the Greek commander, uses manipulation when dealing Achilles and says, “I’m coming to your hut and …show more content…

It is one of the most common human emotions because of its prevalence in everyday life. Whether directed at another individual or one’s self, it can consume an individual if not kept in check. For example, Achilles sets aside rationality aside and a very primitive state ensues because of his rage. His anger focuses on Agamemnon, but he is angry with the world in general. In letting his anger consume him, he prioritizes his desires over that of the Greek army and his fellow heroes. This uncontrollable anger is not an emotion that only characterizes humans, but extends to the gods as well. In the Odyssey by Homer, Poseidon is overcome with hatred after Odysseus slays his son Polyphemus. The Earthshaker “[keeps Odysseus] away / From his native land” as punishment for causing him grief (Homer, Odyssey I, 81-82). Poseidon serves as an example of how similar humans are to their celestial counterparts due to their shared experiences. Gods experience loss, misfortune, and other seemingly human issues and must reconcile them in the same way humans do. In regards to Poseidon, he uses anger aimed at Odysseus to cope with his death of his son; this is his means of making peace with his situation. Every human and god goes through obstacles and setbacks, and anger is one of many reactions to

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Over the course of human history people have always believed in a supreme, divine being, or a god. Today’s society is no exception, there are countless of religions from Christianity to Hinduism. The archetypal theme of “respect for the gods” in both Homer’s Odyssey and the Coen brothers film O Brother Where Art Thou? shows similarities and differences between society's belief in a god in the present and during the time of the Ancient Greeks.

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Juxtaposition implies comparison and contrast. Juxtaposition occurs when two objects are placed side by side with contrasting effects. Achilles and Elpenor share several superficial similarities. Achilles and Elpenor are among the deceased. They were buried among the living until their souls traveled to the underworld.

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This is exhibiting self-control; however, with a convincing statement and persuasion, this idea goes into thin air. In the Odyssey, there are many themes and moments of his journey which can be paralleled to ours in a much smaller

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Homer, was a great bard who travels from villages telling many villagers his famous epic. The Odyssey of Homer, Homer’s epic creates a theme around Dolos:Trickery. Trickery can be used to escape from life threatening situations. He uses irony, when Odysseus, is trying to escape the one-eyed cyclops Polyphemus by using “the trick of nobody”. He then foreshadows how Odysseus’s homecoming will be, using the sirens voices as a symbolic message.

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How do you like the beating that we gave you…” (L. 390-392). This piece of evidence has two parts on how Odysseus endangers his men. The outcome of Odysseus’ outburst is a majority of his men dying and being cursed by Cyclops’s father, Poseidon, the God of the Sea. This shows how Odysseus bragging and his arrogance leads his men and him to danger.

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To Kill a Mocking Bird Aristotle holds that anger is “a desire accompanied by pain for an imagined retribution on account of an imagined slighting inflicted by people who have no legitimate reason to slight oneself or one’s own.” (1-3). “Anger is a complex emotion since it embraces pain and pleasure; the pain is produced from injury while the desire of taking revenge is somehow results from the injury. Anger is a strong feeling of being upset or annoyed because of something wrong” (7) . It is also energy it can be positive or negative; if it is used positively, it creates a change in the world but if it is used negatively it can be devastating, the acknowledge that anger has both aspects the negative and the positive one.

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However, Zeus saw the two sides of the gods’ feelings towards Odysseus. “‘Great Odysseus/ who excels all men in wisdom... it’s the Earth-Shaker, Poseidon, unappeased,/ forever fuming against him..’” (1.78-83). Zeus created an equilibrium so that Poseidon could take out his anger on Odysseus through punishment, and Athena receives the duty of making sure Odysseus gets home to Ithaca.

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The audience is first introduced to Odysseus on Calypso’s island after the god Poseidon caused his ship to wreck on the coast, leaving him abandoned on the island. The audience quickly learns of Poseidon’s animosity towards

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[This goes to show that you should not be silly and get angry over trivial things because the gods are not going to happy and bad things will happen. I’m going to edit in here, this is just a filler sentence. ] The portrayal of even the most powerful epic hero as flawed, sometimes to the point of altering fate for the worse, serves as a warning and a cautionary tale of exactly how influential rage can

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The Resemblance of Gods and Humans Throughout all religions, gods have always been seen as superior in every way possible. The division between humans and gods has always been prevalent and prominent. However, when the actions and motives of these gods are truly analyzed, it will become evident that the gods of Greek Mythology merely behave as humans with supernatural powers.

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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.

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Diction and imagery are very important components to a story. It is the way that the author displays their feelings through the character. Homer uses very vivid shifts in tone, sometimes creating room for the reader to learn a lesson. In one of Homer’s famous books, “The Odyssey,” he uses diction, imagery, and tone to show that everything does not always go as planned. Wishing to escape the cyclops’ bondage, Odysseus tries to get out of trouble and assumes that he and his men are safe by lying to the Cyclops.

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The relationships between the Greek gods and mortals have always been complicated. The gods can be generous and supportive, but also harsh and destructive towards the humans. They claim to be all powerful beings with unlimited power and influence, but in truth, they are far more human than they are perceived. They meddle with human lives, not because they are wise, but because of their own selfish reasons. In Homer’s

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lutarch’s Life of Aristides contains a compelling aside about the perfectibility of a leader. What he calls the “divine nature” of a great man has three attributes: power, virtue, and immortality. Of these, virtue is the most important; prestige must flow from it primarily, rather than from the uncertain reservoirs of violence or power. Continuing in this vein, he notes: So when we consider the three sentiments, admiration, fear, and reverence, which divinity inspires among mankind, we find that men appear to admire the gods and think them blessed because they are immortal and unchangeable…

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Humans are like puppets; they have the freedom of choice however their decisions are constantly interfered by the gods. The god’s are given respect due to their extreme power, as mortals know, if offended a god, one would most likely have to face severe consequences. Nonetheless, the gods are not all powerful, as they have emotions that drive them hence weakens them. In Ancient Greek society, having the gods in your favor played a critical role in peoples daily lives, as the gods would extremely influence decision, have significant power over one’s fate, and have direct involvement in the lives of humans. “Father Zeus, is there any mortal left on the wide earth who will still declare to the immortals his mind and his purpose?

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