Greek Gods In The Odyssey

In Homer’s Epic Poem The Odyssey, Odysseus is portrayed as godlike, but at the same time he is a vulnerable mortal. In Greek culture gods were considered inspiring figures. Gods were well known and played an essential role in Greek culture. Gods had absolute power over mortal action. Mortals looked at gods for guidance and pleased them with sacrifices in return for their favors. Mortals were loyal to their gods such as when they make decisions about their lives giving them only the opportunity to choose between the options that gods provided. Moreover, Odysseus was immortalized by his fame created by his heroic history including the Trojan War. The Epic Poem describes Odysseus as godlike the loyalty and devotion that his companions had on

In Odysseus’s return to Ithaca he presented himself as a beggar which in turn gave him the opportunity to evaluate the suitors and plan his revenge against them. This strategy allowed him to defeat and killed the suitors and maintain his honorable status among Greek society. Homer stayed that, “the stampeded about the hall, like a herd of cattle set upon and driven wild by the darting horse fly in the spring season...but the other men, who were like hook-clawed, beak–bent vultures, descending from mountains to pounce upon the lesser bird...but the vultures plunge on them and destroy them”(Book 22, 300-305). This epic simile describe the battle between Odysseus and the suitors. Odysseus was compared to the vultures who incising their prey exploding weaknesses. The suitors were compared to cattle which will be sacrificed. Vultures symbolized strength and astuteness. Even though, the number of vultures were not outnumber, they destroyed the suitors because vultures were skilled in distracting their prey and attack them when less expected. Battle symbolizes the suitors who were defenseless because of the lack of rationality and the dependency one in another. This epic simile not only describe Odysseus’s anger on the Suitors because of their intention to take over his wife and his property, but also the panic of the suitors on Odysseus’s