Storytelling In The Odyssey

The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer accredited as one of the most influential poems of its time. It tells stories of fighting, temptations, and how the behaviors of people can catapult their lives in different directions. It tells the tale of Odysseus of Ithaca and his journey to come back to his homeland after fighting in a war with Troy, but the short trip back takes him 20 years and he needs to come back to his kingdom and his family. The main character is Odysseus, king of Ithaca and husband to Penelope. Other important mortals of the story are Penelope, his wife, and queen of Ithaca, Telemachus, his son whom he left in Ithaca while at war who has aged 20 years, and Antinous, the lead suitor in a group of men that have invaded

He can fight skillfully with swords to bow and arrows and he protects people around him. Whether it is his crew or his kingdom back in Ithaca, Odysseus was one to beat. The Odyssey can be seen as the story of a veteran because we continually see Odysseus fighting to get back home after the violent, treacherous war in Troy. Another huge component in the storytelling in the Odyssey besides having a strong main character is the language used to describe. Figurative language is widely used in the story to give words and phrases more meaning and emotion to convey the dramatic feeling the writer wants you to get. The messages conveyed by the poets of the Odyssey through figurative language are that following or not following the rules of the people over you in life can drastically affect how something may go for you and that you must fight for those you care for. The Odyssey uses figurative language to effectively share the message with its audience that our lives are short and should be spent with our

The comparison of Telemachus and Odysseus weeping after finally reuniting after 20 years to a cry of a great hawk shows how powerful and how emotionally the moment was for the father and son together. Odysseus had just transformed into a good looking younger man from the old beggar disguise he had once worn right in front of Telemachus. After Odysseus revealed himself, Telemachus didn’t believe what he saw but after explaining, Telemachus knew he was looking at his long lost father. The text says “Then, throwing his arms around this marvel of a father, Telemachus began to weep. Salt tears rose from the wells of longing in both men and cries burst from both as keen and fluttering as those of a great taloned hawk.” (pg. 855, lines 71-76). The simile used to compare the reunion of Telemachus and Odysseus and the cries both had to ones of a great taloned hawk shows how powerful the connection is between this father and son even though they had spent no time together before. This interaction makes the readers understand that these two strong men are still human and thought the gods were against it, Odysseus got back home and finally saw his son all grown up. This supports the idea that we must spend time with our loved ones and appreciate it all by showing what the split between the father and son did to their relationship but Telemachus understood why