Deception is one of the most prominent themes in both the Book of Genesis and The Odyssey. In Genesis, deception is employed through tricking others, whereas in The Odyssey, trickery appears through the deception of self and of identity. However, in both of these texts deception is justified.
Genesis is a story of creation, and it’s an utterly perfect text. However, throughout the book, trickery and deception play a key role in the tales told. The third chapter shows the first ever act of deception, which takes place in the Garden of Eden. The “craftiest” animal of all, the serpent, tricks Adam and Eve into doing exactly what God told them not to do--eating forbidden fruit from the Garden of Eden (Gen 3:1-13) From the moment Eve ate the fruit, we are overwhelmed with stories of deception and trickery.
One of the most significant and well known tales of deception in Genesis is the story of Jacob. The documentation of Jacob’s life takes up nearly half of Genesis, and deceit fills his life Rebekah, his mother, always loved him more than his older brother Esau, whereas Isaac, his father, favored Esau (Gen 25:28). Isaac was growing old, and it was time for him to bless his eldest son, continuing the covenant that God had made with his father Abraham (Gen 27:1-4). The blessing is supposed to go through the oldest son, but Rebekah knew that Jacob was the
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Instead of tricking others, characters often deceive those around them in regards to their identity so they can gain information. Take Odysseus for example. As he goes on his journey home, he meets many people who can aid him in returning to Ithaca. He never quite tells the truth about who he is, whether he makes up an elaborate story or just leaves out pieces of his story. Odysseus knows exactly what to say, or not to say, to get what he needs. Athena even tells him that he’s “far the best at tactics” among the people on earth (Od.