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In the Odyssey, Odysseus displays a trait of being an epic hero by portraying how ethical he is. When he arrives at the palace of Alcinous in the land of the Phaeacians, Odysseus sees the queen and… “he throws himself at her feet” (summary book 7). In this moment he shows great respect and is very conscientious of the queen. Many people during this time would most likely not throw themselves at the queen’s feet, but he did because of his respect for her. Odysseus shows his great amount of ethical abilities in his personality through this action.
Odysseus and Thomas Jefferson: Looking into History to Define What a Hero is Heroes used to be considered people who held great power and always came out on top no matter how high the odds were stacked against them. Today we are more critical of the people we look up to, which I believe to be a good thing. We now realize that the people we consider heroes must be good people, who even though they have flaws, try their hardest to do good for the world. Another interesting question is what it means to be a bad person. Is a bad person someone who is inherently bad?
Athena makes several comments throughout the text that allow us to see how much she truly does care for Odysseus and it starts very early in the book. In Book One, she is conversing with “Father, son of Cronus, the high and mighty king” (Home 1.54) telling him how Odysseus does not deserve death, that he earned his life. She explained to him, “my heart breaks for Odysseus” (Homer 1.57). This is the first time in text we see her feelings about Odysseus come out, however it does not stop there. In Book Five, gods are gathered on Mount Olympus to discuss and determine the fate of Odysseus.
Throughout the story of Odysseus’s journey told by Homer, there are many defining examples of interaction between humans and their gods. The gods primarily interact with humans by either siding with or against them. The gods would often side with humans since they wanted to help them such as Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, helping Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, whereas the gods seeking revenge such as Poseidon, who sought revenge on Odysseus for slaying his son Polyphemus, would turn against them. While actual interaction between gods and humans seems to be a rather risible idea, there was much guidance given to humans by the gods throughout the Odyssey.
Upon discovering his crimes, Oedipus states, “Apollo, friends, Apollo has laid this agony upon me; not by his hand; I did it. What should I do with eyes where all is ugliness?” (62). His powerful emotional reaction to this revelation again brings up the question of his moral
P.13 Oedipus questions Teiresias, curious to know what he knows. “Oh gruesomely clear it has all unraveled… I was bonded with the people I should have never killed.” P.40 Oedipus sees what he has done wrong and feels vulnerable and horror. The audience clearly sees that heroes are very human and how real their limitations. Most people would have felt that same vulnerability if the gods had made us their plaything and tormented us, writing a prophecy of our doom.
Even though he was often unfaithful, most of the Greek gods and goddesses still wanted to help Odysseus return to Ithaca . “Athena began, recalling Odysseus to their thoughts,... Think: not one of the people whom he ruled remembers Odysseus now, that godlike man,” (The Odyssey, Book 5, pg 314,lines 5 and 12-13.) Athena was the goddess who advocated for Odysseus and the other divine beings agreed with her. It is important to note that Athena describes him as “godlike,” but she never mentions his lack of sexual fidelity.
Although, there aren’t any gods in the film narrative there is a strong belief in the afterlife and spirituality. When Orfeu is killed he is reunited with Eurydice within a day. I don’t mean to say that his pain was less than Orpheus’ but I feel that Ovid’s version is a lot more tragic. Orpheus is not reunited with Eurydice for a long
In Book 5, when all of the gods, except for Poseidon, discuss the fate of Odysseus, Athena fights for Odysseus to get her father, Zeus, to intervene and give aid to Odysseus. Athena says to Zeus, “Not one of the people whom he ruled remembers Odysseus nom that godlike man… Now he’s left to pine on an island, racked with grief” (5.12-14). Athena’s use of words such as “he’s left to pine on an island, racked with grief” shows the use of Flattery towards Zeus to feel pity for Odysseus. By getting Zeus to feel pity, this strategy encourages him to favor Odysseus because of Odysseus’ situation.
Odysseus’ reverence to the gods is shown again after the suitors families and the town learns of Odysseus’ homicide, they come after the royal family. Athena and Zeus come to Ithaca, ordering a peace. Homer describes the event and Odysseus’ reaction, “So she commanded. He obeyed her, glad at heart." (Homer 24.598).
In Homer’s Odyssey, gods and other supernatural beings dominated every aspect of mortal life. All living things and phenomena that occur in the world can be traced back to the gods. Seeing as how gods are responsible for the lives of mortals and the state of the natural world, performing deeds that anger the gods would prove to be disastrous while performing deeds that please the gods would prove to be beneficial. Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War was took ten years due to angering gods like Poseidon and Helios. However, it was through Athena’s aid that he was able to make it back home.
The Odyssey, gods like Athena and Poseidon interfere with humans to satisfy their own desires, showing that they are just as imperfect and flawed as the mortals that they rule over. Athena favors Odysseus since he reminds her of herself. He portrays the same cunning, guile, and intelligence as she does; Athena had confided to him that “two of a kind, we are, contrivers, both,” comparing how similar they are. “Of all men now alive,” she says, “you are the best in plots and story telling.
In this text there are three Ovid’s myths explicated in the light of Freud’s thesis about sublimation. According to Freud it means that the energy related to sexual desire redirects in the form of another mental process. This Freud’s thesis can be found in all three myths of Ovid. In the further parts of the text there will be short analysis of all three.
The conversation between Athena and Odysseus in the middle of book 13 reveals how each of them feels and thinks about the other at this stage in the epic. When Athena is first coming to meet Odysseus, after he has landed on Ithaca, she decides not to appear as herself to Odysseus, but first as a “young man… a shepherd boy”, and she then changes back to herself (13.252). She does this to get an honest opinion from him, as if she had appeared as a god, he might not have been honest with her. She also wants to hear his story, and see if he is actually thinking about her. After he does not “recognize” her because of her “endless” shapes, she is angry with him and accuses him of “never getting tired of twists and tricks” (13.340,56,32).
The religious context of Oedipus Rex. Oedipus Rex is part of the three Theban plays set in the city of Thebes, in which the main character of the play is a king – Oedipus. By looking at the religious context of the play, we can better understand how religion influenced the play. Oedipus Rex was set in Ancient Greece and Ancient Greeks were said to have been very religious, they had a very strong belief in the cosmic order and the Greek Gods.
