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Literary analysis
Literary analysis catch 22
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Literary analysis
Literary analysis catch 22
The power of literary analysis
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Both the Odyssey and O Brother, Where Art Thou? focus on the homecoming of a hero, however both vary in how the character is greeted upon return. Within the Odyssey the hero, Odysseus, returns home to find suitors attempting to woo his wife and gain her hand in marriage. After which, bloodbath ensues and there is a glorious scene in which Odysseus defeats the suitors is described as “a lion moving off from feeding on a farmyard ox, his whole chest and both sides of his muzzle caked with blood”, (Book XXI, lines 500-502). This line shows that Odysseus’s return is glorious, showing him as a soldier who has fought hard to return home.
Odysseus eventually learns that wisdom comes from long thought, suffering, and experience. As a result
One lesson that applies to both The Odyssey and today is you have to stay on track and not let distractions keep you from your goals, Odysseus learns this all throughout the book. A few examples would be when the Lotus Eaters were trying to lure in him and his men to eat the lotus plant. He stayed on track by getting the men he could off the island and not falling into the Lotus Eater’s trap (897). Another example would be when he was in Circe’s Hall when she tried to make the men forget about going home. He showed how he stayed on track and not getting distracted when he tried getting as many men as he could out of the trap and eating a plant to help him not turn into an animal (918).
Odysseus: Father, Leader, Hero Homer’s The Odyssey is an epic telling the tales of a hero, Odysseus. Odysseus is the hero of The Odyssey by Homer because of his great qualities and heroic actions. Well, what qualifies as a hero, one might ask. The dictionary defines a hero as (choose one of the definitions).
Lesdy Torres Mrs.Gonzales English II 5 November, 2015 Recklessness vs. Wisdom and Coming of Age The Odyssey by Homer is a great epic that shows the journey of Odysseus, a man trying to get home back to his family. Throughout the epic, Odysseus faces many obstacles that lead him farther and farther away from home. Throughout book 1-12 the pattern of recklessness vs. wisdom sets the dominant tone of the story and is closely interwoven with the pattern of coming-of-age.
In the epic story the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan war, and on his way home he finds many obstacles ahead of him. Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and he is trying to return home to his land. Many creatures try and stop him from achieving his goal of returning home, but he and his crew have to push through and get home. Odysseus portrays bravery and courage leading his crew through these tough challenges. Odysseus heroically leads his crew and himself through dangerous obstacles, but also foolishly endangers them during the journey home.
Madeleine Berkeley Ms. Ashley English 9, 4th hour 8 March 2023 Odysseus and His Wisdom Throughout the Odyssey In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus uses wisdom to guide himself to safety many times after winning the Trojan War and starting his journey home to Ithaca. In Hidden Figures, the character Dorothy Vaughn has to use wisdom to figure out how to get the IBM computer to work. She was so brilliant that she was the only one at first to get it to work.
Recognizing that wisdom is necessary for order, Zeus took as his first wife Metis, “wisest of all, of gods and men”(Theogony 888). Then, when Metis was about to give birth, Zeus, “deceived her mind / ...and thrust her down / into his belly” (Theogony 890-92). Through the consummation of Metis symbolizes Zeus acquires wisdom. The unity of Zeus’ strength and wisdom which Zeus acquires by his cunning brings order to the cosmos. Thus, from the unity of strength, wisdom, and cunning, comes order.
Odyssey Argumentative Essay The Odyssey is an epic by Homer. It is a story about Odysseus journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. All the Greek heroes had returned home after the Trojan War except for Odysseus who was an important hero in Ithaca. Odysseus was absent in his son’s life and Telemachus decided that, it was time to find his father and bring him back home to his wife Penelope.
Anjola Kellman Ms. Lin English 9 19 December 2022 Odysseus’ Advantage The Odyssey, by Homer, is about Odysseus’ ten-year journey to get back home after the Trojan War. Odysseus was a brave hero from Ithaca who fought in the Trojan War.
The Greeks were about to admit defeat and sail back home, but Nestor spoke up and explained what Agamemnon did wrong. Nestor was known to be wiser than Odysseus, so the Greeks listened to him even Agamemnon admitted it was his fault. This example of Nestor’s wisdom is significant at this point in the myth because if Nector did not mention Agamemnon’s mistake, the outcome of the war would have been different. The Greek camp did not realize if Agamemnon had not angered Achilles they would not have been defeated. The Greeks acknowledged Nestor’s wisdom and Agamemnon fixed the problem by appeasing Achilles.
These experiences are all alienating, but in the end they are enriching as he learned these valuable lessons from them - and in The Odyssey as a whole, the reader is able to retain these lessons and apply them to their own lives. To conclude, Odysseus learns many lessons and morals throughout his journey by rough hardships and
From Odysseus’ time with Calypso in Ogygia up until the moment he takes back his home and wife from the suitors in Ithaca, the struggles he faces help answer what makes for a good life. Homer uses Odysseus’ journey throughout “The Odyssey” to identify four aspects of a good life: mortality, honor, hospitality, and experiences. Homer reveals that mortality is necessary for a good life when Odysseus denies the opportunity for immortality that Calypso offers, he shows the significance of honor in his description of Odysseus’ bravery in the Trojan war and the consequent respect that Odysseus’ crew has for him, Homer reinforces the importance of hospitality in each city Odysseus travels to, and he conveys that experiences, good or bad, define a good life. The Greeks held their gods in high esteem and therefore when Homer or other characters in the epic refer to Odysseus as being “godlike,” this is one of the highest compliments he could receive.
Challenges of homecoming In the classic tale ¨The Odyssey¨ Odysseus faces many challenges on his journey home. Odysseus´ challenges and experiences are relatable to those who return home from war. Soldiers go through loss and take heroic acts in the same manner as Odysseus. When they return home it can also be a struggle to fit back in their lives before war.
Determining the difference between right and wrong can be difficult, but life lessons help us figure it out. During The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus learns a few lessons, and one of them is that you should be aware of your surroundings and ready to use them. Another moral that he learned was to heed all warnings, regardless what your instincts say. These messages can be used in life today to help guide people during their lives.