Athena is one of the main characters of the great epic story Odyssey by Homer. She is a goddess, but she finds it necessary to help Odysseus in all his voyages, fights, challenges, and disguises. As she is a goddess, she has to conceal her essence. For this purpose she uses disguises in her appearance and in the appearance of Odysseus. She does not use disguises to entrap someone, but to protect Odysseus from vicious dangerous people, to help him in his challenges. It is surprising to see such a parallel as the narrator has more in common with Athena, whose interventions from above he records, than he does with Odysseus. This would be an accurate assessment were it not that Athena herself adopts Odysseus perspective, confirming his bent toward suspicion and disguise intervening only to further the goals he has himself set (Doherty 174). Thus, in successive parts Athena assumes the aspect of female less often, which makes her and Odysseus the constituent parts of the heros image.
Athena goes down from Olympus having the appearance of Mentes. She looks for Telemachus, Odysseus son, who is sitting amongst his mothers admirers. The goddess makes Telemachus believe that his father is alive, and sets him against those admirers. Odysseus was creative and capable of great endurance, and the gods paid heed to him, and it was due to his temper. Athena recognized in Odysseus a male person identical to herself, so she feels urgent to carry of him as of her own son. Moreover, the great goddess managed to recognize in Telemachus a devoted son. The boy is young, so in his position some incitement is required to take control on the situation. In fact Athena conducted Telemachus change to virility and advised him how to arrange everything. Though she was disguised at the moment she showed herself to the boy, Telemachus understood that he had faced a god (Moore 1).
Athena is Odysseus companion, his deity-counterpart. She is able of taking any appearance, to take on strategic disguises in order to slip out of the traps set for him along the way ; ability of being in disguise appears to be a powerful weapon of the hero. Finally the main character turns to Ithaca; only disguise helped him to take the matters into his hands (Hawhee 51). Athena helps Odysseus during his adventures. Both father and son are guided during their voyages by the great goddess in disguise; Athena encourages them for good actions, helps them to overcome all difficulties. The whole epic seems to be devoted to making parallels between Odysseus and his son Telemachus: their appearances do not differ much, their tempers coincide, and they both are guided and protected from enemies by the great goddess (Tracy 46). Athena is the most powerful of Odysseus protectors. She directs his steps according to her own plans in order to prevent his death, and to help him in his adventures. Athena assures Odysseus of her aid, predicts success, and helps him to be disguised (Lombardo XXVII-XXVIII). Odysseus was made more beautiful than he is by the great goddess, so Telemachus thought him to be a god. Athena keeps making Odysseus alternately ugly and beautiful; she also gives supernatural beauty to Telemachus, Penelope, and to Laertes. Even the island of Ithaca receives a disguise from Athena, who disguises it from Odysseus (Sowa 252).
Works Cited
Doherty, Eileen Lillian. Siren songs: gender, audiences, and narrators in the Odyssey. University of Michigan Press, 1995.
Hawhee, Debra. Bodily arts: rhetoric and athletics in ancient Greece. University of Texas Press, 2004.
The main character of the epic poem Odyssey is Odysseus, the ruler of Ithaca and the brave warrior who is ready to do everything possible and impossible to return home to his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. Some gods do not seem to be very generous and prevent Odysseuss returning home. The companions and friends that accompany the main hero on his way experience the same difficulties as Odysseus. Though he is courageous and fearless, he dislikes being deceived by gods that promised to leave him and let him go to his native land. The family of the main character consists of a wife Penelope and a son Telemachus who was only a month when Odysseus went to the Trojan War.
On his way home Odysseus faces dangers and difficulties, he is forced to fight with cruel creatures and to resist temptation of abandoning the thoughts of home. The main character of the Odyssey encounters a great number of problems and mean people and gods that tend to hinder him to turn back to his kingdom, however, he meets a lot of people that help him and provide him and his companions with water and food.
As the most important goal of the protagonist is to come back home and see his family, he acts in accordance with his principles and against the gods decisions and desires. The only goddess protecting Odysseus is Athena who recognized in Odysseus a male person identical to herself, so, she feels urgent to carry of him as of her own son. Odysseus was creative and capable of great endurance, and the gods paid heed to him, and it was due to his temper (Moore 1). However, it turned out that being gods favorite is not enough because the fate can change your position in society as well as can change the wind that was supposed to bring you home.
A Brief Summary of the Odyssey
Odysseus is a brave warrior who finds himself at Trojan War, though he did not want to participate in that battle. After ten years of the war, Odysseus sets off in order to return home where a beloved wife Penelope and a son Telemachus are waiting for him, but he does not know that his adventures will last for ten more years; so, the whole journey of Odysseus took about twenty years. The kingdom of Ithaca is the native land of Odysseus who is the ruler of this land which breeds brave men (Homer and Mackail 68) and these men would not change their native land to any earthly blessings. Some actions of Odysseus at war were not valued by gods, so, he had to suffer from severe temper of Zeus and Poseidon who were doing everything in order to prevent him returning home. As Odysseus travels along the seas, he meets many people and various creatures. Some of people and creatures he encounters are kind and generous while others are cruel and mean because they try to either captivate Odysseus as Calypso did or kill and eat him and his friends as Cyclops tried to do.
Nevertheless, Odysseus happened to be under Athenas protection and all his adventures where he could find himself in danger were not difficult because the great goddess helped him in his every task when it did not cross the pass of Zeus or Poseidon. The goddesss favorite, Odysseus was lucky and brave, his temper and persistence on the way to his goal made him a courageous leader and a wise ruler. Moreover, when Odysseus finally returned home, he found his house full of his wifes admirers that would not leave the treasures of that land; this was the reason they wanted to marry Penelope who did not want to believe that Odysseus would not come back from the war.
Odysseus as the Ruler of Ithaca
As [b]ook 9 of the Odyssey contains the first flashback in the western literature (Matthews and Platt 46), it is necessary to take into account the story narrated by Odysseus about his adventures in the cave of the goddess Calypso and on the island of Cyclopes. Though Odysseus was a wise ruler of the kingdom of Ithaca and a brave warrior, he could do nothing with mighty gods that tried to kill him and destroy his fleet. The main character was brave enough to struggle his whole life but he was not sure that his kingdom, his people, and his family would manage to cope without him. Thus, Odysseus decided to participate in the unequal battle between his temper and brevity and mighty Olympic gods that were considered to be the strongest ones in order to achieve his goal and return to Ithaca. However, he did not know that gods had prepared a great number of ordeals that the main hero had to undergo.
So, the first adventure led Odysseus to the island where a beautiful goddess ruled because she was ordered by Zeus to release Odysseus after seven years of captivity. Calypso was admirable and charming, though she was not going to simply help the main hero because she wanted to make him stay on her island and forget his native Ithaca, his friends, and family. Calypso tried to captivate Odysseus and force him to marry her. However, her plan turned out to be a failure for the Ithacan ruler would not agree to change his family and country for a splendid (a) home he may have in a foreign country (Homer and Mackail 68). Although Calypso was a goddess, she did not manage either to force him marry her and live with her on the island in her cave or to capture and make him stay against his will. As we all know, a womans desire can cause a great number of troubles and she becomes furious when not having what she wants the most.
The next journey which was a real ordeal for Odysseus on his way to native Ithaca was the island of Cyclopes. These creatures were created as separate ones and they lived in harmony and did not have to work as the land was fertile and rich in harvests. On this island travelers wanted to have some rest and met a Cyclops who wanted to eat them instead. However, it is necessary to take pity on the Cyclops who had found strangers in his cave that ate his provisions and tried to steal everything that he was accumulating.
In this case, Odysseus and his friends were acting like genuine thieves and they deserved for being punished. The work should be appreciated regardless whether this work is performed by human beings or other creatures, though Odysseus and his companions decided to use the hospitality of Polyphemus. It turned out that Odysseus and his crew did not realize the appearance and nature of the genuine owner of the cave. Nevertheless, they should not have entered the dwelling of a stranger in the absence of the owner, it was wrong to think that the creature whose cave was enormous and stocks of food were as large as were enough to feed the whole crew would let miserable people escape with his provisions. Odysseus let Polyphemus the wine from his ship and blinded him with a heated spear in order to escape from the cave of the Cyclops and not to be eaten by the Cyclops.
As you can see, journeys of the Ithacan ruler were successful and unsuccessful, though every time he found a way from the difficult situation he found himself in. Different creatures, gods, and goddesses were trying to prevent his returning to Ithaca, though their attempts failed because of his temper and brevity. Odysseus saw a lot of strange things which can be considered common for ancient mythology and he turned out to be a wise leader and a fearless friend.
Gods and goddesses are an integral part of the ancient mythology; they are embodiment of peoples hopes, fears, desires, and beliefs. Gods play an important role in the development of Odysseuss character as their tasks and problems set for the main hero make him stronger both mentally and spiritually. Some gods are likely to help Ithacan ruler, while others do everything to destroy him and make him suffer because of deaths of his friends and people he appreciate. Thus, Odysseuss crew was doomed to experience the same difficulties as their leader because they were together with him.
Zeus was obsessed to destroy Odysseuss fleet and make him struggle for the right to return home to his family because Odysseus did not admit that he would not win the Trojan War without the help of gods. Though Odysseus did not want to participate in the Trojan War, he had to do this because he was a brave man and all brave men fought on that war. The reason of the Trojan War was a woman who was taken away from her home. This fact was outrageous and courageous warriors from all parts of the world had come to fight for the beautiful woman and the genuine rights of a wife.
Poseidon had his reasons for taking vengeance on Odysseus because the latter had blinded his son Polyphemus, the Cyclops. Though Odysseus was favored by the goddess of wisdom, Athena could not help him with such mighty gods as Zeus and Poseidon. Athena was trying to make the Ithacan ruler take appropriate decisions in certain situations as well as influenced his son and sons decisions. Athena is Odysseus companion, his deity-counterpart. She is able of taking any appearance, to take on strategic disguises in order to slip out of the traps set for him along the way ; ability of being in disguise appears to be a powerful weapon of the hero. Finally the main character turns to Ithaca; only disguise helped him to take the matters into his hands (Hawhee 51).
Gods and goddesses play an important role in the fate of the main character; their interventions prevent him from reaching his goal or help him in achieving it. So, throughout the story Odysseus demonstrates that gods control the lives of mortals and regardless of their brevity and temper; mortals should esteem gods and their benevolence. Athena treats Odysseus as her counterpart in the male body. She does everything possible in order to help the Ithacan ruler to come home and embrace his wife and a son. Telemachus is the son of Odysseus; he experiences the help of a wise goddess as well as his father because Athena found his strength and brevity similar to those possessed by Odysseus.
The next phase described in the book by homer is the process of returning home. Though this process took the whole book to describe all adventures and events faced by the main character, it is necessary to emphasize the moment when the hero came back home and found it full of uninvited guests. These people appeared to be the admirers of Penelopes beauty and Odysseuss kingdoms richness. Telemachus was too young to make them leave their home, though led by Athenas prompts he found strength in himself and set off to search for his father.
Penelope is the wife of Odysseus; she is beautiful and she is the mistress of the great kingdom. As all people believe that Odysseus would never return home, she became a nice bit of goods for those who wanted to get the kingdom of Ithaca. Penelope was influenced by the great goddess when she decided to introduce an examination of the most appropriate applicant to be her husband in the form of a contest. The task was to twang the bow of Odysseus and aim a target through twelve axes. As the bow was tight, no one managed to perform at least a half of the task, though a bagger came and fulfilled the requirements of the contest.
As only Athena knew that this bagger was Odysseus, people in the yard did not recognize him. When everything was over, Penelope made out a trick in order to check whether the strange really was her husband. She made an attempt to deceive him and told her nurse to take his bed outside the bed chamber that he himself built. Bring the bed outside this room, and put bedding upon it with fleeces, good coverlets, and blankets (Homer and Mackail 189). These words made Odysseus angry and he told everything about this house and the bed chamber. When Penelope had heard what he told her, she realized that this man was her husband. I believe that such feelings can be based only on pure love and mutual trust. If you can trust your significant other, you can be considered Odysseus and Penelope of the modern time.
Conclusion
Gods and goddesses can influence the lives of mortals, though they did not manage to defeat the brave temper of Odysseus. All attempts to make Odysseus abandon his idea to return home were not successful as his desire to embrace his family was stronger that the power of gods. Though Odysseus is an ancient hero, we can take into account his mistakes and not underestimate the power of fate.
Works Cited
Hawhee, Debra. Bodily Arts: Rhetoric and Athletics in Ancient Greece. University of Texas Press, 2004
Homer, and John William Mackail. The Odyssey. Plain Label Books, 1932
Matthews, Roy T., and DeWitt Platt. Readings in the Western Humanities. Sixth Edition. Volume One. New York: McGraw-Hill 2007
Moore, Rees John. Voyaging with Odysseus: The Wile and Resilience of Virtue . Humanitas 13(1), 2000
In mythology, heroes were considered to be any man who fights and defeats monsters. To become a hero, heroes in mythology had to go through a hero’s journey which would then make them a hero that everyone knows. In The Odyssey by Homer, a narration of The Odyssey reveals that Odysseus is a hero in this story. The definition of hero has changed throughout history but the meaning from the past and present are still very similar. The modern idea of a superhero is some type of person with super powers or superhuman qualities but not all heroes are like that. There are also heroes in mythology who do not have superpowers but due to their actions, they are considered heroes. An example of a modern hero that is similar to Odysseus is Captain America from the 2014 movie The Winter Soldier because of his actions which led to beating the villains of the story and because he fought in a war making him a veteran. Captain America is a famous hero in the Marvel Universe due to his heroism in World War II and because of his heroic actions which in the end, defeat the villain Thanos. As a hero, some of Odysseus’ actions were controversial but in the end, we can see that his intentions were pure hearted showing heroic traits along the way. At first, Odysseus does not show heroism which stops him from making it back home but as time progresses, it is through his heroic traits that he is able to make it back home. Throughout the book, it is due to Odysseus’ actions and his hero’s journey that makes him similar to Captain America which makes him heroic or hero-like in this story.
It is very clear that every renown hero goes through a hero’s journey to become the hero they are today just like Odysseus. In the Odyssey, Oydsseus lives peacefully at his home with his family, but is then called out to the Trojan War. He fights in the trojan war for 10 years and afterwards, he departs on a journey back to his home. Odysseus and his crew fight off many monsters such as the cicones and lotus eaters. Odysseus and his men then travel to the one-eyed giant’s cave in which they fight him off to survive:
I chopped off a fathom’s length,
rolled it to comrades, told them to plane it down,
and they made the club smooth as I bent and shaved
the tip to a stabbing point. I turned it over
the blazing fire to char it good and hard,
then hid it well, buried deep under the dung… (9.363-368)
Through Odysseus’ smart tactics and careful planning, he was able to escape the cave in which he then travels to Aiolis’ land which he then gets the Bag of Winds. He almost reaches his homelands but then his men open up the bag which blows their ship to the island of the laestrygonians. He barely survives their attacks and reaches Circe’s Island. Along the way, there were many companions who helped Odysseus and his men to reach these Islands such as gods, goddesses and kings. When Odysseus reaches Circe’s Island, half of his men is turned into pigs. As the hero we know, Odysseus seeks out to fight Circe but with the help of Hermes, “Look, here is a potent drug. Take it to Circe’s halls its power alone will shield you from the fatal day” (10.318-319). Odysseus would have definitely died there along with his men if it were not for Hermes. After one year, Odysseus leaves to the Underworld. Odysseus goes through a mini hero’s journey in the middle of his main journey. From Circe’s Island to the Underworld and back, Odysseus and his crew go through a second hero’s journey. Similar to Hermes, Athena is another god who helps Odysseus in his journey. During this time, Athena decides to also help Odysseus reach his home. She assists Odysseus immensely throughout his journey due to the fact that she favors him. Athena is the goddess of war and wisdom and since Odysseus fought on the Greek side of the war, she decides to help him get home. In Odysseus homelands, Athena aids Odysseus travel home by telling Telemachus how to find his father, “I have some good advice, if only you will accept it. Fit out a ship with twenty oars, the best in sight, sail in quest of news of your long-lost father” (1.321). Odysseus and his men is then confronted by Zeus for killing Helios’ cattle which kills all of his men. He floats on the vast ocean on a wooden plank to Circe’s Island which he is trapped on for many more years. Finally, he gets help from Hermes to free him and he reaches home in which he sees many suitors trying to win over his wife and marry her. He kills all of them and which finishes his hero’s journey after 20 years. Through this long journey that Odysseus goes through, we can see how this hero’s journey that include fighting monsters and traveling to the underworld makes Odysseus a great hero in mythological times.
Although Odysseus was a hero in mythological times, he is still comparable to other modern time heroes such as Captain America. To become a hero, a necessary component is to defeat villains or protagonists of the story. In the movie, The Civil War, Captain America must fight the antagonist Bucky which is a good old friend of his who has been taken over by the evil group known as Hydra. In the end, Captain America destroys Hydra but is also able to convert his friend back into his normal state. He shows compassion for the antagonist and is able to break the mind control they have over him in order to save his friend. Odysseus also fights off many monsters in his Hero’s Journey making him very similar to Captain America who had to fight many protagonists such as Red Skull or Bucky which is why they are considered a hero. Also similar to Captain America, Odysseus shows compassion and care for his crew like how Captain America does so to Bucky, “But I brought them back, back to the hollow ships, and I streaming tears- I forced them, hauled them under the rowing benches, lashed them fast and shout out commands to my other, steady comrades” (9.110-113). Odysseus shows many traits and characteristics of compassion and selflessness similar to Captain America who is a well known Hero. Captain America is also known to be a hero because of his heroic spirit. From the movie, The Winter Soldier, Captain America meets Peggy Carter seventy years later and tells her that “for as long as I can remember, I just wanted to do what was right”. This defining characteristic of heroic spirit makes Captain America the leader and hero that he is known for. Odysseus is similar in which he has a great leadership prowess that allowed him to lead his crew out of many life and death situations. However, some people may say how Odysseus is actually a villain in this story instead of a hero
Although Odysseus shows heroic qualities due to his actions and beliefs, some may say that he is actually closer to a villain than a hero. They would argue that Odysseus is actually a villain because of his lack of care for his crew and how he exploits them which leads them to their deaths. After his crew kill Helios cattle, they depart to sea but Zeus destroys his ship leaving Odysseus hanging onto a piece of plywood in the vast ocean, “But I held on, dead set… waiting for her to vomit my mast and keel back up again” (12.471-472). His whole crew died due to these many events but in reality, this is actually not his fault. Odysseus had warned his crew to not eat the sheep because it was the sun gods but they do it anyways and then zeus decides to kill them. Another argument is that Odysseus is a monster for killing the suitors who did not have weapons, “With that he trained a stabbing arrow on Antinous” (22.8). The suitors were living off of his wealth and his land trying to seduce his wife to marry them. Odysseus killed them to stop them from trying to seduce his wife and take his land. Even though some may say that due to these actions, Odysseus is actually he evil-doer of the story, we see that he is in the right when he does these things.
Ultimately, it is clear that Odysseus is a hero due to his heroic actions and beliefs. Through Odysseus’ hero’s journey and his heroic spirit, Odysseus proves that he is a hero in this story. He fights monsters and antagonists while showing heroic traits which make him heroic-like just like Captain America. Captain America shows heroism and heroic spirit which allows him to lead others and prove that he is a hero. These heroic qualities that Odysseus and Captain America possess set a precedent for future heroic characters in literature.
Odysseus is an epic hero because he carries the traits that a hero is known for. He is brave, strong, and a great leader of men. He is known to be a speaker that can motivate his men to follow him through any kind of situation without question. He has a caring for the men he leads which creates a sense of selflessness. He truly is what an epic hero should be.
Odysseus by far is a strong warrior from the first ten years of surviving a battle and another ten year from blinding a Cyclops and surviving the song of the sirens and the most badass journey he made was when I think he was ordered by Circe to travel to the underworld and retrieve an item for her and he fought the undead soul and he came back safely and by the way many fear the underworld because if one is not careful of what they do they can be trapped there forever and no way to escape. He also is a compelling and confident speaker. When he and his crew were at a tight situation with the lotus eaters know that lotus eaters are creatures who feed you a plant or food substance and once you eat it you will become addicted to it and you will forever be trapped at their hands so back to Odysseus and his crew when they arrive to the island of the lotus he quickly notices this curse land and order his men to get back on the boat and be in a hurry if they want to see home ever again see how he compare their life to what they want the most of their home and family so with that Odysseus and his men escape the lotus island by telling his men that if you want to see home again you better hurry.
The most courageous that Odysseus has ever been was when he was when he was escaping the Cyclops Polyphemus the son of Poseidon who in the book imprisoned Odysseus and his crew in order to eat them but Odysseus being as clever as ever he found ways to trick the Cyclops and blind him of his sight and escape the cave that which they were imprisoned and the other was that when he was shouting out his name to the Cyclops and calling the Cyclops a fool as the Cyclops was throwing boulders at him and his crew ship as they were trying to escape and as well as revealing his name and his home. His journey was long but he never feared returning. In fact his long journey lasted 20 years. In those 20 years he spends ten years at war the Trojan war where he and his men fight for ten years were he alone was powerful enough to keep his men save and another ten years was when he was in search of his home Ithaca but in this journey he and his ship mates went in a cruel journey were the cursed island of the lotus eaters and the wicked son of Poseidon the Cyclops Polyphemus planned to keep Odysseus and his crew trapped in there and eat them and the worst i believe was the sirens song in which Odysseus orders his men to tie him up and keep him there at all cost no matter how much he pleads to be untied and he begged very badly to be untied.
He proves himself in battle at the Trojan war holding off enemy troops in an intense battle for ten years and ever being injured or tired you can say he was addicted to the battle or just fear of dying in this waste of a fight and never seeing his wife and son or even his home ever again and he never stop until you know they had to go back and then he had to fight supernatural beings and had more of an responsible to keep his men safe and himself by any means possible and he did want to see his home badly.Circe had a big impact on how Odysseus survive many tasks and in return he became her lover for a year so how Circe help was that she thought him to summon the dead for many help and that she alone was the one to help him with the siren problem she told Odysseus that you must put wax on the crew ears to keep them from losing their minds and he alone must listen to the horrible song of the deadly sirens. Another help was at a waste due to Odysseus idiot of a crew was help from the master of the wind Aeolus and he had a gift for them a bag full of wind in which was meant to take Odysseus and his men to Ithaca and be safe but like I said Odysseus idiot crew just ruined the only back home thinking it was gold open it and the wind brought them back to the home of Aeolus.
So, in the end, Odysseus proves through all his trials and tribulations that he is a true epic hero. The traits that he has shown that he can overcome all obstacles, is a great leader of men, and has no fear of anything challenge presented to him.
Courage and Wits are the main characteristics into becoming a hero. In the movie The Lion King, Mufasa says “I’m only brave when I have to. Being brave doesn’t mean looking for trouble”. Mufasa just wants to protect his kingdom and his family, that’s what Odysseus wants to accomplish as well. This quote displays Odysseus’s courage towards the journey he embarks on as well as his courage to protect his men. Odysseus is a natural-born leader who people listen to. Odysseus fits the dictionary definition of a hero which is “a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability; an illustrious warrior; a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities; one that shows great courage”. He is a mythological creature who defeats other mythological creatures to better the earth. His wits and courage are his great strength and ability as well as many more qualities. He is a man that his crew know they can trust. This helps him to encourage his men to keep going even when they are doubting. Homer uses the dauntlessness and wits of Odysseus to prove the Greek’s idea of a hero.
Odysseus uses his wits to protect his men and himself. He is considered a hero and thinks about his men before himself. A hero is someone who fights for others before protecting themselves and someone who is brave as well as selfless. Homer convinces us that Odysseus is a hero and these traits are what makes him who is. Odysseus and his men were trapped in a cave with a Cyclopes when he comes up with an idea and says “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy” (Homer 263-264). Odysseus tells the cyclopes that his name is nobody so he cant call for help when they stab him. Thinking on his feet that quickly is why people follow him as a leader and trust him to get them out of situations. Being such an effective leader helps him as a hero. Odysseus and his men were preparing for the right time to strike. Odysseus explains his plan when he says “I drew it from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclopes as more than natural force nerved them; straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye.” (Homer 276-280). Homer uses imagery to show how they brutally stabbed the cyclops in the eye. Odysseus shows his intellect when he warmed up the big piece of wood or it might not have gone into the eye so smoothly. His crew workers helped him to kill the cyclops, this shows their dedication towards the one they call their hero. Homer wants us to know that Odysseus’s mind and wits are what lead him to become a hero that everyone trusts. Odysseus proves to the Gods that he can go through all of the hard and difficult journeys that they made him go through. He never loses and part of himself including his hope. He perseveres even when times get tough and thinks that he might not see his son and wife again. Although Odysseus’s mind is what helped him the most through his journey his courage was another part of him that he could not have done without.
Odysseus’s fearless acts are all due to his courage. Courage is defined as the quality of mind which allows one to face danger without fear; courage; fearlessness. In a successful man, the characteristic of courage is important because it allows him to have confidence, and not to be afraid of what happens or will happen in his life. This helps him to feel as though he could do anything. Odysseus shows us courage many times throughout the odyssey. He uses his courage to protect his men as well as himself. Odysseus men were being killed by circe so he listened to Hermes and ate the plant that would stop her magic from working. Homer writes “When Circe has used on Odysseus the magic which had always hitherto been successful and her amazement saw him stand unchanged before, her, she so marveled at the man who could resist her enchantment that she loved him” (Homer 306). Odysseus proves that he was courageous and would do anything to protect his men. He risked himself by eating the plant and standing up to her not knowing if he would be protected by the plant or not. Odysseus’s courage awarded him when circe helped him and his men after she saw what Odysseus did. Homer explains “She treated them all with such kindness, feasting them sumptuously in her house, that for a whole year they stayed happily with her”. (Homer 306). Because of Odysseus all of the men did not die and were spared. He is the one who made her happy. He didn’t only help himself he also helped Circe not meaning to. These characteristics show us that Odysseus is a hero and he cares about others more than he cares about himself. One other characteristic that Odysseus uses during his journey is his dauntlessness.
Odysseus has displayed his courage as well as his wits. One of his major qualities that helps him to jump into danger without even thinking. He does this to make sure that others are safe before he saves himself. Odysseus and his men were passing the sirens island he knew what they could do but kept it to himself to protect his men. Homer explains“Odysseus told his men about them and that the only way to pass safely was for each man to stop his ear with wax”(Homer 310). He protected his men from the siren song so that they wouldn’t be consumed by their charm. His dauntless side induced him into wanting to hear the sirens. Odysseus’s dauntless side also affects Odysseus in a bad way as well. He didn’t need to hear the song he could have put beeswax in his ear. He would never have beeswax in his ear due to his need to be fearless. Odysseus needed to find a way to keep himself from being killed by the sirens so he came up with the idea of “He himself, however, was determined to hear them, and he proposed that the crew should tie him to the mast so strongly that he could not get away however much he tried” (Homer 310). He knew that he would not survive if he was not restricted. Making his crew tie him up was a precaution that he took to save himself. His crew trusted him and knew that he would survive this so they did as he said and tied him up. Odysseus’s needs for danger and to participate in adventures that are dangerous is so he can have a self victory. This is not to show off its something that he does for himself. Odysseus is not a selfish person he wants the best for everyone and that’s why he completed the hero’s journey.
Odysseus’s heroic abilities and personality allow him to achieve hero status. His leadership throughout the journey shows his dedication to his men. His never-ending courage and strength encourage him to continue this journey without having to take a step back or fray away from the fight. These characteristics prove that Odysseus is truly a hero. Saving his men from the Cyclopes by using his wits, showing is courage by defeating circe, and giving his men Beez wax to stop his men from hearing the sirens displays his dauntlessness. He defeated many enemies that the Gods threw at him. Odysseus proved himself not only to the Gods but to his son that his abilities will get him through anything and that you should never give up. In the world people are always giving up or not believing in themselves to do anything. Odysseus shows us that it doesn’t matter who old you are or how smart you are, you can still do anything that you put your mind to. That’s what Odysseus did and he got what he wanted he didn’t lose faith or give up he persevered through the tough times. His road of trials is over and he returned home to his family. The dauntlessness and wits of Odysseus were used to prove that he has completed his hero’s journey.
Every weakness contains within itself a strength. Odysseus is known for his long journey, attempting to return home after the Trojan War events. He had some challenges to seek vengeance and let his pride get the best out of him. Odysseus has struggled with excessive pride, exaggeration, throughout this narrative. So how do the unique strengths and weaknesses of Odysseus magnify his voyage on the sea?
There have been several times in which Odysseus has displayed bravery. He is always prepared to take action to defend himself and his men. Odysseus states, “Much have I suffered, labored long and hard by now in the waves and wars. Add this to the total—bring the trial on!” Odysseus says these lines when Calypso tells him he’s going to die if he leaves the island. Odysseus is willing to suffer great hardships. Odysseus has also shown intelligence as one of his strengths various times. Another example, Odysseus and his men escaped the sirens by putting beeswax in their ears. He constructed a clever plan to save himself and his crew. One final strength Odysseus demonstrated was ambition. He intended to return home to his wife, but later discovered that many suitors were surrounding Penelope in his years of being gone. His strength has helped him throughout his voyage by benefiting him when it comes to taking important steps and risks during his journey. Finally, from observing closely in the story, you can see how his noble characteristics helped him during his journey.
However, Odysseus had struggles with weaknesses throughout his journey. Starting with Odysseus’s arrogance, he was given the warning that he should not take the cattle with him on his Helios trip, but he still goes through with it. “Old shipmates, our stores are in the ship’s hold, food and drink; the cattle here are not for our provision, or we pay dearly for it.” Next, Odysseus and his son got revenge on the suitors by killing all of them for disrespecting his household. “Odysseus and his gallant son charged straight at the front lines, slashing away with swords, with two-edged spears and now, they would have killed them all.” Final weakness Odysseus struggled with is curiosity. When Odysseus and his men got on the island of the Cyclops, he wanted to know if the Cyclops were friendly, so he decided to visit them. This is very similar to the saying “curiosity killed the cat.” Throughout the reading of Odysseus’ acts, we can see how his weaknesses were magnified in his search for home.
In conclusion, there have been several times in which Odysseus has displayed strength. However, Odysseus had struggles with arrogance, vengeance, and curiosity throughout his journey. Strengths and weaknesses are the main elements of our characters.
Odysseus is the hero or primary character and the legend of this epic ballad. Odysseus was the lord of Ithaca, was hitched Sovereign Penelope and was likewise the dad of Ruler Telemachus. Odysseus was depicted as an incredible warrior, who sets off toward the start of the ballad to go battle among the hardest warriors in the clash of Troy. He was a man of a savvy and quick man; creative, yet in addition expressive, fearless, loaded with continuance, and in conclusion amazingly sly in some sort as tricky as Niccolò Machiavelli. All through the book Odysseus has various experiences and experiences with the divine beings, ocean animals, different people, and goliaths, all of which assume overwhelm jobs in his improvement as a character all through the book (Levine 6).
Returning it to Homer’s other incredible epic, The Iliad, where Odysseus is additionally a character who experiences sensational changes while the ballad advances. Toward the start of Homer’s book The Iliad, Master Agamemnon and Menelaus sail too Ithaca to persuade Odysseus to go along with them in fight. In spite of the fact that, when gotten some information about setting off on this journey Odysseus was reluctant to go, on the grounds that Penelope had quite recently brought forth his dear child Telemachus. He even attempts to persuade Agamemnon and Menelaus that he is unsettled; anyway he comes up short and embarks to fight, with them. Through the span of ten years the clash of Troy goes on. During this fight Odysseus develops from spouse, father, ruler into a warrior, which is the place The Odyssey starts.
The book starts with Odysseus the warrior, anyway as expressed prior with all the valor and respect and appreciation given to Odysseus he is extraordinarily known for being clever. All through the book Odysseus utilizes misleading discourse or voices and camouflage to deceive or potentially confound individuals. He regularly adjusted his appearance and changing the manner in which he talked and sounded. In Book I for instance Odysseus tells the Cyclops Polyphemus, his name is ‘No one.’ While beating Polyphemus he shouts ‘No one is beating you,’ when the Cyclops asked who was doing as such (Homer 7). He did so when others would ask Polyphemus, what wasn’t right and reacted ‘No one is harming me.’ the others would expect that, ‘If alone as you are [Polyphemus] none uses viciousness on you, why, there is no keeping away from the infection sent by incredible Zeus; so you would do well to appeal to your dad, the ruler Poseidon'(Homer 8). Additionally, in the sonnet when he initially meets and addresses Nausicaa on the island of Scheria, his smooth, soothing methodology rapidly wins her trust. He could prevail upon and control his group of spectators, which he did completely through the book.
Homeric characters are commonly static. Despite the fact that they might be exceptionally mind boggling and sensible, they don’t change throughout the work as characters in current books and stories do (SparkNotes 1). Be that as it may, in The Odyssey the principle character Odysseus breaks this convention. Right off the bat in his adventure, Odysseus being stubborn and needing to be known and indicated all the wonder: he stands by excessively long in the cavern of Polyphemus, getting a charge out of the free drain and cheddar he finds, and is caught there when the Cyclops returns. He even uncovers his actual self to the Cyclops and brings Poseidon’s fierceness down on him. From this time forward, before the finish of the story, he is increasingly persistent and can put his pride to the side. He even camouflages himself as a homeless person. As a poor person he is mishandled and beat on, however he doesn’t respond as fast to the suitors’ maltreatment. He rather, take the pounding until he designs a snare, and the loyalties set him in a place to where he can strike back successfully.
Athena the goddess of shrewdness and fight is Odysseus’ preferred goddess. She regularly spares him in his critical crossroads, similar to Odysseus Athena also shares an aversion for Poseidon, who is the ocean god, and the rival in the sonnet. He will in general baffle Odysseus each possibility there is to do as such, during the residency of his voyage. Be that as it may, all through the sonnet Athena causes Odysseus to mask himself.
Odysseus shares the character characteristics of a pioneer from the Homeric period: he was an honorable man, had gigantic quality, gallant, a hunger for wonder and was extremely certain about his capacity to control and in his position. Albeit these characteristics recognized him, Odysseus has a sharp keenness. At the point when put in some tight spots all through the epic, his brisk reasoning gets him out. For instance in Book IX, his capacity to think quick enables him to escape from the Cyclops’ cavern. Indeed, even in Book XXIII, when he has a minstrel strike up a wedding sign in book to conceal where he butchered the suitors.
Like other Homeric legends, Odysseus needs to win the wonder, so he carries out incredible things, and he wants to finish homecoming. He makes the most of his extravagant existence with Calypso in an outlandish land, yet just to a point. As he develops and misses home, he is anxious to come all the way back. In Homeric Greece spouses were just property, alluring as administrators of the female hirelings and as methods for verifying recognizable beneficiaries and relatives. Men didn’t force upon themselves the virtue fundamentally expected of the ladies, and were more furious than lamented if their spouses demonstrated an inclination for other men (n.a. 115). He even concedes that his better half Penelope couldn’t contend with Calypso. He considers home for the duration of the time he goes through with the Phaeacians and furthermore while on Circe’s island (n.a. 115). As a rule his brilliance looking for ways appear to impede his vision of returning home.
In the last books of The Odyssey, Odysseus starts to grin; his certain grin helps set the pace for the remainder of the story. Odysseus’ grins express his sure predominance: while being manhandled, at the end of the demolition of the suitors (Levine 2). He in the end makes it back home paying little respect to all the disturbance he experienced through the span of his experience.
Taking everything into account, Odysseus began this extraordinary self absorbed warrior, sure, not having the option to bite the bullet aside, needing everybody to know his name, the spouse and father. Throughout the story through the foretelling and flashbacks; the response to the inquiry indeed, the character of Odysseus does in face change; he doesn’t continue as before. Through the story he does advance and create as a character; before the finish of the story, he is progressively quiet and can put his pride to the side, and turns out to be increasingly crafty and even lessens his stature of Lord of Ithaca, and masks himself as a hobo, and permitting maltreatment from the suitors. In this manner Odysseus is a round character and develops as a character
The storyteller of the Odyssey conjures the Muse, requesting motivation as he gets ready to recount to the narrative of Odysseus. The story starts ten years after the finish of the Trojan War, the subject of the Iliad. The entirety of the Greek legends with the exception of Odysseus have come all the way back. Odysseus mulls on the remote island Ogygia with the goddess Calypso, who has become hopelessly enamored with him and won’t let him leave. In the mean time, a crowd of suitors is eating up his domain in Ithaca and seeking his better half, Penelope, in order to take over his realm. His child, Telemachus, a baby when Odysseus left however now a youngster, is vulnerable to stop them. He has surrender to the probability that his dad is dead. With the assent of Zeus, Athena goes to Ithaca to talk with Telemachus. Expecting the type of Odysseus’ old companion Mentes, Athena predicts that Odysseus is as yet alive and that he will before long come back to Ithaca. She encourages Telemachus to consider together the suitors and declare their expulsion from his dad’s bequest. She at that point discloses to him that he should make an adventure to Pylos and Sparta to request any updates on his dad. After this discussion, Telemachus experiences Penelope in the suitors’ quarters, resentful about a melody that the court poet is singing. Like Homer with the Iliad, the troubadour sings of the sufferings experienced by the Greeks on their arrival from Troy, and his melody makes the dispossessed Penelope more hopeless than she as of now is. Incredibly, Telemachus reproaches her. He advises her that Odysseus isn’t the main Greek to not come back from Troy and that, in the event that she doesn’t care for the music in the men’s quarters, she ought to resign to her own chamber and let him take care of her inclinations among the suitors. He at that point gives the suitors notice that he will hold a get together the following day at which they will be requested to leave his dad’s bequest. Antinous and Eurymachus, two especially resistant suitors, reprimand Telemachus and solicit the personality from the guest with whom he has quite recently been talking. Despite the fact that Telemachus suspects that his guest was a goddess in camouflage, he reveals to them that the man was a companion of his dad. ‘ So by day she’d weave at her incredible and developing web around evening time, by the light of lights set alongside her, she would unwind everything she’d done. Three entire years she misdirected us dazzle, enticed us with this plan’.
At the point when the gathering meets the following day, Aegyptius, a savvy Ithacan senior, talks first. He applauds Telemachus for venturing into his dad’s perspective, noticing that this event denotes the first occasion when that the gathering has been called since Odysseus left. Telemachus then gives an enthusiastic discourse wherein he mourns the loss of the two his dad and his dad’s home—his mom’s suitors, the children of Ithaca’s older folks, have taken it over. He reproaches them for devouring his dad’s bulls and sheep as they seek after their romance all day every day when any good man would basically go to Penelope’s dad, Icarius, and approach him for her turn in marriage. ‘ The Zeus’ little girl Helen thought of something different. Into the blending bowl from which they drank their wine she slipped a medication, heart’s-ease, dissolving outrage, enchantment to cause every one of us to overlook our pains.No one who drank it profoundly, reflected in wine,could let a tear move down his cheeks that day, not regardless of whether his mom should bite the dust, his dad kicked the bucket, not regardless of whether directly before his eyes some foe cut down a sibling or sweetheart child with a sharp bronze cutting edge’.
Antinous accuses the stalemate for Penelope, who, he says, allures each suitor yet will focus on none of them. He helps the suitors to remember a ploy that she created to put off remarrying: Penelope kept up that she would pick a spouse when she wrapped up an entombment cover for her older dad in-law, Laertes. Be that as it may, every night, she cautiously fixed the weaving that she had finished during the day, with the goal that the cover could never be done. On the off chance that Penelope can settle on no choice, Antinous proclaims, at that point she ought to be sent back to Icarius with the goal that he can pick another spouse for her. The loyal Telemachus will not toss his mom out and calls upon the divine beings to rebuff the suitors. Right then and there, a couple of falcons, secured battle, shows up overhead. The diviner Halitherses deciphers their battle as a sign of Odysseus’ approaching return and cautions the suitors that they will confront a slaughter on the off chance that they don’t leave. The suitors shy away from such absurdity, and the gathering closes in gridlock.
As Telemachus is getting ready for his excursion to Pylos and Sparta, Athena visits him once more, this time camouflaged as Mentor, another old companion of Odysseus. She supports him and predicts that his voyage will be productive. She at that point embarks to town and, accepting the mask of Telemachus himself, gathers a reliable group to man his ship. Telemachus himself tells none of the family hirelings of his excursion for dread that his flight will disturb his mom. He tells just Eurycleia, his savvy and matured attendant. She begs him not to take to the vast ocean as his dad did, yet he puts her feelings of dread to rest by saying that he realizes that a divine being is next to him.
At Pylos, Telemachus and Mentor (Athena in mask) witness an amazing strict service where many bulls are relinquished to Poseidon, the divine force of the ocean. In spite of the fact that Telemachus has little involvement in broad daylight speaking, Mentor gives him the consolation that he needs to move toward Nestor, the city’s above all else, and get some information about Odysseus. Nestor, nonetheless, has no data about the Greek legend. He describes that after the fall of Troy a dropping out happened among Agamemnon and Menelaus, the two Greek siblings who had driven the endeavor. Menelaus set sail for Greece quickly, while Agamemnon chose to hold up a day and keep giving up on the shores of Troy. Nestor went with Menelaus, while Odysseus remained with Agamemnon, and he has heard no updates on Odysseus. He says that he can just supplicate that Athena will give Telemachus the grace that she indicated Odysseus. He includes that he has heard that suitors have assumed control over the ruler’s home in Ithaca and that he trusts that Telemachus will accomplish the eminence with regards to his dad that Orestes, child of Agamemnon, won with regards to his dad.
Telemachus then gets some information about Agamemnon’s destiny. Nestor clarifies that Agamemnon came back from Troy to find that Aegisthus, a base weakling who stayed behind while the Greeks battled in Troy, had lured and hitched his significant other, Clytemnestra. With her endorsement, Aegisthus killed Agamemnon. He would have then assumed control over Agamemnon’s realm had not Orestes, who was in a state of banishment in Athens, returned and murdered Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. Nestor holds the fortitude of Orestes up for instance for Telemachus. He sends his own child Pisistratus along to go with Telemachus to Sparta, and the two set out via land the following day. Athena, who uncovers her heavenly nature by shedding the type of Mentor and changing into a hawk under the steady gaze of the whole court of Pylos, remains behind to ensure Telemachus’ ship and its group.
In Sparta, the ruler and sovereign, Menelaus and Helen, are praising the different relationships of their child and little girl. They cheerfully welcome Pisistratus and Telemachus, the last of whom they before long perceive as the child of Odysseus in light of the reasonable family similarity. As they all dining experience, the lord and sovereign relate with despairing the numerous instances of Odysseus’ cleverness at Troy. Helen reviews how Odysseus dressed as a bum to invade the city’s dividers. Menelaus recounts to the acclaimed story of the Trojan steed, Odysseus’ magnificent gambit that enabled the Greeks to sneak into Troy and butcher the Trojans. The next day, Menelaus relates his own arrival from Troy. He says that, stranded in Egypt, he had to catch Proteus, the awesome Old Man of the Sea. Proteus disclosed to him the route back to Sparta and afterward educated him regarding the destinies of Agamemnon and Ajax, another Greek saint, who endure Troy just to die back in Greece. Proteus likewise revealed to him updates on Odysseus—that he was as yet alive however was detained by Calypso on her island. Floated by this report, Telemachus and Pisistratus come back to Pylos to head out for Ithaca. In the interim, the suitors at Odysseus’ home learn of Telemachus’ journey and plan to trap him upon his arrival. The messenger Medon catches their arrangements and reports them to Penelope. She becomes troubled when she mirrors that she may before long lose her child notwithstanding her better half, however Athena sends a ghost as Penelope’s sister, Iphthime, to console her. Iphthime advises her not to stress, for the goddess will ensure Telemachus.
Every one of the divine beings aside from Poseidon accumulate again on Mount Olympus to examine Odysseus’ destiny. Athena’s discourse on the side of the legend wins on Zeus to mediate. Hermes, delivery person of the divine beings, is sent to Calypso’s island to disclose to her that Odysseus should finally be permitted to leave so he can come all the way back. In answer, Calypso conveys an ardent arraignment of the male divine beings and their twofold norms. She gripes that they are permitted to take mortal darlings while the undertakings of the female divine beings should consistently be disappointed. At last, she submits to the preeminent will of Zeus. At this point, Odysseus alone survives from the unexpected that he drove at Troy; his team and different vessels in his power were altogether demolished during his voyages. Calypso encourages him fabricate another vessel and stocks it with arrangements from her island. With misery, she looks as the object of her adoration cruises away. Following eighteen days adrift, Odysseus spots Scheria, the island of the Phaeacians, his next goal designated by the divine beings. Simply at that point, Poseidon, coming back from an excursion to the place where there is the Ethiopians, spots him and acknowledges what different divine beings have done in his nonattendance. Poseidon works up a tempest, which about hauls Odysseus under the ocean, yet the goddess Ino acts the hero. She gives him a cloak that protects him after his ship is destroyed. Athena also acts the hero as he is hurled to and fro, presently out to the remote ocean, presently against the barbed rocks of the coast. At last, a stream up the shore of the island answers Odysseus’ petitions and enables him to swim into its waters. He tosses his defensive cloak over into the water as Ino had instructed him to do and strolls inland to rest in the sheltered front of a timberland. ‘So at that point, illustrious child of Laertes, Odysseus, man of adventures, still anxious to leave without a moment’s delay and rush back to your own home, your adored local land? Good karma to you, all things being equal. Goodbye, But in the event that you just knew, where it counts, what torments are destined to fill your cup before you arrive at that shore, you’d remain directly here, manage in our home with me and be unfading. Much as you long to see your significant other, the one you pine for every one of your days’. (Books 1-5)
In literature, the way that people treat others is based solely on feelings and actions. The Odyssey is no exception to this. In Homer’s epic The Odyssey, both gods and goddesses have certain feelings and thoughts on the past actions of Odysseus and use them to decide how to treat him. Although many god to human relationships in The Odyssey exist, many gods and goddesses have different reasons to like or dislike Odysseus. In this book, gods and goddesses decide how to treat Odysseus based off of their feelings, pity and admiration, and Odysseus’s actions. Gods and goddesses such as Kalypso, Athena, and Poseidon have different reasons for how they decide to treat Odysseus, but they all have an important relationship to Odysseus to affect events in this book.
The goddess Kalypso decides how she’s going to treat Odysseus based off of her own feelings. When Odysseus first washed up on Kalypso’s island, she explains, “Wind and current washed him here to me. I fed him, loved him, saying that he should not die nor grow old, ever, in all the days to come” (V. 141-144). When Odysseus first appeared on Kalypso’s island, she instantly fell in love with him and wanted to keep him forever. With her first sight of Odysseus, she decided to keep him on her island because of her own feelings, she fell in love with him. At the beginning of the book, it explains, “Her ladyship Kalypso clung to him in her sea-hollowed caves–a nymph, immortal and most beautiful, who craved him for her own” (I. 22-25). Because Kalypso is craving Odysseus, she decides to hold him hostage on her island and doesn’t let him go. Kalypso’s cravings play a big part in why she chooses to keep him and what she decides to do with him. After Odysseus has been with Kalypso on her island for many years, Athena explains, “His daughter will not let Odysseus go, poor mournful man; she keeps coaxing him with her beguiling talk, to turn his mind from Ithaka. But such desire is in him merely to see the hearthsmoke leaping upward from his own island” (I. 75-80). When Athena says this, it clearly conveys the idea that Kalypso does not want Odysseus to leave at all, even though he truly wants to. She keeps on trying to turn his thoughts away from his homeland but decides to keep trying to do so because she desires him. Kalypso decides to keep Odysseus because of her own feelings in situations when she could easily let him go.
The way that Athena chooses how to treat Odysseus is based mostly on her pity for him as well as admiration. At the beginning of the book, Athena says, “But my own heart is broken for Odysseus, the master mind of war, so long a castaway upon an island in the running sea” (I. 66-68). Athena takes pity on Odysseus and has sympathy for him because he was stuck with Kalypso. She also calls him a ‘mastermind of war,’ and because she is the goddess of warfare, she appreciates this aspect of him. Odysseus is smart in war, and Athena likes that about him so she helps him. When Athena sees the suitors at Odysseus’s house, she exclaims to Telemakhos, his son, “But tell me, and make this clear to me: what gathering, what feast is this? Why here? A wedding? Revel? At the expense of all? Not that I think. How arrogant they seem, these gluttons, making free here in your house! A sensible man would blush to be among them” (I. 269-374). After the suitors eat all of the food, Athena makes it clear that she does not like them thereby coming up with a plan to get rid of them. The suitors being at Odysseus’s house is another reason that Athena takes pity on him. They are raiding his home and taking advantage of the rule that lets them have access to his home, Xenia. Athena does not like this, so she decides to come up with a plan to help Odysseus and Telemakhos get rid of them. Towards the end of the book when Odysseus and Telemakhos are finally fighting the suitors to get them out, the book says, “At this moment that unmanning thunder cloud, the aegis, Athena’s shield, took form a loft in the great hall” (XXII. 330-333). When Athena decides to help him, she does this because of her past experiences with Odysseus, and also his past. She likes to help him and wants to because she wanted the suitors to get out of his way anyways. Overall, Athena decides to help Odysseus because she takes pity on him for being stuck somewhere and having suitors raid his house, and also she decides to help him because of his past.
In The Odyssey, Poseidon decides how to treat Odysseus based on his past actions. When Odysseus and his men got stuck in a cave with Polyphemus, Poseidon’s son, they made a plan to get him to drift off into a deep sleep with wine so they could stab him in the eye and escape. Once he drank the wine and he fell asleep, the book says, “I drew it from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand, lugging it near the Kyklops as more than natural force nerved them; straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye” (IX. 412-415). When Odysseus stabbed Polyphemus’s eye, it was the first reason for Poseidon’s anger. Although Poseidon did not yet know who did it, this was the main reason for his holding a big grudge against Odysseus. Odysseus stabbing Polyphemus is also the beginning to Poseidon making Odysseus’s journey on the sea much more difficult. After Odysseus and his crew escape Polyphemus, Odysseus said to Polyphemus, “O Kyklops! Would you feast on my companions? Puny, I am, in a caveman’s hands? How do you like the beating that we gave you, you damned cannibal?” (IX. 519-523). When Odysseus was taunting Polyphemus because he escaped him, it gave Poseidon all the more reason to dislike him. Poseidon decided to treat Odysseus badly, and Odysseus taunting Polyphemus didn’t help Poseidon like him at all. After he and his men escaped from Polyphemus, Odysseus says to Polyphemus, “Kyklops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaka!” (IX. 549-552). When Odysseus revealed his name to Polyphemus, Poseidon knew who hurt his son so he had someone to blame. Odysseus was being arrogant and told Polyphemus his name because he was very confident at the time, but Poseidon knew from then on that he would make Odysseus’s journey very difficult. Odysseus’s choices such as stabbing Polyphemus, taunting him, and telling him his true identity all combine to create a reason for Poseidon to treat Odysseus badly.
Throughout The Odyssey, gods and goddesses are presented with a lot of information on Odysseus to decide how to treat him. They can decide how to treat Odysseus from feelings, pity and admiration, and his actions. Every day, every person is given reasons to treat other people differently, and this idea carries over to The Odyssey. Gods and Goddesses must also choose different situations to determine how to treat Odysseus.
Odysseus’ return symbolises the return to civilisation and the world of mankind. Odysseus’ travels do not relate to geography, instead they explore the pillars that define both man and civilisation, one’s identity as a man, mortality, sacrifice, and working the land and the preparation of food. His return is a story of returning to normalcy, and his acceptance of the constraints placed on man. The worlds he visits are fantastical, and the beings vary from super to sub human to contrast his choice of remaining human.
Mortality differentiates mankind from the gods and in his journey home to civilisation Odysseus must fight to maintain his mortality. Calypso offers Odysseus immortality and to live with her. However, to accept this offer would mean never returning home, abandoning heroic repute, and his very humanity. While Calypso outwardly takes the form of a woman, she is clearly inhuman. Her name means to conceal and hide, which suggests that she is overpowering Odysseus’ potential and the recognition he would achieve if he returned home. Calypso represents the world of the superhuman and to accept it would mean to choose becoming inhuman. Humanity requires the overcoming of risk and challenges and living as a god would thus destroy these hopes for achievement as a mortal man. Thus Odysseus’ continuation of his journey back to civilisation is evidence of his acceptance of the human condition. This is further emphasised in Odysseus’ descent to the Underworld. Odysseus’ interaction with Achilles recalls the cost of mortality and the loss of Achilles’ future. This reinforces Odysseus’ rejection of Calypso’s offer in favour of the benefits of a mortal life, including his wife Penelope. Achilles chose a death that brought glory, Odysseus instead chooses a mortal life. Odysseus also meets his mother, and in being unable to hold her this communicates to the audience the conclusiveness of his choice of remaining a mortal man. Even when meeting the dead Odysseus does not meet a being that is strictly human, emphasising that to return home is to return to civilisation and humanity. Therefore, his return is only possible through maintaining his mortality, which in turn confirms his return symbolises returning to the civilised and normal world.
Odysseus’ individual identity as a man is challenged but is re-affirmed on his return to civilisation. “Man” is one of the first words of the poem, which is fitting as the poem explores the identity of Odysseus as a man. At this early point we do not know who this man is, and we will discover this throughout his journey. This introduction both presents and obscures the protagonist of the poem, drawing a connection with Odysseus’ absence in the beginning of the piece. In his absence the concept of identity and social relations can be brought to the forefront as his goals form our perception of him. Goldhill believes that language is the medium of acknowledgement and appearances in the Odyssey. Odysseus’ self-representations have multiple layers, with the story itself being named after him to show the power he finds in the manipulation of language. This interest in the control of language can also be seen through the repeated self-descriptions and self-reflexive ponderings of his use of marked speech. Odysseus’ penchant for disguising himself is utilised when he gives his name as “Nobody” in his escape from Polyphemos. Due to the Cyclopes’ solitary and uncivilised lifestyle, their linguistic structures make them vulnerable. Herein Odysseus manipulates the language surrounding his identity as a man and the Cyclopes’ uncultured social structure to escape. However, when he calls back his name to Polyphemos this enables Poseidon to send the strong winds to assault his ship, thus showing the perils his identity as a mortal man holds in this super human world. Van der Ralf explains that Odysseus barely retains his identity as a man when he finds the Phaeacians. He has maintained his identity through-out the tribulations of his fantastical adventures but once he nears civilisation he is weary from these tests. In Odysseus’ return to Ithaca, the increased pressure on social paradigms and individual identity within the poem is emphasised. Odysseus’ return is a return to the civilised world and thus he is once again under its effects. As Odysseus approached Nausicaa he was compared to a lion that wanders down from the hills to kill livestock, but as he returns to Ithaca he is instead compared to a tired plow-man returning home. This demonstrates the civilisation that Ithaca symbolises, and his return allows him to fully regain his identity as a man. Therefore, while his identity is challenged, returning home to civilisation re-confirms his humanity.
Sacrifice is a pillar of civilisation and while Odysseus maintains this practice, he finds perverted sacrifices in the uncivilised worlds of the Odyssey. Circe’s island represents the uncivilised. Circe’s victims are changed into animals, and those who were turned into wild animals are unable to return to humanity as they no longer have a connection to civilisation. While Circe appears human, she uses non-human demonic power to achieve her goals. In accordance with Circe’s instruction, Odysseus makes an offering to the dead, however this does not fit with traditional sacrificial practices. When in the Cyclopes’ territory, Odysseus’ companions’ offer sacrifices whereas Polyphemos does not. However, the companions’ sacrifice was improper as it was made with cheese rather than blood and with animals not reared by man as there are none available in the land of the Cyclopes’, and it is thus rejected by Zeus. This demonstrates the uncivilised nature of the Cylcopes, as Polyphemos also fails to perform the characteristics of a sacrificial meal, such as putting aside the bones for the gods. Furthermore, Polyphemos has no regard for appeals of sanctuary under Zeus Xenios’ name. All of these characteristics culminate in a distinctly inhumane representation, and thus demonstrate Odysseus’ distance from civilisation and the characteristics that define mankind. The lack of proper sacrifice is also seen in the episode of the herds of the sun. Whereas Odysseus chooses to hunt and fish, his companions instead choose to sacrifice domestic animals. The sacrifice is improper, lacking the barleycorns to place on its throat, the libations are changed to water, and the very flesh later begins to groan. Odysseus’ companions are then punished for their sacrilege. The suitors also do not sacrifice in the Odyssey. Odysseus attempts to exclude Amphinomous from the slaughter as he is the only one to suggest a libation to Apollo, but they are both unable to fulfil their promises. Even once he is home, the civilised nature of his household must be restored by killing the suitors. Odysseus however is shown to continually sacrifice to the gods throughout his journey. Thus, sacrifice represents both the difference between humans and non-humans, and a criteria of social and moral values between people. Hence, sacrifice is shown to be a pillar of civilisation and morality, and by upholding this Odysseus rises above his companions and those he meets.
Agriculture and food preparation are an essential part of civilisation and are represented through Ithaca and contrasted in Odysseus’ travels. Ithaca itself is referred to as the “grain-giving earth” , and thus reinforces the importance of agriculture to creating a civilised society. It produces grain and vines, and the fruits of Odysseus’ lands are also equally a prize for Penelope’s suitors. To return to Ithaca is hence to return to a civilised and cultivated land. Throughout Odysseus’ travels there is a notable absence of beings working the land and preparing food properly. The Cyclopes in particular do utilise agriculture and flout not only the protection from Zeus Xenios but also mock the practices of receiving a guest. Whereas one should feed their guests and inquire as to their name, Polyphemos instead asks his guests to identify themselves and then devours two of them. Thus the uncivilised Cyclopes are connected with not working the land, and Polyphemos does not use his fire for cooking. Polyphemos eats his meat raw, completely ignoring his readily available fire to emphasise this choice. The cannibalistic and animalistic devouring of the meal illustrates the difference between the inhumanity of the Cyclopes and Odysseus and his companions. The tools of civilisation are thus used to overcome Polyphemos. The wine that is offered overcomes him, for he is unused to the method used to prepare wine and he becomes quickly intoxicated and collapses. Furthermore, the olive is the tree with which Odysseus builds his bed, the fixed point of his home, and the wood of the stake put through Polyphemos’ eye. The olive tree is a symbol of civilisation and blinds Polyphemos so the companions can escape. Later depictions in a proto-attic black figure amphora of this scene utilise an animal pelt and large genitalia to demonstrate Polyphemos’ lack of civilisation in comparison to Odysseus. The Lotus-Eaters also show a lack of civilisation as they do not eat bread but flowers, and this deprives Odysseus’ companions of their memory which is an essential part of humanity. Hence, without the proper preparation of food, there can be no civilisation. Therefore, agriculture and food preparation are an essential part of civilisation and are represented through Ithaca and contrasted in Odysseus’ travels.
In conclusion, Odysseus’ return symbolises the return to civilisation and the world of mankind. The four pillars of mortality, one’s identity as a man, sacrifice, and agriculture and the preparation of food are essential to defining mankind and civilisation. Odysseus’ travels in turn contrast to these factors, demonstrating the uncivilised nature of the inhuman beings that he encounters and their ways of life.