Category: Odyssey

Ulysses or odyssey is English word of Greek origin that means an adventurous journey. The story mainly focuses on a Greek hero who is consistently in pursuit of achieving something big which has never been achieved before. He sets himself to be a part of a bloody battle called the Trojan War. He shows extra ordinary dedication by living without his wife Penelope whose contribution will also be discussed in the paper and his Telemachus. It is an epic which narrates the story of a hero and how things turn out when he returns to his kingdom after a gap of twenty years. The epic shows the struggles faced by Penelope the unsung heroine of the play; she keeps her suitors at bay and also protects her son Telemachus from getting killed. The people wanted to kill Telemachus in order to gain control over the kingdom of Ithaca. Ulysses is a great epic that shows more struggles than one and it is truly a great epic which has all the makings of a great epic. This paper will throw light upon this great epic and a comprehensive analysis of the character of Penelope will also be provided in this paper.

The character of Ulysses is very famous and it is mainly associated with two epics namely the Iliad and the Odyssey both these great epics were written by homer. Ulysses was a Greek king who went on an expedition in the later parts of his life leaving his kingdom, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus all alone. His son was born just when he was about to leave for the Trojan War which was supposed to be a bloody battle.

“I cannot rest from travel: I will drink Life to the lees: all times I have enjoyed Greatly, have suffered greatly, both with those That loved me, and alone; on shore, and when Through scudding drifts the rainy Hyades Vexed the dim sea: “(Ulysses, 21 February 2009). These lines were said by the great king Ulysses. These lines clearly show the intent of the great king. He says that he will refrain from resting and wasting his life. He says that he has enjoyed his life and he does not want to waste it by remaining idol. He wants to conquer and to make a mark for himself and the same motivates Ulysses to participate in the Trojan War.

The will of Ulysses becomes the highlight of this Epic. He is extremely motivated even after being the king of Ithaca. He wants to prove to the world that he can achieve and conquer even in his old age. He is so motivated in the Epic that he does not even think about his son Telemachus and his wife Penelope. Telemachus is a very important character in Ulysses. He gets really worried about his kingdom after the departure of his father. He gets tensed about the suitors who come and try their luck to please Penelope with the intension of taking over the kingdom. Telemachus also goes on a journey to find his father Ulysses so that the happiness and the prosperity of the kingdom of Ithaca get restored. Odyssey is all about the struggle of various characters. It all starts with the voyage of Ulysses. He is in pursuit of happiness and struggles hard to find the same in the Epic. Telemachus is in pursuit of his father to ensure that his kingdom remains prosperous and Penelope is in pursuit of ideas to ensure that she does not succumb under pressure in the absence of her husband Ulysses. So Ulysses is about the struggle and the hardship faced by the different characters of the Epic. Ulysses reflects on his past and feels good that he has achieved something but when he realizes that he is not satisfied living a domestic life with Penelope, he decides to live his life to the fullest and to explore and relive his past. Age takes a toll on Ulysses and his fellow sailors but his will and his motivation keeps him going really strong. He advices all his sailors to be brave and to fight till their last breadth. His fighting spirit and his never say die attitude speaks volumes about his character in this great Epic. He openly declares that he wants to sail and explore beyond sunset and even beyond death. Such enthusiasm is truly unprecedented and shows a lot of courage in the character of Ulysses. Ulysses returns home after a long gap of twenty years and derives a lot of satisfaction from the fact that his wife remained very faithful to him and to his kingdom. Her contribution in this Epic will be discussed in the following part of the paper.

This part will throw light upon the character of Penelope and the way she reacted in the absence of Ulysses to safeguard the kingdom against the suitors. A comprehensive analysis of her reactions will be presented in this part.

Penelope the Unsung Heroine of the Epic

“In Homer‘s Odyssey, Penelope is the faithful wife of Odysseus, who keeps her suitors at bay in his long absence and so is eventually rejoined with him. Prior to recent readings, her name had been associated with faithfulness.” (Cambridge University Press, 30 January 2009). Penelope is believed to be the faithful wife of Ulysses and she stood really strong in his absence. Women were known for the deeds of their sons and by their own deeds early on, Ulysses wanted his wife to be really faithful to him without looking at his own track record and Penelope certainly fulfilled this desire of Ulysses in his absence. Even though Ulysses goes on an expedition for many years, Penelope always spoke about him with respect and gratitude and the relationship between Ulysses and Penelope form the base of the story, the whole story revolves around these two most important characters. Women have always taken a back seat in most of the early stories but Ulysses is a bit different from the other stories, Penelope stands all alone protecting the kingdom of Ulysses changes the whole image of women taking a back seat.

Penelope could have easily married some suitor and the kingdom would have gone to the suitor but she did not do this in order to ensure that she protects the kingdom of her husband even in his absence and she stood by his wishes, he wanted her not to get married and she did exactly the same. “She waits twenty years for the final return of her husband during which she has a hard time snubbing marriage proposals.” (The Odyssey, P 628, 30 January 2009). She waited for twenty long years for her husband to come back, this clearly goes to show that she was a woman of character and self control, had it been any other woman, she would have surely failed to resist the temptation of getting married again. She had a lot of persistence and composure, her image had been overshadowed because of Ulysses, and this is because he is the protagonist in the play and the contribution of his wife Penelope has never come to the limelight. It is very fair to say that she never gets the appreciation that she deserves because of the overshadowing nature of the character of Ulysses.

“In order to avoid choosing a husband, Penelope came up with a plan. She announced that she was weaving a shroud for Laertes, her father-in-law. She said that, once she had finished, she would choose from among the many suitors.” (Penelope, 30 January 2009). This goes to show her faithfulness and her thoughtful attitude, she decides to protect the kingdom against all odds and she succeeds in doing so, the Poem is also about the struggle of Ulysses and Penelope to get back together after twenty years of long gap.

Penelope wove during the day to keep her suitors at bay and removed it at night so as to buy herself some time. She certainly succeeded in keeping all her suitors at bay and in protecting the kingdom in the absence of the king for twenty long years. Penelope’s loyalty has been discovered by the people off late and she features in many paintings, poems, prose etc.

“Men in The Odyssey only value women who they can use for physical needs and wealth, such as the women in the underworld that Odysseys encounters, and Penelope. Homer shows us how men in The Odyssey consider women less important than men. We rarely hear of women throughout the book. When we do, we are shown that men did not consider women important and are careless with their relationships with women, as we see in Odysseus’ relationship with Penelope. While Odysseus expected Penelope to stay faithful even after he was gone for twenty years and was unfaithful to her many times, through his relationship with Calypso. But today women are able to have accomplishments other than those of Penelope and the other woman Odysseus encountered in the underworld; they have the same opportunities and are treated as equals by men.” (Treatment of Women, 30 January 2009)

References

Homer. The Odyssey, Book XVI, in The Iliad & The Odyssey. Trans. Samuel Butler. p. 628.

Penelope. In Trojan War. Web.

The Odyssey. Translated by Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1996.

Treatment of Women in Homer’s Odyssey.” Web.

Ulysses. In The Victorian Web. Web.

W. Mackail, with Penelope in the Odyssey (Cambridge University Press, 1916), epitomizes the traditional view of the dutiful Penelope.

In the vast majority of the cases, women were not central characters who could significantly affect the epics’ outcome. Moreover, they were usually demonstrated as unsecured and unwise compared to strong and sharp males –— the main heroes of any ancient work. On the contrary, Odyssey, and Gilgamesh, the two unprecedented epics of ancient history, demonstrated to their readers how female representatives might take serious decisions and follow their own life paths. In this essay, the women will be presented from different perspectives. Moreover, the God women would be compared with common or mortal females, which will give the possibility to genuinely determine whether there is a God-person or Woman-woman subject line.

First and foremost, it is critical, to begin with Gilgamesh since he is a relatively common character in terms of his life story. More specifically, two women selected for the analysis are Siduri and Ninsun. This is due to the fact that Siduri is a common female representative, but she was a mentally strong person who could manipulate people so that they achieve the needed results. Her positive influence had a significant effect even on the main hero when she advised Gilgamesh to live the best possible life: now and today. On the other hand, a more conservative but with the same amount of social influence, Ninsun, Gilgamesh’s mother, contributed to his two-thirds of a God. To summarize the influence of both women on Gilgamesh, it is possible to cite Kelley (2014) to describe Gilgamesh’s advice to him during one of the toughest period of the epic:

When the gods created man, they allotted his death, but life they retained in their own keeping. As for you, Gilgamesh, fill your belly with good things; day and night, night and day, dance and be merry, feast and rejoice. Let your clothes be fresh, bathe yourself in water, cherish the little child that holds your hand, and make your wife happy in your embrace; for this too is a lot of men (25). Throughout the whole essay, Ninsun was trying to rescue her son from difficult life situations so that she demonstrates her whole dedication to her mortal son by scarifying her own happiness.

Secondly, during his numerous voyages in the labyrinth of the home-leading pathway, Odyssey met two females who determined his continued involvement in the wanderings: Nausicaa and Athena. Similar to Gilgamesh’s epic heroes, they have significantly influenced Odyssey and his return process home. For instance, Nausicaa, who was a beautiful young Phaiakian princess, fell in strong love with Odyssey so that he was rescued from death at the appropriate time when he was supposed to have a maritime squad and equipment. From the other perspective, Athena is a full God by her origin, so she has a serious power as a personality, and one of these personality facets is the infinite willingness to help Odyssey in his voyage, which demonstrates her upper status over the common people. In addition, Athena does not have any fears while helping Odyssey, while Nausicaa experienced significant discomfort in speaking with Odyssey, which underlines the notion that only Gods, and especially women Gods, might feel complete freedom during their stay on the Earth.

Finally, even though Gilgamesh and Odyssey were written in different manners and for different purposes, the women’s question is resolved effectively in both situations. In some cases, the women had typical female behavior, especially when giving life advice to the main heroes. Moreover, they had some flaws throughout the epic, but the main idea of their empowerment as women is that they were described realistically as men, with all of their benefits and drawbacks. Consequently, this aspect allowed some people to provide a fair comparison between God and mortal women.

Work Cited

Kelley, R. L., and N. K. Sandars. The epic of gilgamesh. Assyrian International News Agency, 2014.

Introduction

Homer’s Odyssey is one of the Greek epics. It is also a sequel to Homer’s Iliad. In book 11, Odysseus speaks to numerous ghosts that give him revelations, advice and guidance. Most of these ghosts have an influence on Odysseus’s fate. Throughout the book, Odysseus speaks to numerous ghosts including that of his own mother, Anticleia. These ghosts explain to Odysseus about the past while other give his hope and way forward for his future. Of the numerous ghosts in book 11, my favorite three include Elpenor, Tiresias and Anticleia.

The Ghosts of Elpenor, Tiresias and Anticleia

After Odysseus travels to the famous River of Ocean, he performs several sacrifices and pours libations as instructed by Circe. “The first ghost to appear is Elpenor (Homer 157)”. The ghost instructs Odysseus to ensure he goes back to the island of Circe and perform a proper burial for his body.

From this encounter, Odysseus understands something new and important. “The ghost informs Odysseus that a decent burial was necessary as a sign of respect for those who had died (Homer 162)”. He therefore learns the importance of a burial for someone who is deceased. “After the conversation, Odysseus would go back to the island and give the body a proper burial as requested by the ghost (Homer 162)”.

“The second ghost to speak to is that of Tiresias, a prominent Theban prophet (Homer 163)”. I find the ghost one of my favorite because of the hope and information he gives Odysseus. “The ghost reveals to Odysseus that Poseidon was busy punishing and killing the Achaeans (Homer 163)”.

According to the ghost, Poseidon was punishing them because they had blinded his own son by the name Polyphemus. “The other thing about his conversation with this ghost is that he learns about his fate and future. The ghost foretells Odysseus’s fate (Homer 164)”. According to the ghost, Odysseus would go back home, succeed in reclaiming his own wife. The ghost assures Odysseus that he would reclaim the palace and make a successful journey to Poseidon.

Tiresias’ ghost tells Odysseus not to touch the children of the Sun especially after he makes his journey to Thrinacia. “If he touches the flock he would face much hardship and even lose his entire crew during the journey (Homer 164)”. The information is vital and gives Odysseus courage and hope as he faces his future. “The ghost foretells the journey ahead of him and he is warned of the dangers that might fall on his way (Homer 165)”.

The ghost of Odysseus’s mother is my third favorite ghost. “Odysseus speaks with Anticleia who informs him about the affairs and events taking place at Ithaca (Homer 165)”. “She also narrates to Odysseus how she died of pain and grief while she was waiting for his son (Homer 166)”. From the encounter with his mother’s ghost, Odysseus learns the love of a mother and the reason to treasure it.

Conclusion

Throughout book eleven, Odysseus speaks to numerous ghosts including that of his own mother. These ghosts explain to him about the past while other give his hope and way forward for his future. My favorite ghosts are those of Tiresias, Anticleia and Elpenor. Having spoken to the ghost of Tiresias, Odysseus is informed of his future and can go ahead with useful information about what to do and what to avoid. This would play a huge role towards his success as a great warrior.

Works Cited

Homer. Odyssey. New York: Classic Books, 2009. Print.

Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey remain powerful even today because they relate to the current issues. The main topics that have currently dominated the world are conflicts and politics. In the Iliad, for instance, the story focuses on the conflict between different groups with distinct interests. However, in regards to the Odyssey, it is mainly about politics and leadership. Therefore, in relating the two poems with the current situation, people are constantly fighting over leadership positions. In their quest for control of power, they pretend to have their followers’ interest, yet their wars are individual-based. Therefore, some stories remain for long because they revolve around the daily human experiences which vanish fast. If a story is based on a rare event, it will not appeal to the audience because they will easily lose interest. The Iliad and the Odyssey tell me that conflict is not evitable in a society with people of different interests. However, we should seek other sources of conflict resolution rather than war.

The gods in Homer are important because they direct what people are supposed to do. They act in violent ways when they are not appeased with the actions of humans. They play a role in ensuring that humans have no control over their surrounding and should be guided by a supreme being. The stories cannot exist if the gods are not in the picture. Although humans mainly conduct actions, their activities are directed by the gods. In short, the conflicts mainly revolve around what the gods want.

The Iliad and the Odyssey are anti-war poems, even though the actions in the stories are mainly conflict-oriented. They are anti-conflict because the aftermath of the fights is tragic, and every individual always engaged in losses. Both the antagonist’s and the protagonist’s lives end tragically. This, therefore, means that war is not the solution to every problem; at times, people should embrace other peaceful mechanisms in ensuring that an issue is resolved. The Iliad and the Odyssey’s results are a tragedy that imply that the story was against war by highlighting the consequences of it.

Reference

Vinci, F. (2017). The Nordic origins of the Iliad and Odyssey: An up-to-date survey of the theory.Athens Journal of Mediterranean Studies, 3(2), 163-186. Web.

Works written in ancient times are of particular interest to people of all times. They have their own distinctive and similar features that are easily identified. Moreover, given such a large number of ancient works from different countries, they are constantly being compared. Such examples are the Indian Ramayana and the well-known Odyssey. The designation of the similarities and differences of these works is necessary for a better understanding of the literary creativity of those times. Thus, the main similarity is the narrative about the difficulties of the protagonists, and the difference is the presence of magical characteristics.

The most obvious similarity between the two stories is the fact that the Odyssey and the Ramayana are products of an ancient epic and oral tradition. Therefore, as already mentioned, the prevailing similarity between Ramayana and Odysseus is the narration of such difficulties on their way, such as wars. However, both stories differ from each other in the level of the presence of a supernatural element. Furthermore, the Indian Ramayana tells about Ravana, who was the king of demons and who kidnapped Rama’s wife (Agrawal 65). On the other hand, the author tells the story of Odysseus, where the witch goddess Circe also possessed only some supernatural abilities that could not be compared with the skill of the Indian protagonist.

Both works were written in the period from the fifth to the sixth century BC. The key characteristics of this literary period are the heroes’ responsibility to the gods. They are filled with faith and repentance to divine creatures and receive great reverent excitement from understanding and fulfilling divine goals. Therefore, both epics have a significant impact on Indian and Greek cultures. They convey the human worldview, experience, and perception of those times.

Work Cited

Agrawal, Reena. “Management Learnings from Valmiki Ramayan-The Oldest Indian Epic.” IBA Journal of Management & Leadership, vol. 8, no. 1, 2016, 65.

In fact, the ancient epic is famous nowadays mainly due to the fact that some of the works are considered as the first official mentioning of a hero. Moreover, these characters were given a special set of benefits and drawbacks since it would not be interesting to observe the adventures of an ideal person. A bright illustration of a provided theory might be the Odyssey’s and Gilgamesh’s traditions.

On the one hand, Odyssey, who is returning to his home island Itaka, is a great example of an epic hero. While rethinking his brave adventures before returning to Itaka, he returns to his memories concerning his competitive soul:

“…In that Trojan land, when Achaeans shot,

the only one who beat me with the bow

was Philoctetes.1 But of all the rest

I claim I’m far the best—of mortal men “(149).

This notion emphasizes that his living standards and quality measures depend on how risky and severe is the new challenge for him. Consequently, Odyssey is a challenge-oriented individual who finds motivation to “bet” all of his power to overtake the opponent.

On the other hand, Gilgamesh, who was a “spoiled” king due to the lack of qualitative parenting, did not realize his purpose of living until one day he lost his close friend Enkidu. The death of a close person significantly affected him and served as a “trigger” to active actions and the beginning of the new life. He settled the concrete goal of climbing the mountain Mashu and overcoming all of the obstacles to investigate the friend’s death. More specifically, when he observes the mountain’s guardian, he responds:

“’Although I should go in sorrow and in pain, with sighing and with weeping,

still, I must go. Open the gate of the mountain” (23).

As a result, Gilgamesh demonstrated not only his wish of competitiveness and willingness for new challenges, which is the Odyssey’s case, but the genuine motivation to suffer the pain for his friend. In fact, this challenge is the classical theme of friendship and mortality. Finally, it might be stated that ancient heroes have a “string” that interconnects them with contemporary heroes. More specifically, both hero types are goal-oriented, which is not always the case with the heroes from other time periods.

Works Cited

Homer, and I. Johnston. The Odyssey. Richer Resources Publications, 2007.

Kelley, R. L., and N. K. Sandars. The epic of gilgamesh. Assyrian International News Agency, 2014.

Introduction

Virgil and Homer are two well known poets. The former is a Roman writer, while the latter is from Greece. Their works reflect some of the most famous myths and beliefs held by their people at the time. Virgil’s work, “The Aeneid”, describes the culture of the Roman people around the time of Jesus. Homer’s poem, “The Odyssey”, takes the reader through the Greek social and political world around 700BC. In essence, ‘The Odyssey’ was written 700 years before the ‘Aeneid’.

Homer and Virgil create very similar (yet different) moral worlds in their epic poems ‘The Odyssey’ and ‘Aeneid’. A number of instances highlighted in Aeneid are discernible in Odyssey. The reason is that the Greek culture later influenced the Roman way of life. Both cultures believed in the presence of gods. The supreme beings are in charge of various forces of nature, such as the sea and the wind. Human beings are inferior to these gods. Failure to adhere to the morals prevailing in the land is viewed negatively by the deities. However, the two cultures represent two different moral worlds. Some of the issues that differ between the two societies, as highlighted in the two poems, include marital love, representation of the underworld, the idea of fate, and pride/hubris.

A Comparison of Themes Found in Odyssey and Aeneid

The Theme of Marital Love

Love is a common feature in both poems. The heroes featured in the two epics enjoyed some form of companionship at some point in their journey through life. However, the idea of marital love is more prominent in the Odyssey than in the Aeneid. Homer portrays Odysseus as a man who is very devoted to Penelope, his wife. He longs to be at home with his partner, especially given the challenges he faces in his journey. In extension, the poem portrays how Greek men valued the commitment between them and their wives (Lattimore 67). Lattimore states that “his heart [is] set on his wife and his return” (p. 67). In spite of having another companion in Calypso, Odysseus still insists on getting back to his home. He also declines the offer made by Alkinoos of Skheria. The hero was promised a home, land, and other forms of wealth if he agreed to marry the daughter of his benefactor. Odysseus still remembers his responsibilities as a husband, even when in compromising situations.

Like the Odyssey, the Aeneid also shows value for marital love. However, the quality and quantity of this affection is less than that illustrated by Odysseus. Aeneas is viewed as an individual who is not committed to marriage (Humphries 12). He is also a wanderer and does not have a place he can call home. He is not married and shows no intention to settle down with a woman. Humphries argues that “when he starts a relationship with Dido at Carthage, he initially shows great interest in her before Hermes chastises him” (p. 16). He eventually decides to leave her, a situation that makes Dido commit suicide.

Representation of the Under World

The two poems are full of fictitious scenes, especially in their description of the Roman and Greek gods. In Odyssey, the supernatural beings are portrayed has having provided the society with customs that are to be adhered to without fail (Lattimore 82). It is believed that the intention of the Greek gods is to safeguard the safety of the people.

According to Homer, the Greek gods believe that it is only civilization that can keep the people safe. When individuals go against the customs given to them, the wrath of the supreme beings is unleashed on the land. Such persons are no longer considered to be part of humanity. The transgressors fail to acknowledge the Greek gods and honor the norms of the land. As a result, the harmony of society is compromised. At one point, Odysseus questions their powers of as he flees Cyclops. According to Lattimore, “every god took pity, all except Poseidon” (p. 2). As a result, the trip back home was full of challenges for this hero.

Like Odyssey, Aeneid showcases the presence of the Roman gods. The poem is mostly about the Trojans and their tribulations. Unlike the Greeks who invited the wrath of the gods by failing to honor their customs, the Trojans believe that they are tied to disaster by fate. According to them, one does not have to dishonor the Roman gods for catastrophes to strike. Misfortunes occur at their own pre-destined time. The people can do nothing to avert the situation. For example, Aeolus releases winds that could have completely destroyed the Trojans (Humphries 60). The disaster was not a result of Trojans’ disrespect for the Roman gods. On the contrary, it is Juno who is afraid that the soldiers may eventually defeat her army and acquire most of the Greek territories, including her empire in Libya. As such, she requested Aeolus to wreck havoc on the Trojans to destroy them before they can get stronger. Virgil is also of the view that individuals can change the will of the Roman gods with the help of another supreme being. When Aeolus unleashes the typhoons, Neptune intervenes and secures the survival of the Trojans. Humphries writes that “he said, and hurl’d against the mountain side his quiv’ring spear, and all the gods applied. The raging winds rush thro’ the hollow wound, and dance aloft in air” (p. 5).

The Idea of Fate

Fate refers to acts that are preordained to happen. Nothing can stop such events from taking place. Both Aeneid and Odyssey illustrate this idea. However, the former pays greater attention to the subject compared to the latter. The Odyssey is full of myths as opposed to fate. The poem pictures Greece as a perfect society that is free of war and other disasters (Lattimore 53). The culture of the people is static and all have the desire to do well. The kind of society pictured in this case can be likened to a scene in a fairy tale. According to Homer, the situation will persist as long as the people of Greece maintain a good relationship with the gods.

The poet’s perception of Greek society is evident in his description of the city of Phaiakia. The city can only be described as a utopia. It represents an ideal society that enjoys the benevolence of the Greek gods. According to Lattimore, “the city is so perfect that it has never encountered war” (p. 53). In addition, none of the residents has the intentions of fomenting a civil strife. Their good nature and pious existence makes the Greek gods happy. As such, the people of Phaiakia have never been subjected to hunger and other calamities.

On the other hand, the author of Aeneid believes that life is dynamic (Humphries 74). As such, it is bound to change at any given time. The author uses the city of Carthage to explain this point. When Aeneas first arrives in this urban centre, he sees a perfect city that is under construction. Humphries says that “the people here appear to be blessed” (p. 74). Peace prevails and there are a lot of development projects going on. A number of structures are coming up in the city. However, Aeneas discovers that the tranquility in the urban center has not always been there. The residents are trying to establish a new city after they fled from their old one as a result of war. As such, it is clear that the peace prevailing in the town covers a painful past.

The Subject of Pride/Hubris

Hubris is a Greek word that means extreme pride. The trait makes an individual lose contact with reality. As such, they are exceedingly confident of their achievements. Such persons are often subjected to punishment by the gods as a result of their arrogance (Lattimore 37).

Homer portrays hubris as a form of stupidity. Throughout the narrative, arrogance is punished by the gods. Odysseus is depicted as a proud man. On his way home, he encounters Polyphemus, a one-eyed giant. He raids food belonging to the giant. Instead of fleeing, Odysseus wants to remain behind to challenge the beast. Lattimore is of the opinion that “the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all” (p. 37). Odysseus is well aware that his decision may lead to the death of his men. When the beast arrives, two of his men are devoured. The rest are trapped and are left behind by their colleagues. Regardless of this, Odysseus clings to his pride. When the beast seeks to know his name, he refers to himself as ‘nobody’. He later seizes an opportunity and injures its eye, blinding it completely. Early the following morning, the party departs for home. The hero brags that he is ‘Odysseus of Ithaca’ (Lattimore 37).

The hero’s behavior is a depiction of pride and foolishness. He discloses his true identity to the beast, something that could lead to a retaliatory attack. As he flees, Odysseus questions the powers of the Greek gods. His transgressions aggrieve the supreme beings. His disrespect is a ‘stupid’ move since all Greeks at the time were aware of the repercussions of such behaviors. He suffers the consequences when his journey back home becomes a challenge.

In Aeneid, Virgil acknowledges the pride of the Romans. The Trojans hold themselves in high regard, especially in matters to do with warfare (Humphries 7). During combat, mercy is viewed as a sign of weakness. It is a trait associated with women in the society. However, some form of humility is also encouraged in the text. Humphries is of the view that “when Aeneas comes across a one-eyed monster, he urges his men to flee” (p. 9). The troops ensure that they do not provoke the monster. They also free one of the Greek men left behind by Odysseus. Critically, his actions can be regarded as a form of cowardice and weakness (Humphries 9). However, it is obvious that he has some measure of pride, especially when it comes to winning wars.

Conclusion

Homer and Virgil demonstrate the various attributes associated with two of the most popular cultures in the world. It is clear that Greece had significant impacts on the Romans considering that the Aeneid was written 700 years after ‘The Odyssey’. However, the moral pictures created by the two poems are different. Homer and Virgil express varying views with regards to the relationship between gods and man. The importance of the two poems in relation to Greek and Roman history cannot be downplayed.

Works Cited

Humphries, Rolfe. The Aeneid of Virgil, New York: Scribner, 1951. Print.

Lattimore, Richmond. The Odyssey of Homer, New York: Harper & Row, 1967. Print.

All through the Homer’s Odyssey, disguise has been adopted by different characters to complicate or facilitate their or another character’s passage across the world. Some characters assume multiple disguises throughout the plot.

Athena, the goddess, for example, goes through no less than three transformations. It is not only the goddess who puts on a camouflage, though; Odysseus also pulls off the disguise power to progress his goals and objectives. Odysseus was the king of Ithaca at the time when Palamedes sent him to the Trojan War, which lasted for ten years.

The story begins when Odysseus with his crew journey back to Ithaca, his homeland, as a Trojan War’s valiant hero. He sets sail for Ithaca but in the face of fate wonders for a decade when his ships were instantly drifted to Thrace by a violent storm.

It was the beginning of an expedition. Throughout the The Odyssey, disguise helped the main character, Odysseus,develop through humility and understanding, which eventually led the character back to Ithaca. This journey was made with the aid of the goddess Athena, who disguised Odysseus.

Odysseus faces many challenges and tragedies during this adventure. During his travel back home, he was put to trial on different occasions by the monstrosity that nearly destroyed him. His intelligence and sly behavior made him pull through the various dangerous situations he met.

Ultimately, he succeeded in getting back home, and this, he owes to Athena, the goddess, who always supported him throughout his travel. Athena incessantly favored Odysseus, as witnessed in The Odyssey, when Zeus, on Athena’s behalf, had ordered him to release from the island of Calypso where he had been held captive for seven years.

Unfortunately, Poseidon noticed him floating in the waters and was compelled to make him drown, had it not been for goddess Ino who saved him. Later, Odysseus reached Phaecia city, where he encountered Athena camouflaged as king Alcinou’s daughter. The following excerpt supports that, indeed, the goddess Athena disguised Odysseus to help him. (Homer and Johnston 111).

“Straight to his house, the clear-eyed Pallas went, full of plans for great Odysseus’ journey home. She made her way to the gaily painted room where a young girl lay asleep: Nausicaa, the daughter of generous King Alcinous. The goddess drifted through like a breath of fresh air in face and form like the shimpan Dymas’ daughter. Disguised, the bright-eyed goddess chided…” (117).

Athena also had to pour a sea fog around Odysseus to protect him, and then she assumed the shape of a little girl and showed him the way to the palace (Homer and Johnston 111-112). Athena again used this tactic when Odysseus had safely reached his homeland. The goddess did not want the people to notice his return until he had taken revenge upon the suitors of his wife.

Zeus’ daughter Athena had made it a foggy day, so that people might not know of his arrival, and that she might tell him everything without either his wife or his fellow citizens and friends recognizing him until he had taken his revenge upon the wicked suitors(185).

Back in his homeland way before the Trojan War, Odysseus was a king. He had a wife and a son whom he had left an infant when he had to leave for Troy. Being transformed into a stranger, Odysseus had managed to convince Alcinous to bring him back to his homeland. He had to put away his pride to get the much-needed help in reaching home.

“And there Odysseus stood, gazing at all this bounty, a man who had borne so much…Once, he had had his fill of marveling it all.” (141). Athena disguised Odysseus as a beggar to get revenge against the suitors. With this, he had to cast away again his pride (Homer and Johnston 148). Athena explains to him:

“First, I will transform you-no one must know you. I will shrivel the supple skin on your lithe limbs, strip the russet curls from your head, and deck you out in rags you’d hate to see some other mortals wear; I’ll dim the fire in your eyes, so shinning once…” (253)

Once again, Odysseus displays much loss of pride when he comes across a goat herder who mocks and kicks him but was capable of rationalizing the situation. That signaled maturity in his part has been a man of inordinate self-esteem. Later on, he was able to put aside his identity and egoism even when in concealment (Homer and Johnston 235).

The use of disguise in The Odyssey was helpful as it allowed Odysseus to survey his palace and identify those who had remained loyal and those who had not. Emmaus was one of such great men who displayed loyalty to his king even in his long absence.

This is noted when he says: “Not even my parents at home, where I was born and bred. I miss them less than I do him…” (354). He displays further loyalty by showing a feeling of disgust toward the suitors, which moves Odysseus.

Another example of loyalty is shown by his dog, Argos, who was merely a puppy at the time when Odysseus left and was at the point of an old dog. The dog recognized his old master, wagged his tail then died. The fact that his wife, Penelope, did not remarry despite the many suitors who courted her, shows a great height of loyalty.

Other loyal people were his son Telemachus, and Eurykleia, his old nurse. The opposite case is with the suitors and, more especially, Antinous, who rudely hurled a chair at him when in disguise had announced that Odysseus would return (Homer and Johnston 367-389).

Boiling over Antinous gave him a scathing look and let fly. ‘Now, you will not get out the hall unscarred; I swear not after such a filthy string of insults!’ With that, he seized the stool and hurtled it-Square in the back it struck Odysseus… (369).

Eventually, Odysseus successfully vanquished the suitors and was able to reclaim his castle.

Upon bringing back Odysseus adventures from his battle with the monsters though his landing home to his reclaiming the palace, it is noted that his wit and guise aided him to put through his hardships, of course, with the help of Athena who revealed it to him after he had landed in Ithaca. Sure enough, the role of disguise helped Odysseus’ character develop through humility and understanding, which eventually led the character back to Ithaca, with the aid of the goddess Athena.

Odysseus’ journey was much of a self-discovery. It served as a realization of what it takes to be a leader, thus, enhanced his maturity. In conclusion, the importance of disguise in the Odyssey was not only that of practical purposes (to help Odysseus on his journey back home to Ithaca), it also psychologically impacted Odysseus for the better, which helped him complete his hero-cycle.

Works Cited

Homer. Odyssey. Trans. Ian C. Johnston. New York: Richer Resources Publications, 2007. Print.

Introduction

When looking at the relationship between the monstrous and the human in Odyssey, it can be seen that monsters represent, in many instances, the darker side of humanity.

The Cyclops

When looking at the instance where Odysseus encounters the Cyclops Polyphemus, it is often the case that people see a giant monster that is out to eat visitors.

However, as it can be seen through the dialogue between Polyphemus and Odysseus, Polyphemus does have the capacity for reason and understanding yet continues to perform his actions anyway despite alternatives being present (i.e. he eats humans despite the fact that sheep are present). In this particular instance, Polyphemus and his one eye represent people who look at things through only one perspective.

The end result is that they neglect to see the end result of such actions and in turn this results in adverse consequences towards them (i.e. in this case Polyphemus had his eye gouged with a sharp stick).

Calypso

While the sea nymph may seem to be “good” in the sense that she took very good care of Odysseus on her island, in reality she actually symbolizes the aspect of complacency that exists within us all.

Through the dialogue in the story we can see that while she has made Odysseus comfortable, he is not truly progressing in life despite his desire to do so. Such an aspect is present in us all wherein we become lured by the comfort of complacency that we find ourselves unable to move forward when we should have done so.

Circe

What Circe represents is harder to ascertain since she both turned the men into swine yet took good care of them afterwards. However, upon reading more of the dialogue it can be seen that Circe represents fear of moving forward which often results in loneliness and heartache later in life. In the story it is revealed that the reason that Circe turned the men into swine was due to bad experiences she had with men in the past.

Since she never moved forward from such a feeling she became stuck in the past and, as a result, became incredibly lonely. This is a behavior that we all experience all too often wherein we become so focused on what has happened to us that we become too afraid to move forward and experience new things. This can eat away at a person leaving them lonely and friendless with no one to talk to but the walls of their home.

The Lotus Eaters

The Lotus eaters in the story are very familiar since they represent the addictions that burden us in life. This can by anything such as junk food, television, sex, drugs or anything that causes to obsess over something so completely that we discard everything else to focus on such an addiction.

This can often result in men or women turning in to monsters in order to get their “fix” and, as such, is an appropriate representation of the darker side of humanity that lurks within us all that is waiting to come out and drag us down just as addiction has entrapped the Lotus eaters in the story.

Conclusion

After examining the various characters that was encountered by Odysseus on his journey, it can be stated that when looking at the relationship between the monstrous and the human in Odyssey, monsters represent, in many instances, the darker side of humanity.

Introduction

The relationship between the monstrous and the human in Odyssey is one which showcases there is a thin line between being human and being monstrous.

There are numerous instances where this is evidence such as the scene where Circe turned the men of Odysseus into swine, the strangely human like characteristics of the Cyclops Polyphemus as well as the way in which the crew of Odysseus encountered the cannibalistic Laestrygonians.

In each stage of the adventure readers are introduced to an ever increasing similarity between what is monstrous and what is man to the point that the line between the two blurs resulting in actions of Odysseus at Ithaca which can be considered monstrous but in fact is a purely human action as portrayed by the story.

The Cyclops Polyphemus

One of the first encounters of Odysseus with something that was truly monstrous was the Cyclops Polyphemus who ate some of the men of Odysseus and could be considered a truly frightening site with his single eye and enormous size. However, it is interesting to note that despite Polyphemus being a monster he was quite articulate and was able to carry on a conversation not only with Odysseus but with Poseidon himself.

His act of complaining to his father (such as when a child would complain to this own father if he/she were being bullied) is very human like and is the first instance where we seeing a blurring of the lines between man and monster.

The Witch Circe

The second encounter of Odysseus with the supernatural came in the form of Circe turning some of his men into swine (i.e. pigs). In this instance in the story it is implied that men are no different than beasts as implied by Circe through her dialogue in the story wherein she has had bad experiences with men.

It is due to this dialogue and her transformation of the men of Odysseus that we see another blurring of the lines between man and monster.

Encounter with the cannibalistic Laestrygonians

Prior to landing on the island of Circe, Odysseus encounters the Laestrygonians who are mostly human yet are giant in size (i.e. being taller than the average person) these individuals turned out to be cannibals who destroyed the ships of Odysseus (except his own since it was hidden) and ate his men.

In this instance we see humans (albeit very tall humans) acting in a distinctly inhuman fashion. At this point of the story the line between what is human and what is monster is further blurred since we now see humans acting exactly like monsters yet having the external appearance of humans.

Slaying of the Suitors

Towards the end of the story we encounter Odysseus arriving at Ithaca and after a few scenes and tests slays all the suitors of his wife.

This particular scene is included in the blurring of the lines between man and monster since Odysseus in effect performs an act of brutal murder on several people. Yet, despite such an act, he is not punished in any way within the story and is even praised for his deed.

Conclusion

Based on what has been presented so far, it can be seen that in the odyssey the relationship between the monstrous and the human is one which showcases there is a thin line between being human and being monstrous wherein man can be just as monstrous as the monsters themselves.