The fight between Odysseus and the archetypes is a continuous struggle; a struggle that occurred for ten years. This epic is known to all as The Odyssey. It originated orally from Homer, the most famous epic writer known to man, yet translated by Robert Fitzgerald. The Odyssey is about this mortal named Odysseus whom is trying to find his way home. He has to overcome many different challenges, along with archetypes. Odysseus must deal with the archetypes consisting of: the evil figure with a good heart, the temptress, and lastly the supernatural guide.
The evil figure with a good heart would be Polyphemus, the Cyclops. The land founded after their last, would be The Cyclops. “When all chores were done, he poked the fire… In the glare he saw
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“Son of Laertes and the gods of old, Odysseus, master of landways and seaways, dissemble to your son no longer now. The time has come…” ( Fitzgerald 994). Athena comes to Odysseus once he was in front of Telemachus. Only Odysseus could see her, gods and goddesses can choose whom can see them. She gives him a clean white cloak and knit tunic. She also fixed him physically; he was no longer bearded, and looked younger. Athena left as swiftly as she came. While Odysseus was away, many men resided in his home while eating his food. She had this blanket she would sew throughout the day. While everyone slept in the night, she would take it apart. She did this for many years, so she would not have to make the choice of a new husband. Before the thought of peace crossed Odysseus’ thought process, Athena assisted him, Telemachus, Eumaeus, and other loyal stockmen with killing all of his opponents. Eventually, peace is reached through the magic workings of Athena. Odysseus is reunited with his father, Penelope, along with the rest of his family. His kingdom is finally restored, peace is no longer a faint whisper. Athena watched and directed Odysseus throughout his whole journey, in which making her the supernatural guide.
The Odyssey is just an example of the many stories which use archetypes to establish a character's physical and mental traits that we see and notice. If archetypes were lost, literature would not equal the equivalence that literature reaches in modern day. With literature, we mentally escape our reality to enter another, which depends on whom or what the story is based or talking
However, the one who was with him the entire time was the goddess of wisdom and war, and his mentor, Athena. She had always taken favor to Odysseus, claiming that he was the smartest man alive and that he could even outsmart one of the gods someday. Athena protected Odysseus from the wrath of Poseidon and his traps, like Circe, Scylla, Charybdis, Helios, and convinced the Zeus to force Calypso to free Odysseus from her island. Athena told Odysseus’ son, Tiresias, to go to Sparta to speak to the King and find news of his father.
Odysseus receives guidance, and help, from mainly Athena, the daughter of Zeus. She helps Odysseus and his son, Telemachus, throughout the whole book. Often, she disguises herself as the Mentor or another person. Athena was also the one god who spoke up for Odysseus and his son during the council of the gods. Although Odysseus does gain support from a few of the other gods, at the same time, he becomes an enemy to others, such as Poseidon, so having Athena on his side helps him to further move towards his end goal to return home.
Odysseus’ reverence to the gods is shown again after the suitors families and the town learns of Odysseus’ homicide, they come after the royal family. Athena and Zeus come to Ithaca, ordering a peace. Homer describes the event and Odysseus’ reaction, “So she commanded. He obeyed her, glad at heart." (Homer 24.598).
The odyssey, an epic told by Homer in ancient greece, has many major themes following odysseus’s adventures. While Odysseus is sentenced to never return home after the Trojan War. He is overcoming challenges to return home to his wife penelope and his son Telemachus. Throughout the story major themes of loyalty, hospitality and vengeance are hidden within the plot. The story continues to show his heroic side with three major traits.
Athena is a major character throughout the book of The Odyssey and is known as the goddess of wisdom and battle. Throughout the course of the book, it is evident that Athena has a weak spot for the main character, Odysseus. Odysseus is trying to return home after the Trojan War, as the other Greek hero’s have already done, however he faces multiple challenges a long the way. Fortunately, for Odysseus, Athena was there to guide him through a few of these troubling situations.
After he successfully exits the cave by blinding the cyclopes, he and his surviving men board the ship. As a result of his pride, he calls out to the monster, "If anyone asks who put out your eye, tell them it was Odysseus of Ithaca!”(Hinds 109). Considering the fact Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon, the cyclops calls out to him and therefore starts the troublesome voyage for Odysseus back home. When he returns to Ithaca he learns to control his hubris by replacing it with patience. Athena, the goddess of war and strategy, disguises Odysseus as a beggar because it is wisest to arrive in Ithaca without anyone being able to recognize him.
With his courage, strength, and drive for fighting, Odysseus is the archetype of a
In The Odyssey, by Homer, Athena influences the lives of Odysseus and his family. In Greek mythology, gods challenge and control mortals. Gods also provide support to mortals and thus, mortals depend and act on behalf of the gods and their decisions. Athena, daughter of Zeus, is the goddess of wisdom, and both Telemachus and Odysseus benefit from her power. Athena possesses the ability to disguise herself and others, and this skill allows her to give advice and guidance.
The Odyssey by Homer revolves around the character, Odysseus, and his ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. As the epic’s idol, he displays the combination of a clever, handsome, and courageous man popular among the mortals as well as the gods. Essentially, he embodies the ideals of the ancient Greek culture, being adorned with many favored characteristics of the era. However, an intriguing aspect of Odysseus lies in his personality. As the protagonist, he does not manifest the entirety of a stereotypical hero because Odysseus has a fatal flaw—his arrogance.
In The Odyssey Homer makes Odysseus’ journey to his beloved Ithaca excruciating. Odysseus encounters many friends and foes throughout his journey and has to be a leader throughout his experiences. As an example, he encounters Polyphemus and Poseidon, both of whom make his journey mentally and physically painful. Odysseus faces countless scenarios in which he has to save multiple people in those situations. He also encounters the suitors, who are a group of men that try to marry Penelope, when he returns to reclaim his home.
After Telemachus and his father share a reunion, he leads his father to his house. Upon arrival, Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar and finds that the house has been taken over by sires trying to court his wife as a result of his actions. After completing Athena’s task, Odysseus reveals himself to his wife. However, Odysseus finds it very difficult to convince his wife that he has truly come back. When Odysseus reveals something no one else knows, Penelope runs to him and throws her arms around him.
The Odyssey by Homer is a book that involves the Journey of Odysseus and his men and the Obstacles they come across. The Odyssey portrays many themes including vengeance, hospitality, courage, bravery and more. Odysseus experiences some good and bad during his journey. He comes across people who help him, but also comes across creatures who hold him back. Odysseus is an Epic hero because of his quick thinking skills, bravery, and confidence for himself and his men.
The main character Odysseus in the Odyssey written by Homer is generally thought to be a great hero; however, he shows more traits of a quite flawed character on closer inspection. Around the beginning of Odysseus’ journey home after the war, Odysseus decides to take a detour to the home of a cyclops deciding to not listen to his men’s suggestions to leave while they still could; consequently, it does not end well: “Ah, how sound that was, Yet I refused. I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer no pretty sight it turned out, for my friend” (9.130-132). This thought by Odysseus shows that he realized his decision to go to the mysterious island wasn’t the most rational one and that his men’s pleas to leave were the better option, but he decides to be stubborn and place his curiosity before his men’s safety resulting in a non-heroic
Literary Analysis: The Odyssey and Dante’s Inferno Name: Course: Institution: Instructor: Date: Themes are fundamental and universal ideas that are explored in literary works. The epics of The Inferno by Dante and The Odyssey by Homer are two different stories with themes that that have some similarities while others have distinction. In The Odyssey, the central point is Odysseus struggling to go back home.
There is a story in which someone claims to be a hero, traveling amongst his men and facing his worst enemies to conclude of being the only prominent one who lives; this story would be the tales of Odysseus. The Odyssey is an epic poem, which is usually a long story in a form of a poem that portrays a hero. This epic poem was created by Homer, at some time throughout the eighth and twelfth centuries and not is much known about the author. In the story, Odysseus and his men encounter multiple obstacles and he is on a journey to get back home to Ithaca. With these tales, it is prominent that several analogical statements can be recurring throughout the story.