The Odyssey And Its Themes Essay - 709 Words

The Odyssey and Its Themes Homers great literary classic, The Odyssey, represents and illustrates many emotional and mental values. All of these values can be classified under three different main themes that are constant throughout the epic tale. These themes are: A boys struggle to be a man, a kings struggle to reclaim his kingdom, and a mans struggle to return home. As one reads this book it will become more and more evident to them that a mans struggle to get home is the most important theme throughout Homers adventure. In The Odyssey, Odysseuss longing for his home and family is what drives the story. That is his one goal in the entire book, and that really states something about his character. In Book 5 we are first†¦show more content†¦Some of the obstacles included the Lotus-Eaters, Cyclops, Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis. In many ways these creatures and temptations represent all obstacles that get in the way of goals. They are the classic feat that the protagonist, Odysseus, must overcome to get to his goal, home. One of the most fearsome, brutish obstacles was Polyphemus, the Cyclops. Polyphemus ends up destroying a large portion of Odysseuss crew as described in lines 746-752. Neither reply nor pity came from him, but in one stride he clutched at my companions and caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out, spattering the floor. Then he dismembered them and made his mealamp;#8230;; This descriptive brutality shows you just how much a gigantic, intimidatin g obstacle Polyphemus was. Another one of these obstacles was Scylla. Scyllas attack was described in lines 1338-1343. Then Scylla made her strike, whisking six of my best men from the ship. I happened to glance aft at ship and oarsmen and caught sight of their arms and legs dangling high overhead.; This is yet another grim reminder of just how determined Odysseus is to get to his home and family. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus is warned many times of the perils and difficulty of his journey. All through these times it seems that Odysseus will never get home, but he never loses hope. In Book 11, Odysseus ventures into hell to meet with the great prophet, Teiresias. Teiresias prophesizes, But anguish liesShow MoreRelatedThe Odyssey and Its Themes771 Words   |  4 PagesThe Odyssey and Its Themes Homer#8217;s great literary classic, The Odyssey, represents and illustrates many emotional and mental values. All of these values can be classified under three different main themes that are constant throughout the epic tale. These themes are: A boy#8217;s struggle to be a man, a king#8217;s struggle to reclaim his kingdom, and a man#8217;s struggle to return home. As one reads this book it will become more and more evident to them that a man#8217;s struggleRead MoreTheme Of Similes In The Odyssey767 Words   |  4 PagesThe Odyssey of Homer presents a large variety of themes, and also reinforces them through several different techniques. One of the primary ways Homer strengthens the themes outlined in The Odyssey is through the use of literary devices, specifically similes. One of the central themes in The Odyssey which is strengthened through the use of simile is Odysseus’ ability to use deception rather than sheer strength to escape perilous situations. Another centra l theme emphasized by similes is the longingRead MoreTheme Of Violence In The Odyssey1025 Words   |  5 Pages The Odyssey by Homer is a literary classic that presents many themes about the natures of both man and god. Although the characters of the book display characteristics relatable to those of the people today, one of the most prevalent differences between the two eras and their people is the intense violence that takes place throughout the entirety of the epic. This violence serves several functions in the work as a whole. The violence that is enacted upon the characters of The Odyssey serve as aRead MoreTheme Of Loyalty In The Odyssey973 Words   |  4 PagesThe major themes of The Odyssey are loyalty, hospitality, revenge and Disguise. Penelope stays loyal to Odysseus for 20 years, waiting for him to return home and Eurycleia is loyal to Odysseus and tells him who had been disloyal to him while he was away. When Homer recorded The Odyssey, members of the household and staff were loyal to the paterfamilias. Loyalty was expected in ancient Greek times out of respect. 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In one of Homer s most famous pieces of literature, various themes can be found. Throughout The Odyssey, three major themes of loyalty, justice, and hospitality are present. Loyalty is a basic human virtue that is glaringly visible in this book.Read MoreWhy Is Xenia Such an Important Theme in the Odyssey?1211 Words   |  5 PagesWhy is Xenia such an important theme in the Odyssey? Explain your views and support them with details from the poem. (45 marks) The concept of guest hospitality was extremely important in ancient Greece. Evidence that Xenia was integral to Greek society can be found in the fact that Zeus, the king of the Gods, was also portrayed as the God of Xenia. Xenia created an obligation for the host to be hospitable to their guests, and conversely, the guests had their own responsibilities too. If eitherRead MoreWhat Is The Theme Of Pathos And Logos In The Odyssey929 Words   |  4 Pageshardships. 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Revenge is an important underlying theme in The Odyssey because, in essence, it explains why Odysseus’ journey was so prolonged and treacherous. A few examples of revenge in the poem include Orestes’ revenge onRead MoreHuman Themes Of Homer s The Odyssey1261 Words   |  6 PagesHuman themes that dominate Homer’s The Odyssey is hubris. During his adventure with the Cyclops, Odysseus cleverly blinded the beast with a stake in his eye. He even went as far as saying that his name was Nobody so when the Cyclops would scream in pain and try to get help, nobody would help him for he would say â€Å"Nobody is hurting me†. However, Odysseus went to far when he escaped by not only yelling out his actual name but saying exactly who he is and where he can be located. I find this quite funny