The role of the archetypal hero, who has incredible bravery, power, leadership, and determination, like Odysseus evolves in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. Odysseus is a king who led his crew on a 10-year journey after a victory in the Trojan War. His motivation was to return home to his beloved wife, Penelope. The poem was written around the 8th Century BC and is set in Ancient Greece around 1200 B.C.E. Odysseus is the King of Ithaca, which is an important factor when considering him a hero. In Ancient Greece, being a member of royalty made Odysseus powerful and placed him in a leadership role. Gods and goddesses play large influences in the stories of this time of Ancient Greece. Having the support of Circe should be seen as a part of Odysseus’s
Odysseus fits the epic hero archetype because he is a great leader. In The Odysseus, Odysseus and his crew landed on the Lotus-Eaters island and met the people there, his crew was oblivious to the lotus’s effects that made his crew forget about returning home. When Odysseus realized this he yelled to his men, “All hands aboard;/ come, clear the beach and no one taste/ the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home” (Homer 103-105). One of the traits of an epic hero is being a great leader. In this quote, Odysseus shows his leadership by getting his men back on board the ships and leaving.
In Homer’s The Odyssey numerous characters demonstrate multiple archetypes throughout the narrative, including Odysseus who acts as both a hero and a trickster. Odysseus’s heroic qualities can be seen when he and his crew reach the island of the Cyclopes. Here he proclaims, “...I’ll make the crossing / in my own ship, with my own company, / and find out what the mainland natives are” (Odyssey 9.71-73). He acts on behalf of his crew to help them survive along their journey.
Odysseus displays multiple examples of an archetype in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey. His archetype helps develops the theme that bravery is an essential trait in people, by providing examples of the great skills of a warrior and the superhuman courage to face his enemies and return home. The first example of great skills as a warrior is when Odysseus and his men must attack a mythical foe, the Cyclops, to escape from the cave. They are in grave danger because the Cyclops has already eaten a few of Odysseus’s crewmates. So, they “[use a] pike of olive…sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye, and [Odysseus] leaned on it turning it…” so they could blind the Cyclops to escape (Homer 380).
Even though the Odyssey is one of the most significant pieces of literature left from Greece, it works against most Greek values. Unlike other epics such as the Iliad, also written by Homer, the Odyssey depicts the image that strategic thinking can overpower physical strength. This story's influence was most likely unwanted in Greek society by authority figures, as it demolished everything they stood for, which was making sure men always aspired to be the strongest warrior. Odysseus, the protagonist, does not fit this Greek-warrior archetype, because he is as wise as he is strong, if not even more so. Odysseus, 'his great mind teeming', embodies the concept of will-power, and demonstrates the superiority of the mind over physical strength, time and time again.
Characteristics of an Epic Poem in The Odyssey The Odyssey is about a man named Odysseus who has a long and dangerous journey home from fighting for ten years in the Trojan War. After fighting for ten years, he takes another ten years to get home. Homer uses many characteristics of an epic poem that are common in literature. In The Odyssey, Homer includes characteristics of an epic by portraying archetypes, epic themes, and an epic hero.
After reading the epic poem, “The Odyssey” by Homer, I noticed that Odysseus displays the elements of an ancient Greek hero. It is very common to see that ancient Greek culture strongly value a variety of attributes or forces. Three important traits that the Greek merit are: competition, retribution, and courage. Competition is a highly perceived trait in Greek culture. Penelope created a task that no man besides Odysseus can accomplish.
Throughout the Odyssey, it has become clear that Odysseus has a lot of weaknesses especially ones that revolve around his behavior which causes the life of others at times. The Odyssey is a long and complex epic poem that tells the story of a legendary hero named Odysseus. Odysseus is the King of Ithaca, a small island in Greece, and he is known especially for his quick-thinking, courage, cunning and resourcefulness. The Odyssey begins after the end of the Trojan War, in which Odyseeus played a key role as a warrior and strategist. After the war, Odysseus is on adventure to return back to his home back in Ithaca to his wife, Penelope, and his son Telemachus.
Odysseus The Hero Imagine you are in the middle of the ocean and all of a sudden a giant whirlpool opens up and tries to consume you, what would you do? These were the types of challenges Odysseus faced and accomplished in The Odyssey. Written by Homer, during the early 7th century, The Odyssey, is an epic poem about the journey of Odysseus on his way home from the Trojan War. As Odysseus and his men travel back they run into multiple struggles including Lotus Eaters, Cyclops, and sea monsters. These challenges test Odysseus’s heroic characteristics as he struggles to get home to his wife and family.
Introduction: The odyssey is a epic poem made by Homer The odyssey takes place during the Trojan war 1200 BC where Odysseus and his men have been fighting to defeat the army of troy. Later they have and expecting to come home victorious the hero and his men learn they've taken a turn for the worst Paragraph 1- Claim: I believe Odysseus should be nominated for the award because he has shown the qualities of a good leader and true hero. Odysseus has determination, high spirits, a creative mind, and motivation.
In the epic story the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan war, and on his way home he finds many obstacles ahead of him. Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and he is trying to return home to his land. Many creatures try and stop him from achieving his goal of returning home, but he and his crew have to push through and get home. Odysseus portrays bravery and courage leading his crew through these tough challenges. Odysseus heroically leads his crew and himself through dangerous obstacles, but also foolishly endangers them during the journey home.
Let’s be real, The Odyssey is a complicated piece of text. With its ever-branching storyline and intricate characters it can take a minute to truly decipher it all. But once you do, you can see the many levels of not only the story, but also its characters. Archetypes are a literary device we use to categorize characters and the options are endless. We are basically able to summarize a character as a whole with these character archetypes.
Penelope is introduced in the Odyessey as the wife of Odysseus. According to Greek mythology, Penelope is the half-sister of Helen of Troy. Odysseus is the one who devises the idea of having all of the suitors give an oath to protect Helen and respect her marriage to whomever her stepfather chooses. Icarus, Penelope’s father and Helen’s stepfather, then gives Penelope’s hand in marriage to Odysseus as thanks for creating the idea of the pact. When the Odyssey begins, Penelope has been waiting for Odysseus in Ithaca for almost 20 years.
In the book called The Odyssey by Homer, it mainly follows the story of a king of a village called Ithaca, hundreds of years ago-This man, is named Odysseus. Odysseus goes through many adventures after the victory of the Trojan War. However, this is where Odysseus, is not being as strong as a great war hero and a king as he should be. Although Odysseus was seen as a very strong person, physically and mentally, he lacks the appreciation and the care of his crew throughout the trials and didn’t think through many of his actions thoroughly and how they would affect not only his crew but people around him.
Someone is Circe a pretty woman that can turn people into pigs and other animals and someone else was a Cyclops, if they were to fight who do you think would win? The cyclops will get really angry, also Circe is magical in the book the Odyssey by Homer. Although the book the Odyssey has many villains Circe and the cyclopes are most most important in the book Odyssey by Homer. Although the Odyssey is filled with many villains, some people think that the cyclops and circe are the most important for many reasons.
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.