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Figurative Language In Homer's Odyssey

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The Greek epic poet, Homer tells the story of the Odyssey which details Odysseus’s journey home after the trojan war. Odysseus and his men face life threatening challenges including his encounters with the Cyclops, Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis.While facing danger, the gods also tested Odysseus. Despite struggling for 20 years, he eventually prevails and returns to his wife Penelope. Not only does figurative language entertain and help the audience visualize the moments, but it also emphasizes the struggles and pain of the characters. The language depicts society’s values and helps readers understand the significance of social structure and one’s relationship with the gods. The vivid figurative language suggests that one must live life honorably or die in vain.
Living honorably results in being thought highly of and leaves you with no regrets. Living a life without devious activity has remuneration. Odysseus who is disguised as a begger speaks with Penelope and says, “Your name has gone out under heaven like the sweet honor of some god-fearing king” (IV.95-97). Penelope is being compared to an honorable “God-fearing king”. This paints the picture that Penelope is a very well respected and admirable person. The audience should learn that loyalty is a very important aspect of life. This evidence shows that since Penelope stayed loyal to …show more content…

Living a life of lies and betrayal has a not so good outcome. The Odyssey wouldn’t be nearly as recognized as it is today without figurative language. I feel it is much more understandable with the figurative language. It helps us have an idea of what going on in the story and we can visualize what the characters are going through. This story has withstood the test of time because it still includes many valuable lessons that we can apply to our daily lives. Hubris, Living honorably, and Dying in Vain all apply to our lives in some

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