The Wise Old Man Archetype in Ancient Literature
Across history, stories have been told about the journeys of men, and journeys of peril and self-discovery. During these journeys, the heroes will often encounter beings; both helpful entities and destructive ones. One of the arguably more important of these is The Wise Old Man, whom Harold Schechter and Jonna Gormely Semeiks refer to as “an old man who provides guidance and good advice…The possessor of superior knowledge” (1). In both the epic Gilgamesh and The Odyssey; The Wise Old Man is seen giving nonmaterial gifts in the form of advice to the protagonists of each story, and he is most often encountered when the heroes are experiencing dark and troubling times.
The Wise Old Man” is prevalent in many classic and contemporary works, but especially in ancient literature. In Gilgamesh; the hero encounters The Wise Old Man during a dark and hopeless time of his journey; when Gilgamesh crosses the sea of death to find Utnapishtim. In a similar situation, Odysseus travels to the underworld to seek advice from Theben Tiresias. Both stories display a sense
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He gives important advice, whether the advice is heeded by the hero or not, and he often has a father-like relationship with the heroes in the stories featuring this archetype. In Gilgamesh, Utnapishtim is seen caring for Gilgamesh in many ways; such as when Utnapishtim speaks kindly to Gilgamesh when he first comes to the island, and later when he gives him advice followed by giving him a place to rest (72-82). In The Odyssey, Tiresias gives similar attention to Odysseus when Tiresias comes to him in the underworld by attempting to help Odysseus through the remainder of his journey (118-119). Although encountered in differing ways, The Wise Old Man will always be there to give support and advice to heroes in
Twenty years of action and adventure, defeating creatures, surviving, and just trying to get back home. In The Odyssey by Homer, the hero Odysseus takes an arduous journey navigating through raging waters and defeating strenuous creatures in order to get back home with his crew to his wife and son in Ithaca. Odysseus goes through a variety of islands on the way, each including many characters he needs to overcome. Being clever and cunning in difficult situations with the Cyclops, Scylla, Sirens, Charybdis, and finally the suitors will lead to success and survival in the future.. The cleverness of Odysseus is first supplied when he brilliantly guides his men from the danger of being devoured by the unprepossessing beast, to safety
Lesdy Torres Mrs.Gonzales English II 5 November, 2015 Recklessness vs. Wisdom and Coming of Age The Odyssey by Homer is a great epic that shows the journey of Odysseus, a man trying to get home back to his family. Throughout the epic, Odysseus faces many obstacles that lead him farther and farther away from home. Throughout book 1-12 the pattern of recklessness vs. wisdom sets the dominant tone of the story and is closely interwoven with the pattern of coming-of-age.
Michael Camby Mr. Martin English 1 10 February 2023 The odyssey essay Today I'm going to talk about why I think Odysseus is a hero. Have you ever found yourself in a very tough situation that you do not know how to get out of? Odysseus has had that happen to him a lot that you will read about in this essay.
Though it may seem strange, a poem that is almost 3,000 years old symbolizes the obstacles I will soon face in my life. This epic poem is The Odyssey by Homer. Many believe that the obstacles in this story are not to be taken literally, but that they provide deeper messages or morals. The Odyssey is a perfect allegory for life. When a reader looks at the story at the surface, it seems that it is simply about a Greek man, Odysseus, trying to return home land of Ithaca while he must fight monsters and avoid magical dangers.
The men, although brave, did not have a brain to match. I needed someone who could keep up with me and have intelligent conversations, someone worthy of being immortal like I. When Odysseus and his crew arrived on my island I thought that they would all be just like the others. Some men came to my palace and I offered them a feast and wine with honey. I hoped they would be clever enough to avoid my enchantment and be a worthy companion, but alas my hopes were extinguished. They quickly devoured the feast and drank my wine.
“Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.” -Erich Fromm ‘The Odyssey’ by Homer, follows the story of Odysseus, a great Greek hero. It tells of his venture to Troy, to lead his army in the Trojan War, and his separation from loved ones and his kingdom for twenty years. However, the novel mainly focuses on the story of his homecoming and all he, and many others, had to endure while he was returning from abroad.
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.
The commonality that these two stories is the use of characterization
Sanders Whiteside English I Mrs. Miller 11 February 2016 Courage Comes with Wisdom A man willing to fight for 20 years and return home to his family is a hard working man indeed. Characteristics can change the way one get is perceived as well can change the way someone acts. Homer's book The Odyssey takes place in roughly 760 BC in the Mediterranean in Greece.
In comparison, it’s always observed on how different scholars find the similarity of especially marital settings, characters, and as well as the wanderings of the mythological world. Different events within the life of these characters cover broadly a huge range of epic encounters that are heroic. The character, emotional and psychological development of Gilgamesh can be borrowed especially from the ancient heroic perspectives of mortality and death while comparing with Achilles. Mesopotamian civilization has had several phases in which hero Gilgamesh has been in existence, however having similar attributes. One of the earliest stories of Gilgamesh is developed from Sumerian texts, one of the most influential and well-known poems (Michelakis & Pantelis 2007).
From the beginning Oedipus was destined to fulfill a terrible prophecy, but through particular events that follow the steps of the Hero’s Journey, Oedipus becomes a powerful king of Thebes, only to be destroyed by the prophecy that should have ended his life as a child. The Hero’s Journey typically leads to self-confidence and power, however; the Hero’s Journey of Oedipus leads to his tragic demise. The Hero’s Journey lays out the steps of Oedipus’s future actions, which create suspense, fear, pity, and other emotions that captivates the audience. Similar to many famous stories, Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles in 430 B.C., follows the Hero’s Journey path, which is evident in Oedipus’s departure, initiation, and return.
The Odyssey is an epic poem written by the blind, illiterate poet Homer. It takes place in ancient Greece and tells of a man’s journey home from war. The topic, intervention of the gods, is seen throughout the book numerous times as the gods who are in favor of Odysseus lend a helping hand. It is well-known that the gods are very important to the Greeks. In this epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer demonstrates the importance of the positive and encouraging intervention of the gods in Greek culture; the brave actions, encouraging words, and cunning strategies of Athena as she assists and guides Odysseus on his journey back home.
This character is brought to light using several incidents and events that help to analyze and interpret the ancient Greek world and the values surrounding them. Each episode supports and allows for the development of Odysseus’ character and acknowledges the effects of these features. Through these specific incidents, the reader uncovers the quality of Odysseus and how his characteristics relate to those praised by Greeks and those that were criticized. Persistent components of Odysseus’ character include cleverness and pride, while major themes that are reiterated are Greek ideals and the struggle to reach home. Conclusively, definitive occasions in “The Odyssey” establish and expand upon the character of Odysseus and how it impacts himself and
In both stories the narrator's obsession is portrayed
The tragedy is universal because everyone else goes through. In the Greek tragedy “Oedipus the King “, written by Sophocles and translated by Dudley Fitts and Robert Fitzgerald; the topic of tragedy is retained. Oedipus is abandoned by his parents due to prophecy. He lives his entire young life blindly, without knowing his true identity, until he kills his father, marries his mother, and is finally exposed to the truth. Oedipus has lived his whole life blindly, abusing his power and those around him.