ipl-logo

Archetype In The Odyssey Essay

1202 Words5 Pages

Rhyanna Bristow

Mr. Rowsey

English 1, Period 2

10 March 2023

The Odyssey Essay

We are greedy. Humans have an innate desire for things they cannot have. As a result of this, we are often overcome with feelings of temptation, a strong desire to do or have something. Both Odysseus and his crew encounter numerous circumstances in Homer's "The Odyssey" in which temptation ultimately prevails. For example, when Odysseus has an affair with the Goddess Lady Circe or when his crew opens Aeolus’s Bag of Winds. One major theme in “The Odyssey” is the consequences of temptation and how that ultimately impacted Odysseus’ and his crews' journey back to Ithaca and the events of the Hero’s Journey. The Hero’s Journey also played a major part in shaping how the characters behaved as well as the result of the narritave.

The theme of the consequences of temptation is established throughout the story through the actions of Odysseus' crew, which ultimately resulted in their …show more content…

For example, one archetype that is represented throughout all stages of the Odyssey is the hero archetype, which is played by Odysseus himself. Other archetypes that represent major parts of the Hero’s Journey include the mentor archetype which is represented by the Goddess Athena, and she is introduced in stage 4 of the Hero’s Journey, meeting the mentor/supernatural aid and stage 6 tests, allies, and enemies which are represented by the cyclopes, the sirens, Charybdis, Scylla, King Aeolus, etc. As we can see every single archetype in this narrative correlates with crucial pieces of the hero’s journey. Therefore, if Hero’s Journey wasn’t there to organize the story and the archetypes weren’t present to differentiate each character the narrative would not be as clean and engaging. Both pieces are very important when it comes to shaping this story and the characters within

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Archetype In The Odyssey

    256 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Archetypes In The Odyssey

    193 Words  | 1 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Archetypes In The Odyssey

    1316 Words  | 6 Pages

    Archetypes Ethan Sodikromo The Journey - The Odyssey (Homer) Background- Odysseus is a great Greek hero who was glorified in the Trojan War. However, on his return trip to his kingdom(of which he is king), he incurs the wrath of Poseidon, who leads his ship astray. He then spends 10 years trying to return home, fighting of many mythical beasts and incurring the wrath of a few more gods.

    Read More

  • Archetype In The Odyssey

    381 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Archetype In The Odyssey

    488 Words  | 2 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Archetypes In The Odyssey Essay

    627 Words  | 3 Pages

    He had hope that he would come back even after twenty years. Penelope stays loyal to Odysseus by not marrying another man or losing hope. Another epic theme in The Odyssey is homecoming. The whole story is about Odysseus’ homecoming and all the struggles he faces trying to get home. Loyalty and homecoming are the main two themes throughout The Odyssey and they are shown a

    Read More

  • Theme Of Self Control In The Odyssey

    1631 Words  | 7 Pages

    Along the journey home, Odysseus and his men are presented with many situations that act as tests of their personal character and self-control. Whether it is the temptation of revelry, the ability to escape their worries, or gluttony, the men must choose between their own selfish desires or resistance for the communal good. The crew’s success or failure in giving in to their temptations depends upon their possession of certain characteristics. Throughout Homer’s Odyssey, the failure of Odysseus’s men to recognize their lack of self-control due to foolishness results in them bringing misfortune upon themselves and ultimately their community while their king and commander, Odysseus, successfully displays how to avoid this lack of self-control

    Read More

  • Penelope's Use Of Archetypes In The Odyssey

    150 Words  | 1 Pages

    When Penelope is retrieving Odysseus’s bow, she opens the door by inserting the key “aiming straight and true” (Od. 21. 55). Odysseus then uses the bow, with the arrow “aiming straight and true” (Od. 21. 468). The repetition of the line show the connection between Penelope’s and Odysseus’s interactions with the bow. The true in “aiming straight and true” refers to the arrow staying true to the course the archer plans.

    Read More

  • Is Odysseus A Hero

    500 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Odysseus's Journey And Challenges In The Odyssey In The Odyssey

    1216 Words  | 5 Pages

    Odysseus, one man on a journey to return home, goes through many struggles on his quest in which he “fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home… [but] their own recklessness destroyed them all” (951). The Odyssey is a story reflecting on Odysseus’s past 20 years of adventure, challenges, and battles as he struggles to return home. Written by Homer, it showcases the adventures of Odysseus one by one as he struggles on his quest. Character archetypes enhance the story by affecting Odysseus and his quest based on the traits of the archetype, either as a hindrance or help, including Circe the temptress, who evolves into a spiritual guide, gods playing the part of the mentor, and the many monsters he faces along the way that serve

    Read More

  • Pride And Recklessness In Homer's The Odyssey

    1107 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Odyssey by Homer is an exemplary story that teaches life lessons to those going on a journey for themselves. It illustrates how the challenges and obstacles one may face can help someone become a better leader. The Odyssey highlights one man, Odysseus, a man filled with excessive pride, experiencing the wrath of the god Poseidon. He expects to arrive at his home, Ithaca, safely to reunite with his wife, Penelope, but unfortunately faces many temptations and setbacks. Due to the challenges he faces, it prevents him from arriving home as early as he thought he would.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Archetype In The Odyssey

    726 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Temptation In The Odyssey

    381 Words  | 2 Pages

    In The Odyssey, temptation is a theme repeatedly explored by Homer. The issue of temptation is constantly providing the protagonist, Odysseus, with conflicts. From the very beginning of the epic tale, with Paris’s lust for Helen, temptation causes mayhem in the lives of the characters. It repeatedly prevents Odysseus from achieving his main goal of returning home to Ithaca.

    Read More

  • Divine Intervention In The Odyssey Essay

    384 Words  | 2 Pages

    Should destiny intend that he shall see his roof again among his family in his father land, far be that day, and dark the years between. Let him lose all companions, and return under strange sail to bitter days at home. " The theme of divine intervention is shown as Poseidon hinders Odysseus on his way to Ithaca by the curse, which made it years before Odysseus returns home whereas he would have returned in a matter of days, had Aeolus helped Odysseus again, but he didn't because he believed "their voyage has been cursed by the gods" (Homer 16). Homer demonstrates Athena's divine intervention through her providence towards Odysseus. Athena aids Odysseus multiple times throughout The Odyssey, an example of this is when she disguises Odysseus as a beggar in book 17 of The Odyssey to protect him from the suitors.

    Read More

  • Archetypes In The Odyssey Analysis

    836 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Odyssey is made up of archetypes such as the companions, the loyal sidekick, and the evil figure with the ultimately good heart. These archetypes play a big role in the story and influence what happens to Odysseus as he is traveling home after fighting in the Trojan War. The Odyssey is an example of how archetypes and typical themes were created in epic poetry, and are still used in literature

    Read More

More about Archetype In The Odyssey Essay

Open Document