Major Themes Of Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

The Odyssey written by Homer is a hero’s story based on the character Odysseus. Odysseus fought among the other Greek heroes at Troy and struggled to return to his kingdom in Ithaca. The story is his ten-year journey home and all of the obstacles he has to overcome. The major themes of the book include perseverance, determination, hospitality, pride, and suffering. The narrator speaks in the third person as if he already knows the story. The story brings you through many emotions, a roller coaster of success, and through the mind of Odysseus.

The protagonist, Odysseus, was a legendary hero in Greek mythology and the king of the island of Ithaca. Odysseus has all the characteristics of a Homeric leader. He has strength, nobility, courage, a thirst for honor, and self-confidence. His most important characteristic, however, is his intelligence. Moreover, his knowledge and ability to make decisions quickly helped him get out of many of the obstacles in his journey. While Odysseus is at the palace of Alcinous, King Alcinous forces him to explain who he is, where he’s from, and where he is going. This leads into Odysseus reluctantly telling the Phaeacians the narrative of his wanderings. Odysseus narrates

I love the story and the characters introduced in the first half of the story. I’m fascinated with how old the original text really is (8th Century BCE). The book so far is truly a roller coaster. The ups and downs draw you into the story and keep you interested. One thing the author accomplished is how the book is never boring. I got connected to Odyssey because I feel like in my life obstacles are constantly being thrown at me and I have to figure a way out of them. We all have a place we want to be one day, Odysseus wants to get home to his wife, I want to get into a good college. So I found him to be a relatable character. The first half of the book is a 10/10 for me. I am so excited to read the second