ipl-logo

The Qualities Of Life In Homer's The Odyssey

528 Words3 Pages

Through time and literature we have seen an array of stories, poems, triumphs, falls, and even life and death, however, what is rare is to find a work with all of these qualities, One such book is The Odyssey by Homer. Within this tweleve-thousand line set of stories lies a fib by the title of "The Cyclops". This short tale leads us along the drastic venture of protagonist, Odysseus and his shipmates as they scout the land of cyclopes for resources and indefinitely, trouble. Along this rollercoaster of terror, three main aspects of the narrative create a much better reading experience as we too, tag behind and feel the setting, characters, and language come to life. To set off, one of the first ideas explained by our author is how beautiful this land that Odysseus has landed himself on is. He tells of unkempt vegitation growing wildly amongst the pine and oak, draping itself over rocks. In the text, it also discloses that "...many rams and goats about the place inside a sheepfold.", meaning that among the greenery, there is also livestock dweeling on the island. The land is beautiful; a work of art. However, as with most things, with beauty comes fault. Danger loams amid the brush. …show more content…

In this particular section, the two most frequent figures are, of course, Odysseus, and Polyphemus; a cyclops. Unfortunately, the meeting of this creature is not very pretty. After scouting the land for everything they needed, all shipmates were ready to leave, when Odysseus objected, "I wished to see the cave man,". By saying this, he lead many shipmen to their demise, making Odysseus arrogant and careless, disregarding the lives of others for his own personal gain. Amidst the chaos that insued, Polyphemus is fooled by our hero through a tedious scheme. Through which, Odysseus also showcases his

Show More
Related

  • Pathos And Ethos Of Culture In Homer's Odyssey

    1177 Words  | 5 Pages

    The pathos and ethos of cultures is often discernable in literary narratives as expressions of the sentiment of approval or disapproval. Thus, the impact of literary narratives on cultures cannot be understated; the arts do impact and influence culture in both positive and negative ways. This is not a new phenomenon and can be observed in cultures as early as 6 Century B.C. and can be traced throughout human history. An example of this can be seen in Homer’s Odyssey, in which there are certain characters within the narrative that portray what is known as “arete.” Arete is viewed as a desirable character trait which some define as the display of perseverance, quick-wittedness, prowess, valor, etc.

    Read More

  • How Does Odysseus Reflect In Greek Culture

    1563 Words  | 7 Pages

    The Odyssey, the story of Odysseus, a valiant warrior who is trying to make his way back home from the Trojan Wars, offers great insight into the life of the ancient Greeks at the time, who were believed to be the first group of people to establish a full civilization in Greece and to actually speak the Greek language. Not only does this story tell the tale of a struggling man trying to find his way home, it also provides insight of the way that the Greek culture was ran compared to that of other species, specifically the Cyclops that Odysseus and his crew eventually runs into. The encounter between the Cyclops Polyphemus and Odysseus can be seen depicted on an ancient drinking cup, known as a Kylix, that is kept in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts.

    Read More

  • Quotes That Show Courage In Odysseus

    529 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout the story, Odysseus demonstrates his courage that ultimately allows him to survive. One of these moments was during his journey back to Ithaca, where he faces a race of man eating giants called the Cyclops. Odysseus originally stops his ship there to relish a feast while on his journey back to Ithaca, but while doing so, out of curiosity explores the island. Soon, he finds a deserted house and decides to wait of the owner. The owner was unknowingly one the Cyclops, named Polyphemus.

    Read More

  • Odysseus And Greed In Homer's The Odyssey

    1277 Words  | 6 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • Brief Summary Of The Cyclops In Homer's Odyssey

    922 Words  | 4 Pages

    Summary: Cyclops In the story, Odysseus is still speaking to the Phaeacians, but is now telling them of his encounter with Polyphemus, the cyclops. Strong winds blew Odysseus and his men to Polyphemus’ island, where they unloaded and entered a cave that Polyphemus happened to live in. When he entered the cave, he closed the entrance with a large boulder that only he could move, trapping himself, his sheep, and Odysseus inside. After he ate some of Odysseus’ men, Odysseus devised a plan to get the cyclops to move the boulder so that the men could escape.

    Read More

  • The Elements Of Nature And Culture In Homer's Odyssey

    1390 Words  | 6 Pages

    While many would argue that the human species officially embarked on the journey to “conquer” nature at the inception of the Industrial Revolution, with men bending nature to suit their purposes on an unprecedented scale, the seeds of such sentiments to surpass nature with created culture had been planted hundreds of thousands of years ago. With a casual overview of human history, one can see that the idea of bending elements of nature to human will rose as early as hundreds of thousands of years ago, perhaps when homo erectus first started cooking food with fire. The idea of the cultural death, the burning of one’s body to prevent one from being consumed by the elements of nature that occupies a most illustrious position in the Homeric world, can be dated back to roughly 20,000 years ago (Lake Mungo remains), the currently earliest recorded act of cremating the dead. Homer frequently juxtaposes aspects of nature and culture in his work. In the Odyssey, Homer juxtaposes the society of Cyclops with the civilized human society, demonstrating the stark differences between a naturalistic and a cultural society.

    Read More

  • Odysseus As A Hero Essay

    450 Words  | 2 Pages

    The odyssey, an epic told by Homer in ancient greece, has many major themes following odysseus’s adventures. While Odysseus is sentenced to never return home after the Trojan War. He is overcoming challenges to return home to his wife penelope and his son Telemachus. Throughout the story major themes of loyalty, hospitality and vengeance are hidden within the plot. The story continues to show his heroic side with three major traits.

    Read More

  • Pride And Recklessness In Homer's The Odyssey

    1107 Words  | 5 Pages

    On the Cyclopes' island, he was interested in meeting the owner of the cave who had such fine cheeses. However, his men only want to steal the cheese and leave hastily because there was an uneasiness about the cave. Nevertheless, he fixes upon staying and not soon after, the cyclops Polyphemus returns. He and his men are now in peril because of Odysseus' recklessness. The consequence of his decision is that shortly after Polyphemus devours most of his men but this bolsters him to conjure a plan to escape.

    Read More

  • Universal Human Experiences In Homer's Odyssey

    153 Words  | 1 Pages

    Universal human experiences: occurrences that happen to all people. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus struggles with engendering, and searches for, connections to other people. The universal human experience portrayed in the Odyssey of connecting with other people is shown through Odysseus's struggle with honest, loyalty, and From some of the events that happen in the Odyssey, it is clear that Odysseus struggles with honesty. This is especially shown in some of the interactions with his crew. After receiving the wind bag from Boreas (Homer ), Odysseus is given explicit instructions to not open the bag.

    Read More

  • Hospitality In The Odyssey

    757 Words  | 4 Pages

    In this book, Odysseus has been disguised by Athena as a beggar who has traveled the world. He has been dropped back on Ithaca by the Phaeacians. On his journey back to Ithaca Odysseus has changed greatly. As the prophecy has said he has returned home in a stranger 's ship, without his crew, and as a broken man. After Athena disguises him, Odysseus goes to his loyal swine herder, Eumaeus.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Good Life In The Odyssey

    759 Words  | 4 Pages

    From Odysseus’ time with Calypso in Ogygia up until the moment he takes back his home and wife from the suitors in Ithaca, the struggles he faces help answer what makes for a good life. Homer uses Odysseus’ journey throughout “The Odyssey” to identify four aspects of a good life: mortality, honor, hospitality, and experiences. Homer reveals that mortality is necessary for a good life when Odysseus denies the opportunity for immortality that Calypso offers, he shows the significance of honor in his description of Odysseus’ bravery in the Trojan war and the consequent respect that Odysseus’ crew has for him, Homer reinforces the importance of hospitality in each city Odysseus travels to, and he conveys that experiences, good or bad, define a good life. The Greeks held their gods in high esteem and therefore when Homer or other characters in the epic refer to Odysseus as being “godlike,” this is one of the highest compliments he could receive.

    Read More

  • The Transformation Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

    688 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Odyssey by Homer revolves around the character, Odysseus, and his ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. As the epic’s idol, he displays the combination of a clever, handsome, and courageous man popular among the mortals as well as the gods. Essentially, he embodies the ideals of the ancient Greek culture, being adorned with many favored characteristics of the era. However, an intriguing aspect of Odysseus lies in his personality. As the protagonist, he does not manifest the entirety of a stereotypical hero because Odysseus has a fatal flaw—his arrogance.

    Read More

  • Temptation In The Odyssey Analysis

    704 Words  | 3 Pages

    TS1 (Thesis): In The Odyssey, Homer depicts Odysseus’ real foe as the theme of temptation with displays of hubris and lustrous goddesses, which portrays the importance of being vigilant to not submit to temptation. ST1: Homer depicts that Odysseus is determined to get home, but Odysseus succumbs to temptation when he leads his crew into the cyclops lair, eats the cyclops’ food, and demands for a gift, resulting in a protracted journey home. 1: Homer displays Odysseus as recklessly brave when he requests, “we’re at your knees, in hopes of… a guest-gift”(9.300) from the cyclops. 2: It is apparent that Odysseus has given into the temptation to be arrogant when he declares for the cyclops to give them, “a guest-gift,” after Odysseus and his men have broken into the cyclops lair, showing even further Odysseus’ isn’t vigilant to

    Read More

  • How Odysseus Is An Epic Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

    541 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Life Lessons In Homer's The Odyssey

    972 Words  | 4 Pages

    Determining the difference between right and wrong can be difficult, but life lessons help us figure it out. During The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus learns a few lessons, and one of them is that you should be aware of your surroundings and ready to use them. Another moral that he learned was to heed all warnings, regardless what your instincts say. These messages can be used in life today to help guide people during their lives.

    Read More

More about The Qualities Of Life In Homer's The Odyssey

Open Document