ipl-logo

The Role Of The Gods In The Odyssey

560 Words3 Pages

In the Odyssey by Homer, numerous gods affect the plots of the stories. They play a key role in causing the adventure to happen, but they also help Odysseus find his way; however, many gods and creatures want to make him suffer.
The stories are an account of all the scenarios that occur because of the gods. Some of the gods favor specific people throughout the multiple books; for example, Athena convinces Telemachus to try to find his father. Also, she helps him stand up against the suitors and become a man. Athena watches over Odysseus the whole time. She is the reason why he gets off Calypso’s island. Athena helps Odysseus and Telemachus kill all of the suitors by forming an elaborate plan. She tells Odysseus to return to Ithaca dressed

Show More
Related

  • Ancient Greek Values And Virtues In Homer's Odyssey

    913 Words  | 4 Pages

    That is until Athena pleaded with her powerful father, Zeus, to help liberate him. Justifying my idea, Homer wrote “Though he fought shy of her and her desire, he lay with her each night, for she compelled him” (Homer, 914). If it were not for the hypnotic nymph’s compulsion, the righteous Odysseus would have been reunited with his love and queen years before. In addition to Calypso falling in love with Odysseus, so did the enchantress Circe, who also kept him on her island and away from his home. Homer states “Odysseus and his men beg Circe to help them return home” (Homer, 935).

    Read More

  • Odysseus Tribulations In Homer's The Odyssey

    557 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Odyssey is an age old classic read around the world. In the Odyssey, Homer tells the story of the wayward Odysseus. The story follows the protagonist as he makes his way back home, dealing with man-eating Cyclopes, a vengeful god, and a possessive nymph. During the story, the reader sees many sides of Odysseus as he dealt with his tribulations, such the cunning and witful side, but also the pompous and indulgent side. To begin with, Odysseus is trapped on an island with the nymph, Calypso.

    Read More

  • Interaction Between Humans And The Gods In Homer's Odyssey

    106 Words  | 1 Pages

    Throughout the story of Odysseus’s journey told by Homer, there are many defining examples of interaction between humans and their gods. The gods primarily interact with humans by either siding with or against them. The gods would often side with humans since they wanted to help them such as Athena, Goddess of Wisdom, helping Telemachus, Odysseus’s son, whereas the gods seeking revenge such as Poseidon, who sought revenge on Odysseus for slaying his son Polyphemus, would turn against them. While actual interaction between gods and humans seems to be a rather risible idea, there was much guidance given to humans by the gods throughout the Odyssey.

    Read More

  • The Gods Role In Homer's The Odyssey

    614 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the Odyssey, I feel as if the Gods role was to function more as spiritual guides and as support for the human of choice. An example being Athena reuniting Odessyus and his son after 20 years, Hermes warning Odysseus of Circes witchcraft, and Circes giving him directions. Yet, I also feel as if they punish for poor behavior as well.

    Read More

  • Disrespecting The Gods In Homer's Odyssey

    1204 Words  | 5 Pages

    In Homer’s Odyssey, gods and other supernatural beings dominated every aspect of mortal life. All living things and phenomena that occur in the world can be traced back to the gods. Seeing as how gods are responsible for the lives of mortals and the state of the natural world, performing deeds that anger the gods would prove to be disastrous while performing deeds that please the gods would prove to be beneficial. Odysseus’ journey back to Ithaca after the Trojan War was took ten years due to angering gods like Poseidon and Helios. However, it was through Athena’s aid that he was able to make it back home.

    Read More

  • Essay On Athena In The Odyssey

    1515 Words  | 7 Pages

    Athena is a major character throughout the book of The Odyssey and is known as the goddess of wisdom and battle. Throughout the course of the book, it is evident that Athena has a weak spot for the main character, Odysseus. Odysseus is trying to return home after the Trojan War, as the other Greek hero’s have already done, however he faces multiple challenges a long the way. Fortunately, for Odysseus, Athena was there to guide him through a few of these troubling situations.

    Read More

  • The Role Of Athena And Penelope In Homer's Odyssey

    1380 Words  | 6 Pages

    She is portrayed as the average Greek woman, but in reality is very cunning. Though both these women are two different characters, their roles are similar, and they both are equally powerful. They are cunning; teach Xenia; develop Odysseus’ character; and an important role in their families. Athena is the cunning Goddess who guides Odysseus back to Ithaca for his family and countrymen without letting him know her reality – she disguises herself every now and then to help him by testing him and his knowledge.

    Read More

  • Athena Disguise In The Odyssey

    677 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Odyssey, by Homer, Athena influences the lives of Odysseus and his family. In Greek mythology, gods challenge and control mortals. Gods also provide support to mortals and thus, mortals depend and act on behalf of the gods and their decisions. Athena, daughter of Zeus, is the goddess of wisdom, and both Telemachus and Odysseus benefit from her power. Athena possesses the ability to disguise herself and others, and this skill allows her to give advice and guidance.

    Read More

  • Athena Intervention In The Odyssey

    1056 Words  | 5 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Divine Intervention In The Odyssey Essay

    384 Words  | 2 Pages

    Poseidon, Apollo, Athena, Zeus, and Hermes are all Greek Gods that appear in the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer. These gods all play a significant role in The Odyssey by both helping and hindering Odysseus on his 10-year journey home. Homer illustrates the theme of divine intervention in The Odyssey using Poseidon’s wrath, Athena’s providence, and Hermes’ guidance. Poseidon is one of the main gods that appears throughout The Odyssey, Homer shows Poseidon's divine intervention through his wrath on Odysseus during his journey home.

    Read More

  • The Gods And Mortals In Homer's The Odyssey

    610 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Odyssey, gods like Athena and Poseidon interfere with humans to satisfy their own desires, showing that they are just as imperfect and flawed as the mortals that they rule over. Athena favors Odysseus since he reminds her of herself. He portrays the same cunning, guile, and intelligence as she does; Athena had confided to him that “two of a kind, we are, contrivers, both,” comparing how similar they are. “Of all men now alive,” she says, “you are the best in plots and story telling.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Persuasion In The Odyssey

    877 Words  | 4 Pages

    Athena first plays the role of the puppeteer when she persuades Zeus to send Hermes to Calypso’s island to persuade Calypso to release Odysseus. Athena has always been a fan of Odysseus and his family, due to his tactical mind, so when she saw Odysseus in need, she wanted to help. Athena shows her persuasive nature when she says to her father, Zeus, “But my heart breaks for Odysseus, … far from his loved ones still, he suffers torments off on a wave-washed island rising at the center of the

    Read More

  • Athena's Role In The Odyssey

    776 Words  | 4 Pages

    Athena is known as the goddess of war. Odysseus was aided by her ideas on how to regain power through her tactical skills. The fact that the goddess warrior was on his side through the journey home, reclaiming his land, and killing the suitors was a huge advantage. Athena is very intelligent in how she strategizes and won wars in the past. Some may argue that Odysseus is the real hero but there were many times throughout The Odyssey where he needed Athena’s protection and input of logical ideas.

    Read More

  • Greek Gods And Goddesses In Homer's Odyssey

    1203 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer portrays Greek gods and goddesses as possessing human qualities and faults. Through their actions and emotions, Homer emphasizes the detrimental effects of lust, envy, wrath, and greed in ancient Grecian society. He also never fails to remind readers of the importance of respect for holy figures because of their powerful abilities to create chaos and wonder". Homer wants to prove that gods and humans share a variety of traits, and the only difference is that god don’t allow these flaws negatively to impact their society. To help further his argument, we can compare Greek gods and goddesses to that of Christianity.

    Read More

  • Role Of Divine Intervention In The Odyssey

    1197 Words  | 5 Pages

    Divine intervention, or the role of the gods, plays a predominant role in the development of the eventual fate of the main characters; Odysseus, his son, Telemachus and his wife, Penelope. Homer is able to effectively incorporate the employment of divine forces as facilitators in destiny, as well as efficiently engage the readers through his vivid description of the various predicaments faced by Odysseus. Divine intervention is a phenomenon widely used in mythological epics. The gods play protagonistic and antagonistic roles; they essentially toy with the character until his fate is evident. Homer utilizes this right from the very beginning; we see Athena coming to the aid of Odysseus when Zeus refuses to have sympathy for him due to the fact that most heroes blame the Gods for their doom;

    Read More

More about The Role Of The Gods In The Odyssey

Open Document