The Odyssey begins as Odysseus leaves an island he was trapped on for 10 years to go back to his hometown, Ithaca. However, we do not know if he will make it back, as it is highly probable that he will die. The Odyssey is a Greek Epic involving some of their ancient Gods. On the way to Ithaca Odysseus faces many challenges while his wife deals with challenges of her own at their house. Suitors have taken over Odysseus’s home, and are all trying to marry Odysseus’s wife, Penelope. However, some characters in the epic display many great qualities. In The Odyssey by Homer, loyalty, courage, and trickery are displayed throughout the book in a positive manner, showing that they are the Greek’s cultural values. First, loyalty is shown as a cultural …show more content…
Starting with, Odysseus getting the Cyclops drunk. Right when the folly Cyclops was about to attack him, Odysseus,”Hands his guest a gift to warm his heart. Our soil yields the Cyclops powerful, full-bodied wine.” (9. 400-401) The Cyclops is offered wine from Odysseus and his crew, and the Cyclops takes it and drinks it. This is an example of trickery because Odysseus tricked the Cyclops into doing something stupid so that he could get a strategic advantage. Next, trickery is shown as a cultural value when Odysseus tricks Circe into freeing his friend. Odysseus makes a deal with the lolling Circe that says,”Mount your bed? Not for all the world. Not until you consent to swear, goddess, a binding oath. You’ll never plot some new intrique to harm me!” (10. 380-382) Circe had captured one of Odysseus’s crew members, by forcing him to take a drug that turns him into an animal. However, Odysseus found a way past this drug, which caused Circe to adore him. Then, Odysseus cadged for a deal to get the crew member back. Trickery is shown here because he put Circe in a position where she would have to free his crew member, and he used a trick to get to that point where he could make the deal. Finally, trickery is shown as a cultural value in the Odyssey because Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, tricks the suitors into thinking she will marry them, when she won’t. Penelope ensnares them by, “Building each man’s hopes, - dangling promises, dropping hints to each - but all the while with something else in mind.” (2. 97-100) Penelope’s trick is to lead the men on to think she will marry them, but she never does. This is an example of trickery because she does something to fool the men into giving her what she wants without being bothered. In conclusion,
In the Odyssey by homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald, the Cyclops encounter is one of Odysseus’ greatest flaws and successes at the same time. It began to go downhill when Odysseus lies about his name and the condition of his ship. When him and his men are captured by the cyclops Odysseus claims his name is nobody, and his ship was wrecked, he does this to aid his escape plan and as a tactic to guard his name and men. When the escape plan is put into play, Odysseus stabs the cyclops in the eye with a red hot spear all the while him lying about his name was put into use because the cyclops yells, in agonizing pain, nobody stabbed him in the eye, this causes the other cyclops to lower there guard and not go to assist their brethren. All
As Odysseus is trapped in a cave by Polyphemus, he tricked the cyclops by saying “Cyclops, try some wine. Here’s liquor to wash down your scraps of men” (Homer 1054). Odysseus tells him that to get the Polyphemus drunk so he will pass out stopping Polyphemus from killing more of his crew. When he is asleep, Odysseus and his crew make a huge spear to stab Polyphemus in the eye. This allows Odysseus and his crew to escape.
They tied me up, then, plumb amidships, back to the mast, lashed to the mast, and took themselves again to rowing. ”(744-748). Here even though Odysseus was instructed to plug his men’s ears with beeswax and has them bind him to the mast of the ship from Circe, the devastatingly beautiful goddess-enchantress that turns Odysseus's men into pigs, seduces him it was still his decision to go along with it, which led to him and his men from falling to their doom. Odyssey even while trying to resist the Sirens beautiful singing got himself and his men past the Sirens successfully. In conclusion,
Homer demonstrates the values of Greek society in many ways. Using everything from clever analogies to poetic verses. Homer shows that he is a master storyteller by dancing around the facts but never acknowledging them directly. For example, in Greek culture guests are always treated with respect and like royalty. Homer demonstrates it throughout the book in various situations such as when Telemachus visits King.
With Odysseus’ intelligence, he defeats even the scariest of monsters, such as Polyphemus, son of Poseidon. Odysseus does a multitude of things in order to trick him. First, he tells the cyclops; “My name is Nohbody: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me nohbody” (Page 1218; Line 274-275). Then he gets the cyclops drunk by giving him a lot of wine. After doing so he goes through with his plan, Odysseus stabs Polyphemus’ eye with a hot iron rod.
When those men arrive at the home of Circe, a goddess and an evil sorceress, Circe feeds, drugs, and turns them into pigs with her wand and herds them into a pen. One clever man, Euryclus stays behind, however, and evades the evil trap; he reports back to Odysseus, stating that the men had disappeared after going inside Circe’s house. Brave Odysseus departs for the witch’s house to rescue his men, and the god Hermes appears to help Odysseus save the day. He gives Odysseus moly, an herb to resist Circe’s drugs and magic, and instructs him to feign a sword attack on Circe to overpower her. Foretelling her request for them to go to bed and work the magic of love, Hermes cautions Odysseus to accept her proposal but only after forcing her to swear a binding oath to not plot dangerous, evil plans against him.
He gave Polyphemus liquor, making him drunk, and shoved a massive makeshift spear into his the cyclops’ only eye. Polyphemus immediately moved the stone, but then blocked the entrance with
Lies are, whether detrimental or advantageous, are a staple of most civilizations throughout history. Deceit and Lying allow the furtherment of goals and the ability to cast ourselves as someone who may not be. Lying in Homeric Society was as prevalent as it is today, and many characters take full advantage of the ability of deceit. In The Odyssey, Odysseus and others take advantage of homeric social norms of lying and deceit in order to get what they want; furthering their quest and goal through their trickery.
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.
In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, some might argue that Odysseus’s dishonesty and deceit cause loss of trust and negative consequences. However, Odysseus’s dishonesty and deceit do not always have bad intentions, it can be seen when Odysseus and his men escaped out of Polyphemus’s cave to get out of trouble and when Odysseus received help from his men to get closer to their objective. While lying is looked down upon, people
Homer, was a great bard who travels from villages telling many villagers his famous epic. The Odyssey of Homer, Homer’s epic creates a theme around Dolos:Trickery. Trickery can be used to escape from life threatening situations. He uses irony, when Odysseus, is trying to escape the one-eyed cyclops Polyphemus by using “the trick of nobody”. He then foreshadows how Odysseus’s homecoming will be, using the sirens voices as a symbolic message.
Two examples are on page 14 and pages 99-103. On page 14, Odysseus dresses up as a trader to uncover Achilles, who was dressed up as a princess. Odysseus was giving items to the princesses and showed a sword, and Achilles pulled off his veil. This was clever because he knew how to skillfully uncover Achilles and how to do it effectively.
Depending on the circumstances and on the relationship he has with the person he is talking to, Odysseus can guide them into doing what he intends through his clever wording and lies. He often uses his lies for his individual welfare, such as keeping his identity secret or receiving help. Other times, Odysseus lies for the well-being of others, by giving them hope and happiness. Odysseus’s utilization of lie not only reveals his resourcefulness in his cunning, but also his thoughtfulness for others. Odysseus’s lies, which might be seen as only a way to conceal his identity, actual discloses aspects of his and other character personalities we would otherwise not
Throughout one’s life it becomes evident very early on, that “nobody's perfect”. No matter the circumstances one is bound to need some sort of mischief in their life. This statement is also true for the following texts, whether it’s the subtlety of Catchers main character, Holden Caulfield or the obvious scheming ways of Odysseus in The Odyssey, tricksters play a crucial role in the plotline of the texts. However, being a trickster is not always considered to be a bad thing. It all depends on the intentions it is based upon and the way one goes about carrying it out.
“You see, then, [Odysseus] is alive and well, and headed homeward now, no more to be abroad far from his island, his dear wife and son” (1005). Penelope tells the suitors this after a beggar, who is really Odysseus, gives her information about her husband’s return home. Because Odysseus disguised himself as a beggar and told his wife that he was coming home, it helped delay the suitors trying to court his wife. Odysseus becomes the Hero in Disguise because it keeps his throne and wife safe from getting taken over. Odysseus once again becomes the Hero in Disguise while trying to escape from the Cyclops.