Thursday, December 19, 2019
Theme of Revenge in Homers Odyssey Essay - 878 Words
Homerââ¬â¢s The Odyssey is not just a tale of a manââ¬â¢s struggle on his journey home from the Trojan War, but of his struggle from the consequences of revenge. The Odyssey weaves in different charactersââ¬â¢ tales of revenge from the gods and what impact revenge actually had on those characters. Revenge is an important underlying theme in The Odyssey because, in essence, it explains why Odysseusââ¬â¢ journey was so prolonged and treacherous. A few examples of revenge in the poem include Orestesââ¬â¢ revenge on Aegisthus, Zeusââ¬â¢ revenge on Odysseus and his men, and Poseidonââ¬â¢s revenge on Odysseus. These different examples of revenge in The Odyssey show the importance of the godsââ¬â¢ revenge in the epic journey of Odysseus. Orestesââ¬â¢ revenge is the firstâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦Again, the godsââ¬â¢ warned of revenge if Odysseusââ¬â¢ men did not obey them in not eating the cattle. Yet, while Odysseus was sleeping, Eurylochus convi nced Odysseusââ¬â¢ men to eat the cattle (Homer 408). When the Sun god Helios found that Odysseusââ¬â¢ men had slaughtered his cattle, he rallied to the gods to strike revenge on them. Helios sought out revenge by asking Zeus, ââ¬Å"ââ¬â¢Father Zeus! The rest of you blissful gods who never die-punish them all, that crew of Laertesââ¬â¢ son Odysseusâ⬠¦Ã¢â¬â¢Ã¢â¬ (Homer 409). Zeus responded with vengeance by striking Odysseusââ¬â¢ boat with a lightening bolt and killing his men (Homer 410). By Zeus striking Odysseusââ¬â¢ boat with a lightening bolt and killing his men, the reader is definitely aware of the severity of revenge associated with disobeying a god; especially the most powerful of all gods. This severity greatly shows the important role that revenge plays in the poem and the affect revenge has on Odysseus. A key event that delays Odysseus immensely on his journey home is Poseidonââ¬â¢s revenge. While sailing home, Odysseus and his men come to encounter Polyphemus, Poseidonââ¬â¢s Cyclops son. Odysseus and his men try to steal food from Polyphemus while he is away tending to his flock (Homer 362). When Polyphemus returns to his cave, he finds Odysseus and his men, and traps them in his cave. While trapped in the cave, Polyphemus eats many of Odysseusââ¬â¢Show MoreRelatedThe Role of Woman in The Odyssey1240 Words à |à 5 PagesAlthough ââ¬Å"The Odysseyâ⬠by the Greek poet Homer is very much an epic tale of a manââ¬â¢s heroic quest, women play an incredibly large role. Homerââ¬â¢s epic tale, ââ¬Å"The Odysseyâ⬠revolves around Ulyssesââ¬â¢ quest to return back to his wife, Penelope, so that he may be reunited with her and assume control over his palace, which has been overrun by suitors. 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In Homerââ¬â¢s, The Odyssey, the mortal queen Penelope, is distracting the suitors while waiting for her long, lost husband, Odysseus, to come home from the Trojan War and twenty years at sea. Penelope worked to outsmart the powerful, self-entitled suitors, and proved that women could be just as, if not m ore, cunning than a man. Throughout the poem, there has been a common theme of Penelopeââ¬â¢s emotions being disregarded by the suitors. As theRead MoreEssay on Women In The Odyssey803 Words à |à 4 Pagesliterature composed during the era when the Odyssey was written was directed by men. Woman characters were valued but the only participated in affairs when they had the permission of men. The men, for the most part, directed the womens lives. The themes used in literature were on the subjects that men would be interested in; combat; warriors, and rulers. Domestic affairs, for the most part, were not noted. There is a immense contrast between the Odyssey and other epic poetry of the period. ThereRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of The Odyssey 1328 Words à |à 6 Pagesword stands out and doesnââ¬â¢t belong in Homerââ¬â¢s story The Odyssey; peace. Odysseus went through 20 years of being kept from his wife and son. He fought men and monsters, was rejected by wooers in his own city and people tried t o tricking him during his journey back home. He didnââ¬â¢t find peace on his journey. He was always lamenting over missing his home and family. When he finally did make it home he hid his true identity as a beggar while he planned his revenge against the wooers who stole from himRead More Odysseusââ¬â¢ Search for Purpose in Homers Odyssey Essay1419 Words à |à 6 PagesOdysseusââ¬â¢ Search for Purpose in The Odyssey à à à à As a wayfarer in life, The Odyssey focuses on lifeââ¬â¢s greater purpose through the fulfillment of destiny, perseverance, and loyalty. These three themes recur continuously throughout Odysseusââ¬â¢ journey, molding lifeââ¬â¢s greater vision. Odysseus comes to understand his purpose in life by remaining true to these major themes as he faces and conquers each obstacle in his journey. The overarching theme of The Odyssey is the belief that man cannot escapeRead More Comparing Two Heros - Beowulf and Odysseus Essays618 Words à |à 3 PagesComparing Two Heros - Beowulf and Odysseus Reading through Beowulf I began to compare it to the last great epic I read, Homerââ¬â¢s Odyssey. While the Odyssey and Beowulf are each examples of both historic and modern ideas of heroism, the acts of Beowulfââ¬â¢s hero seem to fit better within its context. Beowulf exhibits many obvious heroic qualities, such as his strength and confidence in battle. These along with more subtle diplomatic actions serve to define him as both a great warrior and leaderRead More Use of Disguise in Homerââ¬â¢s Odyssey Essay2154 Words à |à 9 PagesUse of Disguise in Homerââ¬â¢s Odyssey à à à The difference between a wise and a foolish decision is often found in discerning when to conceal and when to reveal. This discretion in concealing and revealing is a major theme within The Odyssey. There is a proper time to deceive and a proper time to tell the truth; thus, it is crucial that one act accordingly. This importance is exemplified in Odysseus life. When he is discreet in his timing, he achieves his goal. One example of this is the TrojanRead MoreWhat Determines When A Boy Becomes A Man?1296 Words à |à 6 Pagesinfinite stack of unanswered questions throughout history. During The Odyssey the reader can experience the theories of Homerââ¬â¢s ideas on how to become a man. Throughout the epic, Homer establishes a clear hypothesis of this transition directly with the character of Telemachus, a feeble child that eventually surprises many. With the help of the goddess Athena, Homer connects the theme of becoming a man with Telemachusââ¬â¢ actions. In The O dyssey, the sub-story of Telemachusââ¬â¢ guided actions towards manhood isRead MoreAnalysis Of The Odyssey 1313 Words à |à 6 Pagesto ââ¬Å"establish peace, gentleness, and justiceâ⬠(Narayan 1972: 63) in the world. In Homerââ¬â¢s The Odyssey, Odysseus has an uncontrollable ââ¬Å"fighting spiritâ⬠(Homer 1996: 227) that too often ends in misfortune. Despite these great differences, these two characters have one thing in common: they are widely regarded as heroes in their religion. This is just one of many distinctions between the two epics. In The Odyssey, the afterlife consists of ââ¬Å"the shambling, shiftless deadâ⬠(Homer 1996: 251) while
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