Odysseus Essay, Research Paper

Homer? s The Odyssey, a brilliant narrative of lecherousness, fraudulence, greed, and gallantry, still fascinates bookmans and insouciant readers likewise today in the same manner it fascinated its audience at the clip it was written. The Odyssey, a journey of finding, forbearance, and virtuousness, tells the tail of Odysseus, the chief character, on his ocean trip place to Ithaka after the terminal of the Trojan War. Odysseus goes through many unanticipated tests and trials, which exemplify his character. During these different occurrences, Odysseus makes determinations that do non match to his character.

Odysseus? character, as seen in the Iliad, is much like that of a Homeric hero. A hero in Homer? s universe entails many attributes other than physical strength including, but non limited to, bravery, award, regard, intelligence, and good ethical motives. Throughout The Odyssey, some of these character traits are illustrated, and some are somewhat changed.

His journey starts east from Troy to? smaros. Odysseus and the Akhaian forces conflict with Kikon? s. Odysseus, knowing of the Kikon? s? accomplishment, intelligently order back out to sea. They refuse and, in return, many are killed. Here, Odysseus? intelligence would hold saved the work forces, if they would hold listened. Though they failed to obey, Odysseus exhibited forbearance as he did non keep them at mistake.

Their following destined enterprise takes them to the land of the Lotos Eaters. The Lotos flower possesses powers which cause work forces to bury any idea they have of go forthing the island. Odysseus, knowing of the Lotus? particular powers, orders his work forces to avoid the flowers. Three work forces took it upon themselves to savor the flower and were later drug back to the ships kicking and shouting. Again, Odysseus? intelligent bid, if it would hold been taken more earnestly, would hold saved the grief of his work forces.

The following land Odysseus and his work forces come across is the land of the Kyklop? s. Odysseus? wonder and desire for escapade, driving him inland, slightly impede his effort to return place. Odysseus? work forces want to plunder the goods and return to the ship. But, despite the pleading of his work forces, Odysseus wants to run into the cave-dwellers and see what they have to offer. This came to be a desperate error. Polyph? minute enters the cave, and after brief words, he, in one Swift gesture, grabs, dismembers, so proceeds to feed on two of Odysseus? work forces. After a brief stay in the cave and a few more dead work forces, Odysseus congers a program which defeats Polyph? minute and returns Odysseus and his work forces safely back to the ship. This episode cost Odysseus the lives of work forces & # 8211 ; lives lost for pure wonder and his yearn for action. Directly after get awaying Polyph? minute, Odysseus cries out in choler at the Kyklops, who proceeds to flip bowlders at Odysseus? ships. After each call, Polyph? mos gets closer and closer with his flips. Then, unintelligently, Odysseus, for interest of false assurance, reveals his name to Polyph? minute. Polyph? minute so prays to his male parent, Poseidon, against Odysseus? ocean trip place to Ithaka. Alternatively of the work forces? s, now Odysseus? actions endanger their lives.

Odysseus and his work forces sail to another land & # 8211 ; Aiolia Island, the place of Aiolos Hippotad? s, the air current male monarch. Aiolos plays host to Odysseus and his crew for a month. Staying for this length of clip suggests Odysseus? desire to return place is decreasing. Bing accountant of the air currents, Aiolos grants Odysseus a bag incorporating storm air currents to help his journey place. After 10 yearss at sea, the work forces eventually catch glance of their long sought after fatherland. As Odysseus slept, his crew, inquiring what was in the bag, opens the it. The great air currents rush out, blowing the ships clear back to Aiolia. Odysseus, despite his bravery, has ideas of self-destruction but decides against it: & # 8220 ; Should I travel overside for a speedy coating / or clinch my dentitions and remain among the life? & # 8221 ; ( 10:57-8 ) . Odysseus confronts Aiolos in a mode non characteristic to the great speechmaker that Odysseus is. He explains the state of affairs as to why they are back. Aiolos refuses to assist them and orders them off his land.

For six yearss Odysseus and his work forces sail until eventually they come to the land of the Laistrygon? s. After set downing, they catch a glance of the girl of Antiphat? s the Laistrygon. She motions them to her male parent? s Lodge, and, once more, wonder kills the cat. Once in the Lodge, Antiphat? s

rapidly catch a adult male and eats him. The other two me run back to the ships. Many work forces and ships were lost as the Laistrygon? s plague the skyline and shoot bowlders down upon them. Merely Odysseus? ship remains.

The lone ship sails on to Aiaia, the island of Kirk? . After seeing whiffs of fume coming from the mainland, Odysseus informs his crew, who are disheartened by the intelligence, remembering the Kyklop? s incident. Unlike the episode on the Kyklop? s? island, Odysseus stays with the ship, and he sends his work forces into the forests. This is decidedly unlike Odysseus, the hero. One would believe that such a adult male as he would take the group, yet he stays behind. When the work forces reach Kirk? , she rapidly turns the work forces into hogs with a charming drink mixture. Eur? lokhos runs back to the ship and Tells Odysseus of the disgusting charming played on his companions. Given instructions and a charming works by Herm? s, Odysseus saves his friends. He goes back to the ship to roll up the remainder of the crew. Why, one would inquire, does Odysseus maintain on protracting his return place? After being hosted for a twelvemonth, the work forces eventually acquire Odysseus back on path. Kirk? Tells Odysseus he must travel to the land of Death. Odysseus loses yet another adult male, Elp? nor, who falls off Kirk? s roof unnoticed.

At the land of Death, spirits appear around him. First, Elp? nor appears and asks for a proper bereavement and entombment, to which Odysseus promises, representing Odysseus? award and regard for the dead. But, what about the life? Teir? sias appears to Odysseus and speaks of the hereafter. Teir? sias Tells of many obstructions Odysseus and his work forces will meet and how to cover with them. Odysseus sees many other liquors including his female parent, Agam? mnon, and Akhilleus.

Sailing on, they head for Kirk? s? island to give Elp? nor a proper entombment. While at that place, Kirk? , like Teir? sias, tells Odysseus of hazards that lie in front. They set off once more on the sea.

They sail past the island of the Seir? n? s, whose voice has effects of those of the Lotos flowers. Odysseus covers his work forces? s ears with beeswax and has them tie him up so that he may here the vocals of the Seir? n? s. Odysseus seems to desire to be the lone adult male to hear the Seir? n? s and flight. This is either utmost bravery or a unsafe greed. They make it past the island and onward they sail toward Skylla and Kharybdis. While cruising by, Skylla snatched up six of Odysseus? work forces. This is the monetary value they pay for return to their fatherland. With Kharybdis and Skylla behind them, they sail on. They coast by the island of the God H? lios. On this island are big sheep, random-access memories, and heifers. They are non to be touched, as prophesized by Kirk? and Teir? sias. He instructed his work forces of this yet they refused and landed on shore. Odysseus took off into the mainland in hunt of more escapade. He so falls asleep. His work forces, back at the shore, make up one’s mind to travel in front and kill and eat the animate beings to do at that place hungriness. This clip, the work forces, non Odysseus, are responsible for bound danger.

While they were out to sea, Zeus, in retaliation for H? lios? slain animate beings, strikes the ship with a immense lightning bolt. This destroys the ship and sends all work forces to their decease, except Odysseus. He stays alive by hold oning onto pieces of the ship drifting on the H2O? s surface. He begins to float back towards Kharybdis which sucks down his life-preserving wooden boards. Odysseus, for a whole twenty-four hours, hold on a limb hanging above the decease trap until the boards reappear. This is absolute finding on Odysseus? portion. When he regains his boards, he drifts towards Kalypso, the sea nymph? s, island.

Odysseus? character is challenged in many ways throughout books 5 through 12. In some cases he holds strong, and in others he fails. His sense of escapade sometimes overwhelms him. The length of clip Odysseus spends off from Ithaka besides dilutes his desire to return, and perchance dilutes his desire to populate. Under certain fortunes, any adult male can yield to the immoralities to which he despises. A perfect illustration is Akhilleus in the Iliad. He started out an honest adult male. With the decease of his friend, he turns into a lunatic who wants nil but decease for the enemy. Odysseus starts out desiring nil but to return to his household and his fatherland. Over the class of the many old ages off, this feeling dwindles and he is left with nil but escapade to protract his ground for life.

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