About Homer’s Odyssey

In Homer's Odyssey a major theme displayed throughout story is deception. Odysseus and Athena are often in disguise. Illusion and trickery are both traits that are prevalent through the Odyssey. Deception is used when strength alone is not good enough to make sure that the main characters are the most powerful. In Law and Order Special Victims Unit season 10, episode 22 Zebras, the main theme throughout the show is deception. Forensic technician Dale Stuckey deceives all people he comes in contact with, pretending he is someone he is not. He uses and manipulates people around him and ultimately murders them because he wants to feel power. In The Odyssey deception is prevalent in the story and through the main characters. Odysseus is always lying to hide who he truly is, and he uses other identities to understand people's true character. Athena also lies to hide her identity in order to trick and deceive others. She uses her identity to get Telemachus to return home. In both cases neither of them are trying to hurt anyone, but they are manipulating others for their own sake. In the Law and Order SVU episode Zebras the main character Dale Stuckey is constantly deceiving others throughout the entire episode. When a woman is found dead in Central Park detectives Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler go to investigate. Forensic technician Dale Stuckey helps them look at the crime scene photos and discovers Peter Harrison, who was later arrested, was at the park the time of the murder. Harrison later escapes and Stuckey will not let him get away with it. In court Dale has spoke out and also has tampered with evidence. At the station he logs into the computer and finds that the thumbprint is Harrison's. When the detectives find Harrison they tell him to show himself, and he cries out that he did not murder anyone. Back at the station Stuckey is saying how his evidence is better than their non confession. When a mosquito gassed out in a car is found they know the blood of the killer is in the mosquito. They found that it was Dale Stuckey, who then sees Stabler and knocks him out. When someone knocks on the door Dale stabs and kills that person. He ties stabler up and stabs him and the only way to save him is to deceive Stuckey. Detective Olivia Benson comes in and pretends to love Dale and hate Stabler in order to get the weapons away. It works and Dale, who we thought was a good guy was arrested for several murders. Stuckey deceived everyone by pretending to be a forensic technician when he was really a murderer. Olivia Benson was also deceptive, but for all the right reasons. In The Odyssey deception is used, but not necessarily to hurt anyone. During that time it was only used so that people could get what they wanted. Although they did do it for their selfish reasons, they also deceived in order to help others. Deception was not really a bad thing, but it was not great either. Now deception is used to get way more. As shown in Law and Order SVU manipulating people can go as far as killing them. Nowadays we take things way too far in order to get what we want. How we view others and how we want to have power over them has changed. We now have to be someone we are not to get certain things. In both The Odyssey and Law and Order SVU deception is important for gaining power. Athena and Odysseus both want others to listen to them and do what they say, even if that means changing their identities. Dale Stuckey wants power even if that means pretending to good, but actually committing murder.

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