The Great Local and Modern Aspects and Outlooks of how Odysseus’ Travels were Played out

Odysseus was a true hero, he showed this through his great determination and brave courage. This epic is about Odysseus trying to get home back to Ithaca after the Trojan War. He underwent an incredible travel also conquering lots of trials that he encountered on his way back home. At this time it is still disputable on whether or not he’s really a suitable hero. It is argued plenty to whether he is a hero or looked at as a god. Around Greek times, in order to be considered or looked at as an epic hero, that person must show five of the important qualities.

The qualities are leadership, craftiness, devotion to family and homeland, courage and strength. Even though Odysseus wouldn’t normally be denounced a hero back in the modern times, but luckily he does keep all five of the qualities needed, thus making him an epic hero. It’s also very important to remember that being considered or portrayed as a god or hero is extremely difficult unless you have the right mindset to do just so. The few most important and looked at of the qualities captured in the poem would be devotion to his family and homeland, craftiness, and leadership of course. Throughout this long poem, you can see that Odysseus portrays a great amount of love and faithfulness at times to his family and hometown. An example of when he exhibits this trait is when he soon becomes stranded on the Island of Calypso and then sleeps with her literally every night. He is in much pain and feels great shame about everything and he states “But in my heart I never gave consent. Where shall a man find sweetness to surpass his own bam and his parents” (Homer 719). In this quote, Odysseus is showing how much loyalty he really carries in his heart. Even though he is currently sleeping with her he still truly misses his wife Penelope and that he wishes he could just be home to her already. Many argue that it doesn’t matter because Calypso is a nymph and is pressuring him basically to be with her, but he could have also said no. In an article written by an English literatue teacher named Gerald Lucas, he agrees with the fact the way Odysseus returns home back to Ithaca should greatly be the epitome of the greek culture. He explained that from his point of view the Odyssey portrays many political and social structures, some of those being Circe, Calypso and more.

Lucas says that The odyssey is a demonstrational trait necessary for the destructions and outcome of the war. He tells us that Odysseus would be nothing without having his own weaknesses here and there, those are what motivates and picks him up to carry on with his journey knowin that he has someone waiting for himm out there on the other side. He is obviously a ladies man. Lucas stated that “He is dedicated to living and living it to the full”(Lucas 4). This quote here is saying that Odysseus’ loyalty and trust to his family and homeland will never get broken, it’s unbearable. He here wants us to also create an image that Odysseus is a god. As he continues on with his travels he and the ones that are loved ones are hit with so much pain and difficulty only becuase he decided to go out to all the different places, and meet the different people that he did.

Continuing on with this above summative article, Lucas says that there are plenty of themes that are ale to be taken out of this epic. Culture! The main theme is culture. The songs of the poets added teach the audience about the custums and the weilded stories referring o myths about Odysseyus and to find out the truth, Lucas states. As you read this epic and you know the stories from our past, you are able to know and find out a little more about youself, better that what you knew before. This is becuase the readings of the wanderings of Odysseus and how they in present day delighted and imapacted some people. Along the way in his journey, he comes face to face with many different types of women.

Homer shows Athena as a protector, Penelope as Odysseus loving and caring wife, and then there’s Calypso – the beautiful goddess nymph. They all act so differently from each other but in the poem, they are so much alike in the same ways. The Odyssey is greatly appreciated by many. Homer, describes the roles played out by the women in every vivid detail of how the three different women treated mean in the epic. We are given an image of the goddess whose goal in life is to only make sure a mortal is protected. Yes, she has to do this disguising herself as a male but she’s a mistreated wife who is talked to as if she is some sort of property around the homeland. Played out as the “seductive-nymph” who we later learn is about the sexist views that are portrayed by the gods.

The men in the epic are extremely important, but homer also shows that the women are equally important and sort of playing an even bigger role than most of the men. Obviously meeting others The was a guy alone his way as well who kind of benefited him in a way while trying to get home. Encountering many people, Odysseus is found to be chatting with mostly royal like families and it’s seems. One of the most loyal people that he meets during his journey is Eumaeus. He is a salve of Odysseus and sometimes throughout the epic, Homer tries to incorporate in that Eumaeus is more looked upon that the hero himself Odysseus. Eumaeus is given such a great role, he is one character that homer wanted people to aspire.

Eumaeus was speaking and said “All too much with enduring heart she does wait for him there in your own palace, and always with her wretched nights and the days also waste her away with weeping”(Homer 37-39). Wanting to let Odysseus know of how his wife was doing and what she had been up to so that he was not worried about her but this gave him some anxiety. Eumaeus wasn’t given the name as “god or monster” or anything like that. The author compared Eumaeus to the audience basically saying that everyone who has money and more power are evil and rude and rich and most audiences are in some ways broke and just like Eumaeus. Now that Odysseus is still on his journey, homer while writing this used lots of actions to show how the characters really are. His hope in this epic was to show the actions and how they are of Jonah nature. Intelligence and loyalty as talked about before can be seen as clear (human culture) types within aspects of the epic, The Odyssey.

When trying to point out the importance of intelligence throughout many parts in the writing. He is very obvious in his details. Odysseus is a man of many miles and is portrayed as a famous man because is his very crafty mind. He is also very sneaky. In Greek culture, the five qualities that were explained earlier in writing are admired so much.

One thing that is looked at so much is how Odysseus consistently retells his journey of him being at Troy as an image through the Trojan horse. The time when was looked out as clever was when he gave Polyphemus the new name calling him Nobody. Zeus the god most looked up to resembles on Odysseus, sneaky at the time when he calls him “most astute of men” (Homer 5). With this being said. Odysseus used his intelligence so that he can get out of Ogygia and leave Calypso for good. He is demandingly smart.

You can say that being a legitament hero really is not about having all of the typical powers that are usually portrayed in other books. Heros are the ones that eveyone look up to and they are aroud so they can aid the ones in need so that maybe they can better themselves in some way. Odysseus is one hundred percent sure that all of the good that has been brought his way has most of the time been becuase of his given talents. He never really showed out or gave off any engery or reason for people to know about his talents because there was not need for anyone to know. He believes that his talents will soon come back his way, that is all the is hoping. He was able to display his abilities in many different ways, one of the main ways that are shown and is very popular in the epic is the arrow throwing challenge that Odysseus wife Penelope had come up with and put together. Most belive that she did this to see if odysseus would actually be around or come around and make sure that she is stil his, also because she was unsure as to if he was going to be coming home anytime soon. All that Odysseus wanted was to get his wife back hoping that his talents would soon come in effect so that he is able to show her he is the man. He shows off his heroism so deeply trying to sweep her off her feet as we could say by challenging or getting challenged by everyone that wanted to get a chance to get with Odysseus beautiful wife Troubling times should never affect what’s going on in your life’s, but there’s always some sort of issues that stop you from moving forward. Odysseus’ travels could have been more smooth and played out better but we were given the great local and modern aspects and outlooks of how-how travels were played out. Continuing on Homer gave us so many hints and clues to on how it would be for Odysseus when he returned, some argue he is a god but not a loyal one, others believe he’s just fine. In the end, as he did you have to stay true to yourself and continue believing in yourself.

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