which themes are found in the odyssey
The Odyssey seems veryconscious of its predecessor, the Iliad: Odysseus’s CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. - Zeus' law of hospitality (food, bath, rest, gift) - When Odysseus is on his journey, he is let into people's homes such as Alcinous, king of Phaecia. Poseidon can't kill Odysseus because the Fates have determined that he will make it home. This issue, however, can be complicated because many of the people from whom Odysseus expects loyalty are actually his property. Homer Biography, Next Removing #book# Telemachus speaks harshly to Penelope and criticizes her to other people, even after Odysseus has returned and revealed his identity. In one of Homer 's most famous pieces of literature, various themes can be found. The theme of spiritual growth is central to The Odyssey, especially as it relates to Telemachus and Odysseus. Why is Xenia such an important theme in the Odyssey? Odyssey, epic poem in 24 books traditionally attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer. His trials have more to do with refinement of spirit; his growth is in the kind of wisdom and judgment that will make him a better king. When Poseidon complains to Zeus that the Phaeacians have offended him by extending hospitality toward Odysseus, however, Zeus does nothing to protect these excellent hosts. Odysseus is avenging the suitors' lack of respect for and the servants' lack of loyalty to his office, his property, and his family. Poseidon and Odysseus are the most noticeable representatives of the theme of vengeance. He thus schemes around his disadvantage in strength by exploiting Po1yphemus’s stupidity. 'Good pride' represents our dignity and self-respect. Whereas the Iliad tells the story of the rage of Achilles, the strongest hero in the Greek army, the Odyssey focuses on a You can view our. Some god guided usthat night, for we could barely see our bowsin the dense fog around us But he relies much more on mind than muscle, a tendency that his encounters showcase. Each will die a gruesome death. There are many different themes in The Odyssey, but the most prominent theme Homer portrays in his epic poem is hospitality or Xenia. Similarly, Odysseus knows that he is no match for the host of strapping young suitors in his palace, so he makes the most of his other strength—his wits. Odysseus, on the other hand, is not bound by the same expectation of fidelity. The Odyssey, Homer's epic poem about the decades-long journey of Trojan War hero Odysseus, includes themes such as cunning vs. strength, coming of age, and order vs. disorder.These themes are conveyed with the use of a few key literary devices, including poems-within-a-poem and flashback narration. Odysseus' own home has been taken over by a horde of suitors who crudely take advantage of Ithaca's long-standing tradition of hospitality. Thinking of hospitality as a major theme in a literary work may seem odd to modern readers. Throughout The Odyssey, three major themes of loyalty, justice, and hospitality are present. Throughout the Odyssey there are many themes that Homer uses to portray different people and events. Fate, the Gods, and Free Will Three somewhat distinct forces shape the lives of men and women in The Odyssey : fate, the interventions of the … This brings Odysseus, and the Phaeacians, serious problems later. The poem’s most dramatic comeuppance befalls the suitors, who are killed for insulting Odysseus and consuming his wealth. He knows that he cannot overpower Polyphemus, for example, and that, even if he were able to do so, he wouldn’t be able to budge the boulder from the door. Without hesitation he rejects both these offers. The Odyssey Theme: Hospitality Essay Sample There are many different themes in The Odyssey, but the most prominent theme Homer portrays in his epic poem is hospitality or Xenia. One theme found throughout The Odyssey is that help often comes when least expected. Some of the tests in Odysseus’s long, wandering ordeal seem to mock reliance on strength alone. On the other hand, the Sirens are sweet-sounding hosts of death, and Cyclops (Polyphemus) makes no pretense toward hospitality. Odysseus left the Trojan War with the mindset and hopes of returning home. Although at times she seems to suspect who he is, she does not officially accept him — though he wins the contest of the giant bow (Book 21) and slays the suitors (Book 22) — until he reveals his knowledge of their wedding bed. Homecoming (Ancient Greek: νόστος, nostos) is a central theme of the Odyssey. The major themes in The Odyssey are especially significant because they serve to form the moral and ethical constitution of most of the characters. Some critics argue that Odysseus, in maintaining his disguise, is needlessly cruel to the old man; others conclude that he helps to restore his father to dignity. Odysseus' growth is less linear. In other cases, The Odyssey shows unambiguously that the gods place their personal pride ahead of justice. The recognition scenes with Odysseus' three family members on Ithaca provide significant and sometimes controversial twists on the theme of appearance vs. reality. When the epic opens, Telemachus is at a loss as to how to deal with the suitors who have taken over his home and seek the hand of his mother in marriage for primarily political reasons. All rights reserved. Also an excellent if humble host, Eumaeus makes his king proud as he speaks respectfully of the royal family and abhors the invasion of the suitors. The Odyssey, is an epic poem that tells a tale of a man named Odysseus on his way home from the Trojan war in Turkey. Telemachus … What joy—/my son and my grandson vying over courage!”. Storytelling in the Odyssey, in additionto delivering the plot to the audience, situates the epic in itsproper cultural context. Hospitality is a major theme in the Odyssey. Odysseus’s encounter with Achilles in the underworld is a reminder: Achilles won great kleos, or glory, during his life, but that life was brief and ended violently. At the suggestion of Athena, Telemachus visits two old comrades of Odysseus — King Nestor of Pylos and King Menelaus of Sparta — in hopes of learning of his father. Early on, Odysseus feels compelled to taunt Polyphemus the Cyclops as he escapes from the one-eyed monster. Throughout the poem, Zeus punishes anyone who violates this code. If the Iliad is about strength, the Odyssey is about cunning, a difference that becomes apparent in the very first lines of the epics. As Nausicaa’s husband, Odysseus would be a prince in the richest, most untroubled country he has visited. Take the Themes, Motifs, and Symbols Quick Quiz. Athena admires Odysseus' craft and guile, saying that even a god would have to be "some champion lying cheat" (13.330) to get past him. That act of impulse, impiety, and stupidity brought the wrath of Athena upon the Achaean fleet and set in motion the chain of events that turned Odysseus’s homecoming into a long nightmare. According to the most aggressive of the suitors, Antinous, Penelope has persevered against the invaders for about four years (2.96), playing one against another and confronting them with cunning, most notably exemplified in her ruse of weaving a shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes. He was already quite a man when he left for the Trojan War 20 years before. Civilized people, therefore, make an investment in hospitality to demonstrate their quality as human beings and in hopes that their own people will be treated well when they travel. A great leader is responsible. He appears to his son, Telemachus, as a beggar who is visiting the family's pig farm. The Odyssey is an epic poem that is about Ulysses, who is coming back from war. The theme of appearance versus reality is at the core of the relationship between Athena and Odysseus. They are: Power of the mind over brute strength, Temptation, Hospitality, Loyalty, Vengeance, and Appearance vs. Nevertheless, Zeus endorses Poseidon’s plan to prevent the Phaecians from ever helping travelers again. Odysseus’s men die when they ignore the commands of Odysseus and the gods not to kill the Cattle of the Sun. Athena praises Odysseus for being cunning, a trait she considers herself to have as well, and may be especially inclined to help him because she admires his mental ability. He also endures the sirens which seek to seduce him. Zeus says that Poseidon may “Do what you like” to punish the Phaeacians. His own life is in danger; as a pretender to the crown, he is nothing more than so much excess baggage to the men who would be king. Often, however, strangers are but wayfarers, probably in need of at least some kind of help. Learn more about the Odyssey. Her most memorable illusions in The Odyssey are disguises for herself or Odysseus. By stringing it after all others have failed, he asserts his dominion and proves to the suitors that their efforts to take his wife and land from him have been in vain. Odysseus is called to adventure when he. One of the questions often asked about a work of literature is whether the principal characters grow or develop as the story progresses. Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Odysseus’ Pride in The Odyssey Author John C. Maxwell once said, “There are two kinds of pride, both good and bad. It’s debatable, however, whether the murder of the suitors is just. Even when he is taunted and assaulted by the suitors or his own servants, Odysseus manages to maintain his composure and postpone striking back. © 2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. In assuring justice to his fellow god, Zeus denies justice to the innocent Phaecians. Nevertheless, he is given some hope that his father will return. No one can resist the Sirens’ song, for example, but Odysseus gets an earful of the lovely melody by having his crew tie him up. LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Let’s study each one in depth. Even Odysseus’s epithet, the man “of twists and turns,” suggests a mind that works cleverly and not always in a straightforward, honest manner. At the palace, the faithful nurse Eurycleia privately identifies Odysseus when she recognizes a scar on his leg as she bathes him; however, she vows to keep the news to herself. Check all that apply. Second, Odysseus instructs his men to hide under the Cyclops’ sheep as they leave the cave, so that the now-blind Cyclops will only feel his sheep’s wool as they go out the cave door. Athena enjoys them. When the epic opens, Telemachus is at a loss as to how to deal with the suitors who have taken over his home and seek the hand of his mother in marriage for primarily political reasons. Whether Penelope recognizes her husband, on the other hand, is a matter of dispute. Loyalty, fidelity, and patience . Odysseus’s cunning is most clearly displayed in the episode with Polyphemus the Cyclops. The epic deals with Odysseus' troubles and obstacles he comes across on his ten-year journey. The most striking example of loyalty in the epic is, of course, Penelope, who waits faithfully for 20 years for her husband's return. He faces a Cyclops who tries to kill him. In fact, Polyphemus scoffs at the concept and the gods that support it. Melanthius and Melantho die more slowly after the slaughter of the suitors. The important values of loyalty, fidelity, and patience comprise a major theme of the Odyssey.Even though Odysseus has been absent for twenty years, his wife Penelope will not choose another husband, and both Penelope and Telemachus still hold out some small hope that Odysseus will return. Odysseus has been absent for 20 years, 10 at the Trojan War and 10 more in his journey home. He goes on a journey while trying to go home. In one of the more controversial sections of the epic, Poseidon takes his frustration out on the Phaeacians whose only offense is following their tradition of hospitality by sailing Odysseus home (13.142 ff.). The Phaeacians not only give their guest Odysseus shelter, they restore all his lost wealth and give him direct passage home to Ithaca. One of them is that good triumphs over evil. Theme 1: Love for your family (or home) 1. One of the major themes that is found throughout Homers works including the Odyssey is fate; which is supported by the character dialogue and Intervention of the gods in the stories, as well as the religion in the authors period and location. Some god guided us that night, for we could barely see our bows in the dense fog around us. Even his wife, Penelope, literally belongs to her husband. Arriving strangers may be dangerous or harmless, and residents are wise to be prepared for trouble. Following the usual pattern of a coming-of-age story, the youth sets out with good intentions and an admirable, if naïve, spirit. Though he does use violence to put out Polyphemus’s single eye, this display of strength is part of a larger plan to deceive the brute. Although he wanted to go home to Ithaca many obstacles faced him. By the end of the epic, Odysseus seems to be a wiser, more perceptive leader than he might have been had he sailed straight home from Troy. It was through visitors that the Homeric Greeks learned about and kept abreast of what was happening in the world beyond their local areas. The Odyssey is the ultimate endorsement of nostos, or homecoming, the idea that a heroic warrior’s greatest triumph comes when he returns from war to his own home and family. Previous When Odysseus does come back, Telemachus survives the test of battle and earns his father's trust. The initial act that frustrated so many Achaeans’ homecoming was the work of an Achaean himself: Ajax (the “Lesser” Ajax, a relatively unimportant figure not to be confused with the “Greater” Ajax, whom Odysseus meets in Hades) raped the Trojan priestess Cassandra in a temple while the Greeks were plundering the fallen city. bookmarked pages associated with this title. Of course, Odysseus is no stranger to disguise. On several occasions, Athena changes Odysseus' appearance, either to disguise him or make him look even more formidable than he normally would. ties in closely with the themes presented in The Odyssey; the film is just set in an entirely different era. During the Trojan War, he posed as a beggar to enter the city; he also initiated the ruse of the giant wooden horse filled with Greek soldiers, a story retold by the bard Demodocus, not realizing that the hero himself is present, during the visit to Phaeacia (8.559 ff.). Hospitality, or the lack of it, affects Odysseus throughout the epic, and the reader can judge civility by the degree of hospitality offered. There is no way for them to know that by doing their duty and helping a guest they are offending Poseidon. Melanthius has become friendly with the suitors and insults Odysseus while the king is still in disguise. The title of The Odyssey has given us a word to describe a journey of One theme found throughout The Odyssey is that help often comes when least expected.Which lines from the text best support this theme? Odysseus even risks blowing his cover to warn Amphinomus about the danger to his life: “I say he’s right at hand—and may some power save you.” Nevertheless, “Athena had bound him fast to death,” so Amphinomous is murdered along with the rest of the suitors. At the beginning of the epic, she appears to Telemachus as Mentes, king of the Taphians, an old friend of his father who has just stopped to visit in Ithaca. The poem is the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, who wanders for 10 years (although the action of the poem covers only the final six weeks) trying to get home after the Trojan War. When he does strike, the time is perfect. Penelope is expected to be absolutely faithful to her husband. Odysseus' perseverance is legendary, especially in the section of the epic involving his wanderings (Books 9-12). Odysseus' vengeance is formidable when it is directed toward the suitors and his disloyal servants. Cunning, Disguise, and Self-Restraint. To name a few, there are the themes of Betrayal and Revenge,Greed and Glutony, Hospitality, Role of the Gods and Wealth (the amount of money one had determined the status he held in the greek society, and this explains Odysseus's love for plunder). Memory and Grief. Odysseus’s trials end with the offer of not one but two alternative wives, and two alternative places to live. He faces various barriers, falters temporarily, but eventually prevails. The loyal servants are rewarded; those who betray their master are dealt with more harshly. It's easy to see why Odysseus is her favorite mortal. Loyalty is a basic human virtue that is glaringly visible in this book. Ace your assignments with our guide to The Odyssey! He enters in disguise in order to obtain information about the enemy as well as knowledge of whom to trust. One of the main themes that was seen in both works is family in relation to the concept of homecoming. Question: Which themes are found in The Odyssey? Homer is fascinated with depicting his protagonist tormented by temptation: in general, Odysseus and his men want very desperately to complete their nostos, or homecoming, but this desire is constantly at odds with the other pleasures that the world offers. It would be most helpful … Odysseus is a great Greek leader. Ithaca is Odysseus’s true home. As Odysseus prepares for a banquet in his honor with the Phaeacians (8.20-22), for example, she alters his appearance to make him look taller, more massive, and more splendid in every way. When he returns to Ithaca, however, Odysseus behaves more prudently. Even when the beautiful goddess-nymph tempts him with immortality, Odysseus yearns for home. The Odyssey Themes. With this setup, Achilles’ superb talents as a warrior would enable him to accomplish what Odysseus does, but only Odysseus’s strategic planning can bring about such a sure victory. Piety, Customs, and Justice. The theme of spiritual growth is central to The Odyssey, especially as it relates to Telemachus and Odysseus. In Homer's world, however, hospitality is essential. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is fighting to reach his home, which he did not see for twenty years.The theme for his story is one man’s desire to go home. The more complicated a character is, the more he or she engages these major themes. At the courts of these great men, Telemachus learns more about himself and how a prince should comport himself than he does about Odysseus. T he main themes in The Odyssey are hospitality, loyalty, and deception and dissimulation.. Hospitality: The importance … The Odyssey Themes. Early in The Odyssey, Zeus explains his vision of justice. Fate, the Gods, and Free Will. Therefore, the most complicated character, Odysseus, appropriately embodies each of the themes to one degree or another. Melantho goes even further, sleeping with the enemy, showing disrespect for the queen, and insulting the beggar/Odysseus. Even Odysseus’s hunger for kleos is a kind of temptation. Odysseus, on the other hand, by virtue of his wits, will live to a ripe old age and is destined to die in peace. When Odysseus returns to Ithaca in Book 13 of The Odyssey, Athena disguises him as an old beggar, even going so far as to shrivel his skin, remove the "russet curls" (13.456) from his head, and dim the fire in his eyes. Explain your views and support them with details from the poem. With their ears plugged, the crew members sail safely by the Sirens’ island, while Odysseus, longing to hear the Sirens’ sweet song, is saved from folly only by his foresighted command to his crew to keep him bound to the ship’s mast. In contrast are goatherd Melanthius and maidservant Melantho. Piety, Customs, and Justice. (Homer’s the Odyssey) In the Odyssey, Odysseus spends ten years trying to go home to Ithaca. from your Reading List will also remove any Furthermore, communications are very primitive in Homer's world, and strangers bring and receive news. Examples include the shroud that Penelope weaves for Laertes, the great bow of Odysseus, the sea itself, and the island of Ithaca. When Agamemnon returns home, he is murdered by his wife. Fagles and Knox (p. 45) refer to hospitality as a dominant part of "the only code of moral conduct that obtains in the insecure world of The Odyssey.". Many of the themes of the Lotus Eaters in the Odyssey tie in with major themes of the epic poem such as hospitality or curiosity. (45 marks) The concept of guest hospitality was extremely important in ancient Greece. Odysseus and Penelope are reunited when Odysseus is able to describe their marriage bed, which is literally unshakeable because it is (again literally) rooted in the soil of Ithaca. Unfortunately, the Cyclops is the sea god Poseidon's son; Odysseus has engaged a formidable enemy. What makes Odysseus “the man of twists and turns”. Cunning, Disguise, and Self-Restraint. The meeting between Odysseus and his father, Laertes, (Book 24) is also somewhat controversial. First, Odysseus tells the Cyclops his name is “Nobody,” so that the Cyclops is forced to say that “nobody” is hurting him. Similarly, the residents themselves — or their friends or kin — may, at some time, be wayfarers. Odysseus shouts his real name at the giant, making it possible for Polyphemus to identify his tormentor to Poseidon, the Cyclops' father. and any corresponding bookmarks? LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in The Odyssey, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Odysseus believes one of the suitors, Amphinomus, is blameless. The act of Xenia was perhaps the most important Greek custom out of all because you see it being performed time and time again throughout Odysseus’ journey home. Polyphemus is blinded after he kills several of Odysseus’s men. First of all, Odysseus (Alcinous helps Odysseus sail back home, to Ithaca) Nestor suggests that Agamemnon is fortunate, even though he has been murdered by his wife, because his son has avenged him. Vengeance Vengeance is another major theme of The Odyssey, found in the plot of Poseidon 's revenge on Odysseus, the story of Orestes and Electra's revenge on Aegisthus and Clytemnestra for the murder of their father Agamemnon, and on Telemachus and Odysseus's destruction of the suitors and the maidservants. Which would be most helpful when comparing Penelope with Odysseus and how they changed in The Odyssey? Are you sure you want to remove #bookConfirmation# The Odyssey is deeply concerned with the moral code binding hosts to treat strangers and travelers kindly. Odysseus does have extraordinary strength, as he demonstrates in Book 21 by being the only man who can string the bow. Anna Bonafazi of the University of Cologne writes that, in Homer, nostos is "return home from Troy, by sea". In a surprise attack (Book 22), Odysseus kills the suitors' leader, Antinous, first with an arrow through the throat; he then kills smooth-talking Eurymachus, the other leading suitor, with an arrow in the liver. Fate, the Gods, and Free Will. Telemachus needs to grow up fast. Menelaus and Helen have an unhappy marriage which is destined to last for all eternity. Too much pride is dangerous.A great leader is responsible. As Calypso’s husband, Odysseus could live forever in divine luxury. Themes and Colors Key. Given the account of the battle in the hall at the end of the epic, one might well imagine what would happen to her upon Odysseus' return if she were not. Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work. In Homer’s epic poem, there are multiple major recurring themes. Which lines from the text best support this theme? Some god guided usthat night, for we could barely see our bowsin the dense fog around us: Odysseus is called to adventure when he: leaves home to join the Trojan War The Greek epic is about Odysseus the great tactician of Troy trying to get home to see his beloved wife and to see his son and family. In his wanderings, Odysseus receives impressive help from the Phaeacians and, initially, from Aeolus. The Phaecians help Odysseus because they are good hosts, not because they have any desire to thwart Poseidon. Odysseus' old nurse, Eurycleia, remains loyal to Penelope and her absent master. Memory and Grief. Nostos is only possible if a warrior’s home is still there when he returns, unchanged from when he left. Another personal virtue that is a major theme in the epic is loyalty. Too much pride is dangerous. There are several themes throughout the story. In the case of the Sirens, the theme is revisited simply for its own interest. From a thematic standpoint, O Brother, Where Art Thou? Eumaeus, the swineherd, and Philoetius, the cowherd, are exemplary in their loyalty to their master and his possessions. He prefers Penelope and Ithaca, not necessarily because they are better, but because they are his: “Mine is a rugged land but good for raising sons—/and I myself, I know no sweeter sight on earth than a man’s own native country.” At the same time, nostos is not an uncomplicated idea in The Odyssey. Upon reading the epics The Odyssey by Homer and The Divine Comedy – Inferno by Dante Alighieri, it is evident how different these two stories are. Another example is Telemachus, who stands by his father against the suitors. The most important Odyssean theme in the Odyssey (written by the Homer a Greek poet) is homecoming. The first way to analyze the theme of fate in the Odyssey is by analyzing the character dialogue. One of the reasons that they are well matched is that they are both survivors. Zeus himself, king of the gods, is known as the greatest advocate of hospitality and the suppliants who request it; yet even he allows the sea god Poseidon to punish the Phaeacians for their generous tradition of returning wayfarers to their homelands. A common theme in The Odyssey is the recurring contrast between humans and gods. Circe is of great assistance after Odysseus conquers her, and the Lotus-eaters might be a little too helpful. Even Odysseus’s own home is troubled. Through the use of guile, courage, strength, and determination, he endures. Although he speaks well, he finds very little realistic support in the community; nonetheless, he has taken the first step toward maturity. Odysseus is often quite prideful. Deception, illusion, lying and trickery often are thought to be admirable traits in The Odyssey. When they can be alone, Athena alters Odysseus' appearance to something so impressive that the prince wonders if he might not be a god. Which themes are found in The Odyssey? By mentioning “age and death” as the “common lot of mankind,” Homer emphasizes the mortality of humans. He demonstrates impressive tolerance as he endures, in disguise, the insults and assaults of the suitor Antinous, the goatherd Melanthius, and the maidservant Melantho, for example. The shroud that Penelope weaves for her father-in-law, Laertes', eventual funeral symbolizes the cunning with which … Check all that apply. Odysseus first came to the Land of the Lotus Eaters after his ship accidentally sailed near the island. Perhaps the most difficult test of his perseverance as well as his loyalty is the seven years he spends as Calypso's captive, a situation he can neither trick nor fight his way out. Themes. He expected them to be very hospitable like is the custom in Greece. Odysseus tricks Polyphemus twice. If The Iliad is about strength, The Odyssey is about cunning, a difference that becomes apparent in the very first lines of the epics. Reality. Whereas The Iliad tells the story of the rage of Achilles, the strongest hero in the Greek army, The Odyssey focuses on a “man of twists and turns” (1.1). Telemachus and Penelope lack the strength to evict them, nor can they hope for much help from the community because the suitors represent some of the strongest families in the area. Athena is the maven of makeovers. Penelope and Odysseus especially embody the theme of perseverance. The submission to temptation or recklessness either angers the gods or distracts Odysseus and the members of his crew from their journey: they yield to hunger and slaughter the Sun’s flocks, and they eat the fruit of the lotus and forget about their homes. Odysseus' bow (symbol) The mighty bow of Odysseus, which only he can string, is a symbol of his rightful place as king of Ithaca and husband of Penelope. He submits to it when he reveals his name to Polyphemus, bringing Poseidon’s wrath upon him and his men. Step by step, through disguises and deceptions, he arranges a situation in which he alone is armed and the suitors are locked in a room with him. Polyphemus (the Cyclops) and King Alcinous. What matters is the continuance of Agamemnon’s family and reputation: “Ah how fine it is, when a man is brought down,/to leave a son behind!” Odysseus’s own homecoming is not complete until he has revealed himself to Laertes, so that Laertes can relish the continuity of his own family and reputation: “What a day for me, dear gods! Major Symbols in The Odyssey. However, the sea god can help to fulfill his son's wish that Odysseus should arrive in Ithaca late, broken, and alone, his shipmates lost, and his household in turmoil (9.590-95).