Abstract This paper examines the different moral values presented in the epic poem, "The Odyssey" by Homer and the ways in which these values are presented through some of the characters. It shows that while the "Odyssey" is indeed a moral epic, the moral position of the main characters themselves, namely Odysseus and the Gods, can at times be questionable. It evaluates how the "Odyssey" seems to portray the idea that obstacles and hardship arise out of moral weakness, self-control is overwhelmingly important and sufferings come about when a person gives in to temptation as well as love and the importance of family and home.
From the Paper "Another moral element present in the poem is "dike". Justice. In the end, evil will be punished. Good will triumph. Odysseus murders all the suitors and his disloyal servants. It has often been debated whether his actions were justified. Based on the moral value of "dike", the poet obviously meant the murders to be justified. Evil must be punished, and what better way than to have evil punished by good. The suitors had broken many moral laws. They courted the wife of a great hero, made themselves at home in his palace, ate his food, slept with his servants and conspired to kill his son. They had to receive their punishment, their "nemesis"- retribution from the Gods. "
Abstract This comparative paper addresses similarities between the characters, plot, and settings of the two writings. It goes into great detail in each instance of parallelism between "The Mill on The Floss" and "The Odyssey and The Iliad". Temptation and suffering are important themes that both Homer and Eliot consider important aspects of plot development and structure. The writer shows that character parallels exist between the two texts because of Eliot's intentional assignment of roles from other texts to her characters.
From the Paper "Parallels deal with the interactions between similar entities. Parallelism is typically defined as the quality or condition of being similar; a corresponding relationship. Further defined, parallelism is also a likeness or similarity in aspect, course, or tendency. Connection is defined as an association or relationship of a reference or relation to something else."
Abstract This paper examines Arthur Clarke's science fiction novel "2001: A Space Odyssey." This paper considers the three stages of technology described and then analyzes whether the technology is extraterrestrial in origin or not.
From the Paper "Analyze in detail the three stages of technology presented in the novel and conclude with your thoughts on the concept that the origin and cultivation of technology is extraterrestrial. In Arthur C. Clarke's novel "A Space Odyssey" the idea of technological innovation is explored in great detail. Clarke presents three different stages of technological advancement and explores the consequences of each."
Abstract This paper compares and contrasts the stories of two heroes returning from war, as expressed in Homer's Odyssey. The paper describes the differences in family life in the two stories. The paper explains that Agamemnon left for battle, sacrificing his daughter. As a result, Agamemnon's homecoming is a tragedy. His wife has been unfaithful and wants to avenge her daughter. By contrast, the paper explains, Odysseus goes through many trials and tribulations before he is able to return home. The author explains, though, that once he arrives at home, he finds a faithful wife with whom he is able to rebuild a good family life.
From the Paper "Aeschylus and Homer portray two different versions of a post-war homecoming by the central protagonists of the texts "Agamemnon" and "The Odyssey." Agamemnon and Odysseus are both Greek generals who fought successfully in the Trojan War. Both men are kings. While the dramatist Aeschylus portrays an ungrateful homecoming on the part of the central protagonist's wife, and dramatizes a dark prophesy of death that is ultimately fulfilled, as well as stresses the inevitability of fate at the hands of vengeful women, Homer shows a far different possibility for a wartime homecoming. Homer shows how unexpected happy endings can occur, despite the persistent influence of the gods in human affairs. Homer depicts a loyal wife and son waiting for the main protagonist, upon Odysseus' return from the Trojan War. These different family portraits suggest that in Aeschylus' point of view, war destroys family alliances and a true post-war homecoming that recaptures the past is impossible, given the moral as well as territorial destruction of war. But Homer suggests, even though years may be lost, there is still a family bond that can be sustained, despite years of separation."
Abstract This paper discusses the text of Homer's "Odyssey". The paper suggests that a close reading of the text reveals that Homer favored guests who were well behaved and hosts who were willing to treat their guests with respect no matter their social standing. It uses this understanding of the text to demonstrate just how fickle the ancient Greek gods.
From the Paper "To say that Homer's Odyssey portrays different attitudes among gods and men would be an understatement. The suffering that Ulysses endures at the hands of several different gods--most notably Poseidon--is juxtaposed against helpfulness from other gods--including Athena and Hermes. Reading the Odyssey only serves to demonstrate just how fickle the ancient Greek gods were in the eyes of at least one traveling bard. Nowhere is this more evident than in the differing way that guests and hosts behave throughout the epic. It is also clear, given Homer's treatment of this behavior, that the author had his own preference for which kind of behaviors were more acceptable than others. A close reading of the text reveals that Homer favored guests who were well behaved and hosts who were willing to treat their guests with respect no matter their social standing."
A comparison between Homer's epic novel the 'Odyssey' and the adapted screenplay version of the epic film,"O Brother Where Art Thou?", directed and produced by Joel and Ethan Coen .
Abstract The following paper draws parallels between Homer's "Odyssey" and the Coen Brother's "O Brother Where Art Thou?". In the year 2000, the inventive and provocative filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen reworked the Odyssey in a liberal way, changing scenes, settings and characters. The writer compares the original epic and the original screenplay and discusses dozens of small but meaningful comparisons. For instance, Odysseus and his men descend into Hades where they encounter several ghosts from Odysseus's past; in the film the boys meet a fellow inmate who they thought was dead. Odysseus from the original epic and Ulysses from the film (played by George Clooney) both have to prove to their wives that they are true: Ulysses must bring Penny the ring to redeem himself. In the Odyssey, Book 23, Penelope declares that ?there are tokens with which we two alone are acquainted,? (Butler trans.). Although it was written millennia ago in ancient Greece, the parables of the Odyssey remain extant for a reason: Its themes are universal and accessible and adaptable for all time. The Coen brothers' movie "O Brother Where Art Thou?" exemplifies Homer's timelessness, as well as their own versatility.
From the Paper "Homer's Odyssey is more than an epic tale of a man ?who wandered far and wide,? across the sea; it is an archetypal journey with universal and enduring import. It is not difficult to find parallels between Odysseus's adventures and modern ones, for ultimately the Odyssey transcends its details. Homer erected a narrative structure that lends itself to adaptation and reconstruction. Most notable to modern reinterpretations of Homer's Odyssey is James Joyce's Ulysses, which focuses on and develops the relationship between father (Odysseus/Leopold Bloom) and son (Telemachus/Stephen Dedalus). In the year 2000, the inventive and provocative filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen reworked the Odyssey in an equally liberal way, changing scenes, settings, and characters. But whereas Joyce's version of the Odyssey is microcosmic, its journey more psychological than physical, the Coen brothers? O Brother Where Art Thou? rambles through a decidedly physical and farcical tale. At first glance the film resembles Homer's epic little: only certain elements are obvious like George Clooney's character's name (Ulysses) and the three sirens by the river. A deeper investigation of the film and the original text reveals numerous, if more subtle, references."
Abstract This paper presents a review of two novels, both of which use Homer's ideas in "The Odyssey". The first is Mary Piak Lee's autobiography, "Quiet Odyssey: A Pioneer Korean Woman in America", in which the author travels to America as a child. The second, Lydia Yuri Minatoya's odyssey within her memoir, "In Talking to High Monks in the Snow: An Asian American Odyssey", is also about finding her place in the world.
From the Paper "Mary Piak Lee's autobiography, Quiet Odyssey: A Pioneer Korean Woman in America, is the story of her childhood in career, and her life after she and her parents move to America. Quiet Odyssey begins unassumingly enough as Paik Lee notes, "Korea, a small country attached to the northeast of china had been independent for centuries before 1882." She notes that the Japanese takeover of Korea in the early 1900s "began a long history of aggression against Korea and created the unhappy world in which the Koreas have lived since 1905. It is in the climate of this political upheaval that Paik Lee's journey begins. She enjoys a quite life in Korea, with extended family."
Abstract This paper explores selected themes in Homer's Odyssey. The writer analyzes the use of disguise in the story to conceal identity, and how Penelope finally identifies Odysseus as her husband in spite of his disguise. The writer examines the role of Athena, who also changes her identity repeatedly, as the mythical power behind Odysseus, and the one who transforms him into an old beggar before his return to Ithaca. The writer discusses the paradoxes that arise from concealing and from changing identities in the story, and concludes that, whether disguised or not, Odysseus is always a powerful presence throughout the story.
Outline
ONE: Among the Most Important Scenes in The Odyssey: Penelope and Odysseus
TWO: Theories of Myth and The Odyssey THREE: Ways in Which Identity is an Important Theme in The Odyssey
From the Paper "This story has within it a lot of imagery and straightforward references about the identity of people, and their changing identities affect the theme of the story. Homer is writing about characters and their identity all though the story; some characters change their identity, some even hide their identity, and it seems as if the symbol of those confusing changes of identity comes down to the poet looking at a common human problem."
Abstract This paper discusses the role and the importance of the muse in Homer's "Odyssey." It discusses the importance of the muse on storytelling in general and how the narrator of "Odyssey" invokes the muse for further storytelling support. The paper describes the impact that the muse has on any of the characters in Homer's "Odyssey."
From the Paper "Before Odysseus is introduced, the narrator invokes the Muse to ask for her assistance in retelling Odysseus' adventures. The Muse therefore has the most noticeable impact on the narrator of the story. In the first book, the narrator suggests that Odysseus' story belongs not to him but to the Muses. The Muse receives her information not as humans do through the five senses but from some mysterious source: as if from the divine database of human affairs. The narrator simply serves as a channel for the Muse's wisdom and the medium through which it is transmitted. Therefore, the Muse is what makes Odysseus' story timeless. If the narrator must invoke the Muse before telling the story, Homer suggests that the story is in fact timeless and immortal like the gods. The Muse helps humans to tell and retell stories like Homer's to learn meaningful moral lessons. She gave "both good and evil" to Demodocus too, indicating that the Muse is a neutral spiritual force."
An analysis of Arjuna and Odysseus, heroes of "The Bhagavad-Gita" and "The Odyssey," who, although from vastly different cultures, reveal through their heroic roles the quest of all human beings for identity.
Abstract Two epic heroes of vastly different cultures search for identity, representing all human kind. In the similarly chaotic worlds Arjuna, hero of "The Bhagavad-Gita", and Odysseus, hero of "The Odyssey", learn about themselves in depth and come to terms with death, war and the afterlife, revealing that heroism in these two worlds is quite similar. This paper examines the major differences in their responses to the challenges of their respective quests, their relationship to their gods.
From the Paper "Two ancient epic poems, The Bhagavad-Gita and The Odyssey, from vastly different cultures, reveal the ongoing search of the human race to understand the significance of the self and humanity's role in a world it cannot comprehend. In both these epics the quest for the individual human's sense of self is presented in the form of the hero metaphor in which a larger than life figure takes on the symbolic search for identity. Arjuna and Odysseus, the heroes of the two epics, both strive to bring order to the everyday chaos of the human world. In many ways the quests are similar. Central to both epics is the way their heroes struggle to discover what their relationship to the gods has to do with their identity. The major difference between Odysseus and Arjuna in the quest for identity, arises from their contrasting cultural conceptions of the gods, those superhuman forces, and how they influence, control, or guide mortal men."
Abstract This paper addresses the following question. The 18th century English writer Henry Fielding called the Odyssey "that eating poem." Focusing on specific passages, discuss food as a site of conflict, community, or cultural transaction in the Odyssey.
Tags: LITERATURE / ENGLISH LITERATURE, writer henry fielding
Abstract This paper examines how many of the elements of Virgil's classic, "Aeneid", are extremely reminiscent of Homer's "Odyssey" and attempts to delineate some of the scenes, methods, and manners that Virgil adapted from the "Odyssey" in formulating the construction of his own classic, great, epic work. It looks at how Virgil attempted to draw many parallels between the two works in terms of their methodology and content. It shows how both works begin in medias res, or in the middle of the action of the story, rather than starting at the initial temporal point of departure for the story, and how both epics deal with the issue of flight from Troy, although one flees in victory and the other in defeat. It also discusses how both heroes encounter women who love them and try to hold them captive because of this love and how both works ultimately are about finding a ?home.?
From the Paper "Like the great Homerian work, The Odyssey, Aeneas? story begins in media res, or ?in the middle of things.? The story does not open on the original action of the book. The Odyssey opens in this similar fashion. Instead of opening just as Odysseus is departing from Troy, the great epic begins by illustrating the scene in which Odysseus is detained by the sea nymph, Calypso. By opening in the middle of things, the story immediately keeps the readers attention and leaves the elements of the past a mystery for later discovery. Similarly, The Aeneid begins not at the temporal beginning of the story but in its middle after Aeneas has already embarked upon his journey. In Book I of the Aeneid, Aeneas gets shipwrecked on the Northern coast of Africa. It is here that he encounters Dido, the Phoenician Queen that is building Carthage."
Tags: troy, roman, empire, aeneas, carthage, trogan, war
This paper discusses that the women and goddesses in ?The Odyssey? of Homer are the driving forces of the epic and represent the ultimate goal and the wisdom required to reach a goal.
945 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, 2004, $ 33.95
Abstract The paper explains that women not only appear in places of honor in ?The Odyssey?, but also in the day-to-day life of the Homerian society. The author points out that the goddesses, representing key elements in the world that the gods on Olympus oversee, are held in high esteem and are able to exert their power. The paper stresses that most powerful women and goddesses of ?The Odyssey ? show high levels of intelligence, through which they are able to use their wisdom and deceptive powers to manipulate men to get what they want
Table of Contents
The Role of Mortal Women
The Goddesses? Roles on Olympus,
Where are Women Most Powerful?
From the Paper "Despite the fact that women play a significant role in "The Odyssey", it is interesting to note that, though many are esteemed, they are identified with fathers, sons and husbands, as if they would not be important if they were not coupled with a male. Odysseus furthers this idea when he says, "but I could not ell over the whole number of them nor name all the women I saw who were the wives and daughters of heroes" (xi 327-329). While Homerian society respects most of the women and women are crucial to the well being of the society, they are subjected to men for their social status and their reputations. In a reprimand of Penelope, Telemachus describes the view men have of women in Homeric society. ?[Penelope] go therefore back in the house, and take up your own work, the loom and the distaff, and see to it that your handmaidens ply their work also; but the men must see to discussion . . . For mine is the power in this household (i. 356-360). The result of this view is that women must use their wits to deceive men in order to get their way."
Abstract This paper examines how the social structures and human values reflected in Homer's "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey" are as reflective of ancient Greek culture as they are of contemporary society. It looks at how both Achilles in "The Iliad" and Odysseus in "The Odyssey" were men whose personalities were shaped by a strong sense of values, friendship, and duty to family, friends, and society and how both Achilles and Odysseus possess the qualities sought by people through time immemorial in friends.
From the Paper "To begin with, the very basis of the Trojan War is the betrayal of Menelaus by Paris and Helen. The epic thus starts with an abuse of love, friendship and trust on the one hand, and a war made possible only by familial and social bonds of loyalty, on the other. As Achilles reminds Agamemnon, ?I came not warring here for any ill the Trojans had done me. I have no quarrel with them.? (The Iliad, 1.157-158) Reflecting on the nature of the familial and social bond in the Iliad, a clear parallel can be drawn to societal functioning right through the history of humanity. To identify the parallel, all that is really required is to consider the immediate rallying around and closing of ranks by family and friends, when any one member of the inner circle is threatened by an outsider, or betrayed by someone from within."
Tags: achilles, odysseus, trojan, war, paris, helen
Abstract This paper examines how Homer's "Odyssey" is superimposed on the backdrop of a typical ancient Greek society. It looks at how the main character, Odysseus, and his companions travel from place to place on their way to their hometown of Ithaka. Many people host them in a show of hospitality common to ancient Greece; a large part of this hospitality involves the preparation of feasts and giving each guest an ample amount of food. It shows how, although food is positively associated with the Greek tradition of hospitality, Homer uses it negatively in the "Odyssey" to represent the gluttony, lack of self-control, and lack of civility of various characters.
From the Paper "Upon landing their ship on an island of Lotus-eaters, Odysseus? own men engage in a gluttonous feast of lotus fruit, which causes them to neglect their duties to Odysseus. They are so hypnotized by the delicious taste that ?"any of them who ate the honey-sweet fruit"was unwilling to take any message back, or to go away, but they wanted to stay there with the lotus-eating people, feeding on lotus, and forget the way home? (IX:94-97). Odysseus, the leader of the group and at this point the only man in full possession of his faculties, finally takes them back ?"weeping, by force, to the ships" under the rowing benches and tied them fast, then gave the order"to embark on the ships in haste, for fear someone else might taste of the lotus and forget the way home"? "
