The Odyssey free essay sample

Apart from Him, we are nothing. We cannot do the things we thought we can’t do without Him. There are times that we forget to thank Him for all the things that He did for us. Same as through what happened to Odysseus, he did not thanked Poseidon for helping him to win the Trojan War. So, Poseidon gave him punishment. But the punishment was not really a punishment; it was a realization for him that he can’t do all things by himself. If we fail to thank him, He still never leaves us. He still accepts us for we are just human beings, imperfect and entitled to make mistakes.He’s just somewhere out there watching us and letting us do the things on our own so that if we fail, we can learn to make our failure our inspiration or experience so the next time we do something, we can succeed and overcome the impediments that we are facing. We will write a custom essay sample on The Odyssey or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"Learn how to control your anger. † This is what Odysseus said to his son, Telemachus, when he was challenged by the suitor of his mother (Penelope) to attack him in their duel. This is also one of the statements of Odysseus that was echoing on my mind. The Odyssey free essay sample The passage that Homer exquisitely wrote in The Odyssey was in Book 5, lines 309-323. Homers techniques established an image that could never be forgotten. In this passage, Odysseus was being dragged down to the sea by Poseidon. The sea god was furious that all the other gods were in his favor. Odysseus talked to himself and wondered out loud, Rag of man that I am, is this the end of me? (V, 309) Irony was a method Homer utilized to convey the message of helplessness. Odysseus has used trickery and deception during his Journey. The sneaky hero went under disguise as a beggar with rags. The great, humble man categorized himself to the lowest position. Its intriguing when Odysseus seems to regret and reflect about the past- lucky those Danaans were who perished should have had a soldiers burial and praise from the Akhaians-not this choking waiting for me at sea, unmarked and lonely. We will write a custom essay sample on The Odyssey or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page (V, 316-323) Odysseus doesnt seem to be afraid of death. He does not ask for Poseidons forgiveness. The only thing he regrets the most is being unable to be recognized for his accomplishments. Usually, Odysseus is the victor of his odyssey. Now, he has lost control to the waters. To exemplify the mood, Homer inserted caesuras. The section Would God l, too, had died there-met my end (V, 317) is heart-wrenching. When I read this sentence, I had to hold my breath for the long pause. Odysseus sounded as if he was reflecting what could have been in a different scenario. Another event that was potentially touching was in Book 23, lines 258-264. The passage wasnt sappy. Penelope was filled with suspense after dealing with the foolish suitors in the past. She said, mfou make my stiff heart know that I am yours. (XXIII, 258) It wasnt her fault she could not trust Odysseus at first. When she had an epiphany and trusted Odysseus, they melted into each others arms. Their longing for each other had been quenched at last. Homer provided a brief recap of Odysseus adventures preceding his arrival in Ithaka- a swimmer spent in rough water where his ship went down under Poseidons blows, gale winds and tons of sea. (XXIII, 263-266) Although this passage was relieving, the passage where Odysseus was in a errifying situation had more zest. This piece had Odysseus at his weakest. He was on his own, worried about not being found. While Odysseus contemplated, there were no gods present to assist him yet; he would have to use his clever abilities to think of a way to survive. Although its common to find instances where Odysseus is the supreme leader and in control, its rare to see Odysseus break down. Odysseus broke away from his impassive armor in both passages. However, when Odysseus is alone, the reader truly understands Odysseus true self. Odysseus reflection (V, 309-323) included a major theme of The Odyssey- loneliness. Each character had a need for others and a home. Penelope cried over her missing husband, Telemakhos has only heard of the great legends of his father, and Odysseus mother died because of her son. Mortals are not the only group that can feel forsaken or alone. Gods/immortals can feel that way, too. Calypso, the sea nymph, was furious at the gods for taking away Odysseus from her. She claimed it not to be fair- Oh you vile gods, in Jealous sepernal! You nate It wnen we cnoose to Ile wltn men ( 24-125) It seems as IT Odysseus is the missing piece to everyones problems. The theme of loneliness extracts another major matter-endurance. Odysseus proved himself to be a brave warrior of surviving his loneliness. Penelope endured the suitors aggravating stay. Telemakhos had not faced any major hardships, but he did survive without a father. Odysseus has iron determination. Odysseus perseverance that came after a near- death experience of chilling loneliness helped him return to Ithaka and reunite with his loved ones. The Odyssey free essay sample These strong female characters exercise emotional, as well as physical control over their male counterparts, a ND oftentimes use their feminine qualities to disguise their true motives. In fact, the female characters had been in control long before the end Of , and subtly influenced the plotting throughout the entire epic. This is particularly n detectable in the Tallahatchie, with Penelope treatment of the suitors. She tells the suitors the at once she has completed weaving a shroud for Odysseus father, she will remarry however t he text states that, everyday she wove on the great loom but every night by torchlight she now e it (2:1121 13).Despite her subordinate role as a woman, Penelope puts herself in charge of her own fate. Penelope weaves to determine her identity and her fate, it is metaphorically a representation of her manipulation of the suitors, and of her wavering mindset. She clutches on to the idea that Odysseus will return home to Ithaca, butte she is not confident enough to el t the suitors slip Rossi away from her grasp. We will write a custom essay sample on The Odyssey or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The concept of weaving connects to Helen of Troy who wove the events of the Trojan war, depicting her identity, and Athena who is in fact the goddess o f weaving.In this ease, Penelope is able to disguise her unfinished shroud as a womanly wean sees, when actually .. . The weaving represents female cunning and empowerment. Like Circe and Helena, Penelope commands and controls her enchanted flock (Van One, 16). Through this simple deceitful act of weaving and unwavering the shroud, Panel pop gains the upper hand, She is not victimized by the suitors, nor is she pining away of r Odysseus. She is in a position of power and control. (Clayton, 106). Though she remains loyal t o her husband, she asserts her independence, refusing to allow her every action to be driven y the absence of her husband. Yet she is not intimidated by the suitors forceful and aggressive attempts to win over her hand in marriage. Although, she does allows herself to indulge in the e attention of the suitors without committing infidelity, that is. And while her willingness to seed CE and entice the suitors is often viewed as a promiscuous and unfavorable quality, Penelope s succumbing to the flirtations of the suitors still do not even compare to the adultery committed by Odysseus. Twenty years they spent apart from one another, and obviously there was et mutation to pursue other people.Odysseus gave into the temptation several times with Circe and especially Cal hypos with whom he had an affair with for seven years. In Book V of , Calypso addresses the double standards that exist between men and women in reference to apology moms love when she says, And so when Demeter the graceful one with lovely braids gave way to her passion and made with Jason, bedding down in a furrow plowed three times Zeus got win d of it soon enough, Id say, and blasted the man to death with flashing bulbs (5: 138142).Essentially Rossi Calypso is saying that the female goddesses are castigated and shamed when hey pursue mortal men, while the gods are can have sexual relations with mortal women without t any negative consequences. Even when the relations between a god and mortal woman ca n be construed as rape, the gods do not receive any type of punishment or poor reputation. HTH s, it is not at all fair that Penelope is castigated for simply allowing suitors to admire her and seed CE her.In a way, by being involved with the suitors Penelope is challenging the double standards, and leveling out the playing field between herself and Odysseus. Clearly Penelope has been tempted to pursue the suitors further, and yet she s able to hold back and restrain herself from being unfaithful to her husband. In Odds sees absence, she resorts to both deception and self deception, just as Odysseus does. She hold s onto her basic self to her symbolic and imaginary constitution, by both subjective and interstate active dissimulation. But she goes about this in a more controlled, careful, and subconscious way t Han Odysseus. She survives not by tricks or cleverness, but by a patient and difficult mixture of SE If control and self denial, (Van One, 17). Basically, Penelope is better at controlling her urges, ND delaying gratification, also she does not stray far from her moral compass, which show s that she sis stronger person than Odysseus, and therefore making her more powerful, an d capable of manipulation. In addition to Penelope, Athena proves herself to be in control during the .NET re epic, and even at the status of a goddess, is compelled to mask her true identity and into mentions.Athena never ceases to aid Odysseus and save him from harm and not only does SSH e launch the narrative, she steers it as well, remaining in control of the plot throughout the poem, up to and including its conclusion (Clayton, 25). Without Athena, Odysseus would never re have returned Rossi to Ithaca, she is the sole reason he managed to survive. More often than not however, Athena must disguises herself as a man in ord er to accomplish her goals. Were she to appear before powerful people as a woman she would be ridiculed.She does however ape AR as woman a few times during the poem but each time it is strategic. For instance, Athena AP pears in Nauseas dream as a woman who encourages Unusual to wash her clothes so that she i s more desirable for marriage. It is evident, that Athena uses her femininity to appeal to Nauseas girlish desire for marriage. In addition, Athena also appears before Odysseus as a young girl did erecting him to the castle of the Phoenicians. In this case, Athena is playing up the innocence and gentle tendencies of young girls, so that Odysseus will trust her directions.In addition, it is striking that Athena goes up against Poseidon, a god of great power, In her undying quest to save Odysseus. Poseidon has abhorred Odysseus, cause Eng him misery and misfortune ever since Odysseus blinded the Cyclops, Poseidon son. Athena however, ignores the wrath of Poseidon and continues to help Odysseus, convincing the other g odds that Odysseus must be released from Calypso. Her actions show how strong willed she is, an d show that she has more influence on Met. Olympus, than Poseidon.Yet Athena is not even the e only goddess who defies Poseidon, and instead helps Odysseus, for the immortal Ion also s eaves Odysseus from perishing in Poseidon wrath when she offers Odysseus a veil which will proto etc him from the tumultuous sea, (5:381385). Here, Ion is yet another example of a woman do initiating a situation in spite of her subordinate role and expectations. As The Odyssey comes to a close, and Odysseus finally returns home, both Pee Nellie and Athena are in control of the entire situation, and practically determine the fat e of their male counterparts. However, Odysseus believes that it is he who is dominating the situation. Athena Rossi exercises her power and control over the situations when she condemns each and every suitor to death. Odysseus wants to spare a fair, and deserving suitors life and tries to warn him of the upcoming danger, but not even so could he escape his fate. Even then Athena a had bound him fast to death at the hands of prince Telemeters and his spear, (1 8: 1761 78). Stereotypically, females are more forgiving and merciful, whereas men are more unsympathetic tic and harsh.The fact that Athena is the one delivering such harsh punishment goes against all feminine ideals, and yet proves how powerful she truly is. Penelope too proves to be extremely influential and powerful during the close Eng scenes of the poem, she shows her strength, rectitude, and grace when the suitors become me malicious. From early on in the poem the suitors have been plotting against Telemeters, and ear the end of the epic Penelope finally lashes out against the suitors and says, You Mutinous! Vi Lent, vicious, scheming, you, they say are the best man your age in Ithaca, best for eloquent CE, counsel.Youre nothing of the sort! (1 6: 463465). Here, Penelope true temperament and me actions show, she is no longer hiding behind her weaving and coy flirtations. Her clear and bark Eng words against Mutinous show Penelope strength and confidence, and also her protective our gees towards her son. In no way are the suitors in control of Penelope, it is clear that she holds al the power. When Odysseus finally reaches Ithaca, Penelope does not simply fall at his fee t, but instead is clever and prudent about the return of her husband, testing his intent gritty.When Odysseus enters his home disguised as a beggar, Penelope questions the truth h behind his words, which is similar to the The queen Art?s first en counter with Odysseus, Both Aerate and Penelope demonstrate their cleverness by testing Odysseus before declaring themselves his allies: Aerate questions him about the clothing he is wearing, which she recon sizes as coming Rossi room her household, and Penelope questions the beggar about the clothing worn by Odysseus on his way to Troy (19. 161 8), (Doherty 173 ). Penelope wants to determine whether this beggar has innocuous intentions and speaks truthfully of his identity, before s he allows herself to become vulnerable to him. Later, when Penelope discovers that the beggar is actually Odysseus in disguise, she remains guarded. As a powerful woman, in the presence of SE verbal men, she is reluctant to release her grip on control. Penelope was not easily fooled and in existed on slyly jesting Odysseus yet again.She asks her maidservant to bring out her bed, w which only Odysseus knows is rooted into the ground, and only when Odysseus claims that the bed is unmovable, does Penelope release her grip on control. By testing and doubting Odysseus as h e offers himself to his wife after twenty years, Penelope authority and control over her husband d are evident. Ultimately, the female roles prove to be vital in the development and success of Odysseus journey. Without Penelope, Athena, Aerate, or Ion, there would never r have been a homecoming for Odysseus.