Iliad or Odyssey Homer's Work

Iliad or Odyssey Homer's work gives us rich insight into the lives of the ancient Greeks. The intended audience of the Odyssey already knows the story that is being related, since it was part of their oral tradition. However, the way in which the story is told serves to reinforce many of the codes of behavior that governed life in ancient Greece. These codes are reinforced throughout the story, in a number of ways. The outcome of certain characters reveals some of the moral lessons.

In many cases, however, these are also reinforced through the use of humor. Characters in the Odyssey that commit acts in violation of the code of behavior are often treated to humiliation. Book XXII, the slaughter of the suitors, has many such examples. The suitors are not merely killed by Odysseus and Telemachus. Their deaths are delivered by Homer with rich irony.

Lead suitor Antinous had the rudest mouth, and had in Book XXI criticized beggar Odysseus both for drinking too much wine and for his bowmanship, was dispatched with a surprise arrow shot to the throat as he himself was drinking wine. Other suitors were dispatched with equal ironic humor. Ctesippus, who had thrown an ox foot at the disguised Odysseus, it gored by the cowherd Philoteus. The irony serves many purposes in this Book. First, it lightens the tone of an otherwise grim chapter.

It also reinforces the code of behavior by reminding the reader of the specific deed for which the suitor must die. Lastly, it provides additional humiliation to the suitor's death, for which the reader is to take great pleasure. During Odysseus' adventures, slapstick is used to lighten otherwise tense moments. The escape of Odysseus and his crew from Polyphemus is full of slapstick humor.

The image of the giant flailing about blindly is humorous, and Odysseus' No-One name is a timeless comedic device, influencing even famous 20th century comedy routines like Who's on First? There are other elements of humor used as well. In Book VIII, at the feast, we have the bard Demodocus telling the story of Ares and Aphrodite. The two lovers are trapped by Hephaestus' chains and the gods are debating their fates.

They contemplate the issue of whether being trapped in the chains is sufficient punishment, to which Hermes quips "...although I might be held by chains that are three times more numerous, more tight, than these then - even if the gods should watch the sight and all the goddesses - I'd find delight in lying with the golden Aphrodite." This tale illustrates a few things about the ancient Greeks. The first is that humor was indeed a part of their lives.

The bards brought them song and laughter during their feasts. Additionally, such humor speaks to the Greek relationship with the gods. The gods may have held sway over much of the lives of the ancient Greeks, but they were not above being the source of humor, even for mortals. The absurdity of the gods' lives was a mirror for the absurdity of the lives of mortals, and was thus fair game for a laugh.

The Odyssey was intended as a swashbuckling heroic tale, a contrast to the weightiness of the Iliad. Homer shows us the ancient Greek sense of humor throughout. He uses it to keep the.