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One of Odysseus' most obvious character traits, and one of the primary indicators of the Western ideal of heroism, is his militancy and physical prowess. This is commented on be several figures in the epic, including Odysseus himself. One of his sailors says at one point, "You are very strong yourself and never get worn out; you seem to be made of iron" (Book XII, par. 22). His single-handed destruction of Penelope's many suitors is also compelling evidence for this facet of his personality. His sheer battle prowess, which is how he came to be on this journey in the first place and is shown in many events and scenarios throughout the novel -- from his method of dealing with the Cyclops at the beginning of the tale all the way to his reclaiming of his wife...
In these regards, Odysseus is not only the perfect idea of the hero, but is truly the prototypical hero. That is, Odysseus' character in many ways defines what a hero is supposed to be in the Western world and in Western literature. His story is fundamental to all later stories, and any reading of the Odyssey must take this into account. Odysseus is the perfect hero because he embodies all of the characteristics that were quite explicitly deemed heroic by his creator.
But before Odysseus returned back home his destiny gave him serious trials: mean-eating giant Polypheus, temptations of Calypso who offered him immortal life if he refuses from return home, etc. Odysseus returns home, but first in order to spy the real situation in Ithaca he dresses as beggar. "At the end after revenging his enemies he reunited with his family." (Rosenberg). Odysseus is the first Greek epic hero, who on
Beowulf, like Prometheus, stands apart from the rest of his society. He possesses great strength and wisdom as a king, and only he can slay the monster Grendel. He must wait alone in the Great Hall, waiting for the beast, and he has no choice. Only Beowulf is capable of inflicting death upon the monster, so he must be alone. If he does not risk his life, than many more
He is described as being of gigantic size and of tremendous emotion. Always Achilles is described with the most exaggerated terms, shining like the sun or falling in the most absolute wretchedness. In a moment of sublimity oddly precognizant of gothic writers like E.A. Poe, Achilles refuses to bury his beloved Patrocles' body because "since I'm journeying under the earth after you, I'll postpone your burial...Till that time, you'll
role of women in "The Odyssey," by Homer, by discussing our well-defined thesis based on the Odysseus' temptations in life. The Works Cited five sources in MLA format. Role of Women in Homer's Odyssey The lexical meanings of the word epic are though many but all discuss the same notion. However, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, an epic is "an extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the
Homer and Caliban The development of the theories of art education by various theories has been influenced by the various artistic works, especially poetry. In the past few centuries, poetry has become an important element in the development of English literature and various theories on the art of education. Notably, these poetry and theories are developed by various philosophers who have contributed in the growth of the field of education and
It is also worth noting that the "story" is something of a fictional account, unlike some of the tales we encounter in The Odyssey. Storytelling was a form of entertainment, just as songs and poetry. In this culture, one is actually no greater than the other, each possessing positive qualities and benefits. The songs worked on Odysseus in a way that words did not and they allowed him to