The Odyssey and Arthurian legend

¶ … odyssey and Arthurian legend

The Odyssey

The Odyssey, along with the Iliad, is one of the greatest epic poems of all times. In terms of plot, the epic poem is typically concerned with the adventures of one or more great heroes that embark on journey of initiation. Thus, the epic poem usually has a didactic purpose. Odysseus or Ulysses, the mythological hero that gives the name of the poem, undertakes a long and extraordinary quest, during which he meets challenges and he is confronted with many temptations, all of which establish him as a true epic hero. The Odyssey begins 'in media res', continuing the adventures recounted in the Iliad. Ulysses returns home to his faithful wife, Penelope, and reestablishes justice by murdering all the greedy and debauched suitors that had invaded his home. As an ideal epic hero, Ulysses has all the required qualities: physical strength, courage, military strategy, righteousness, prudence, and respect for religious and moral values (he respects the gods, he loves his family and so on). All of these are proven in the Odyssey: in spite of the numberless temptations and the obstacles put in his way by both men and gods, Ulysses manages to return home to his beloved Penelope. On his quest, he proves not only his physical strength but also his wisdom and prudence: he resists the song of the Sirens by asking his men to tie him to the mast, for example, and he prudently disguises himself as a beggar so as to defeat the many suitors that he found in his house. The epic hero is thus an exceptional character, who has to be not only very valiant but also extremely cunning and wise to outmatch the tricks played by the gods, or to defeat other supernatural powers such as giants, sirens and so on. The denouement is symbolic: Ulysses succeeds in his quest and manages to return home, performing thus a round journey of initiation that serves as a model or a lesson for all those who read his story.

The Arthurian Legend

The Arthurian legend is quite different from the epic poem, in spite of some similarities in terms of plot and characters. The Medieval Romances are also based on a fictive, unhistorical events and characters, which are nevertheless treated as historical and which represent an ideal or a model of life. The Arthurian cycle has many characters, which reappear in all the romances. Like the Odyssey, the legends of the Round Table are centered on a symbolic quest: the quest for the Holy Grail. Thus, the ideal of chivalry is different from that of the epic poems, mainly due to the influences of Christianity. While the epic hero has to have physical strength, wisdom and cunning that will help him overcome temptations and obstacles, the hero of the medieval romance is challenged to prove his religious zeal, his purity, his honor, his courtesy and his love for freedom and honor. The knight is also an exceptional character, but his qualities are, for the most part, related to a high morality, to chastity and the sense of honor. It is not necessarily by obtaining military victories or by proving his strength that a knight proves his worthiness, but by proving the purity of his heart. The supernatural element is also often present in the Arthurian legends, such as the appearance of the Green Knight in Sir Gawain, and it is an important part of the mystical experiences described in the legends. In a sense, the knights, just like the epic heroes, are confronted with the supernatural so as to prove their worthiness, but the difference is that the knights, such as Lancelot, Percival or King Arthur himself engage in a mystical experience rather than in a mere confrontation with their own destiny, as Ulysses does. The romance is thus more concerned with the inner qualities of the knights. Courtly love also plays a very important part in the romances, as the knights are usually devoted to God, to their king or liege and to a beautiful and virtuous lady.

The Odyssey and the Arthurian Legend