Storytelling in \"The Odyssey\" Storytelling

¶ … Storytelling in "The Odyssey"

Storytelling not only shapes the Odyssey, it demonstrates the power of storytelling. Homer was not simply telling a story, he manipulated the art of storytelling to create a masterpiece that reads like a page from life. One of the most remarkable aspects of The Odyssey is its narrative structure. It is more than the recalling of a man's life. The beginning of the poem brings readers into the middle of drama. Because of this structure, the flashbacks are necessary to fill the reader in on past events. This is not a mistake; it is deliberate, as is the shift from present to past. This narrative style is complex in that readers are constantly seeing pieces and parts of the "bigger picture," so to speak. Every event, even if it takes place in the past, contributes to the present, constantly constructing the story and keeping it interesting for the reader. The first four books of the poem revolve around Telemachus and Books Five through Eight deal with Odysseus. These two stories occur at the same time while Books Nine through Twelve are Odysseus' flashbacks, which occur before Book Five. Things return to a somewhat normal chronology in Book Thirteen on. Homer frames the story of Odysseus with many stories, creating many stories within stories to give the tale of Odysseus texture and dimension. Odysseus tells stories about his adventures, which imparts information. In addition, part of Homer's technique includes storytellers other than Odysseus. Different characters contribute to the overall development of Odysseus, which, over time, create a hero worth remembering.

One of the most significant aspects of Odysseus tells his own story of trials, which solidifies him as a credible character. Odysseus touts his own horn, so to speak, in many cases and, by doing so, he carries on the oral tradition of his day. The action is first-hand, which makes a better listening experience. Hearing the tales from Odysseus is more entertaining than hearing a retold tale by Homer or someone else. From Odysseus, the audience receives the story first-hand, which makes it more credible. Odysseus relates to the audience how much of a hero he actually is, which is in line with his character. He is the only one who knows all of his adventures, so he is the most likely to relate the information to the reader. When we look at the story of Cyclopes, Odysseus is the only person who can tell this story, and he does so with gusto. He says, "There I sacked the town and put the people to the sword. We took their wives and also much booty, which we divided equitably amongst us, so that none might have reason to complain" (Homer Odyssey Book Nine). He is the only man to pass it along to Alkinoos. One macabre reminder of this fact is the reality that while Odysseus always travels with a crew, many times they did not survive. Therefore, it is important that at least the hero survive to pass his stories along.

Helen and Menelaos are two additional examples of storytelling in "The Odyssey." Their tales create a composite portrait of Odysseus, each describing a different aspect of his character. Their stories are also important because they reinforce the notion of Odysseus being a hero. Helen recounts Odysseus' distinctive style when he disguised himself as a beggar so he could enter Troy without notice. Menelaus tells readers about how Odysseus's slick maneuver that allows the Greeks to sneak into Troy inside a Trojan horse. Menelaus also tells readers about his own return from Troy, where he is forced to capture Proteus. Proteus tells him how to get to Sparta as well as informing him of what happens to Agamemnon and Ajax. Proteus also tells him Odysseus survives but remains imprisoned by Calypso. The instance of storytelling here gives the characters much-needed information to keep propelling the plot forward. Without the information Proteus gives him, Menelaus would not have been compelled to sail to Ithaca. Here we see how stories give men reason to go on. This story allows us to see an example of the camaraderie men have as well as the realization that life is bigger than the individual is. They are willing to go on with the battle because they believe in the cause.

Nestor is a storyteller worth mentioning because he invokes the voice of the past. He recalls the Greeks' departure from Troy and he tells Telemakhos that his father was far greater than the Spartans. These words give him hope that he can emulate his father. This mention of storytelling might be one of the most important because it allows the son to see his father and feel as though he can move toward being like him. Without them, Telemakhos might not move toward maturity. Nestor recognizes his strength of character and tells him, "I see that you are going to be a great hero some day, since the gods wait upon you thus while you are still so young" (Book Four). This aspect of storytelling is important because we see how it directly influences Telemakhos' life. Menelaus stories serve as a source of inspiration. In this scene, we see how stories affect people on persona levels. In a word, stories inspire hope when they need to and they make people feel as if they can do more and be more.

The Sirens provide readers with another form of storytelling Homer uses to enhance the story of Odysseus. Odysseus' encounter with them is short-lived but profound. In the story, readers learn how Odysseus places beeswax on his crew's ears so they could not hear the Sirens "wondrous" (Book Thirteen) songs. This move is dangerous but necessary as it demonstrates what it takes to be a hero. Odysseus decides he will risk hearing the songs rather than exposing his crew to them. We see his foresight as he commands his crew to bind him to the ship's mast so he cannot escape once he hears the song. We see his humanity as he almost falls victim to the songs and considers swimming toward the Sirens. Audiences would expect the hero of a story to make this kind of sacrifice and it does make for a terrific story. After all, he hears the songs and manages to survive this is an amazing feat because hundreds and thousands of sailors hear these songs and forget about their missions and their homes. The song is a story about Odysseus' greatness and the Trojan War. Odysseus was human in that he wanted to hear a tale of his own greatness. Here, we see homer manipulating the story within a story by giving the hero some very human aspects. Odysseus is real and he is great. He is not perfect, as we see him relish in a tale that highlights his prominence. This instance of storytelling allows readers to indulge in the mystical quality of the sirens and well as they mystical quality of storytelling. Stories, truth or fiction, represent mankind, either in the telling of them or in the acting of them.

Another significant storyteller is Demodokos, who tells his stories through song. We read the "muse inspired Demodocus to sing the feats of heroes" (Book Three). The songs he sings are significant because of Odysseus and his identity. The first of Demodokos' songs is about the disagreement between Odysseus and Achilles, which reminds Odysseus about his past. Odysseus favored trickery while Achilles favored an all-out assault. Achilles thought trickery was cowardly but, in the end, it was trickery that worked. The song and those memories bring tear to Odysseus' eyes. This scene allows us to see another form of storytelling, which is song. Songs can be just as moving and powerful as the written word, and Homer demonstrates this by bring Odysseus to tears. 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 remember. Here we see the important of storytelling in that it can help people discover things about themselves.