3. The Hero Telemachus
There are numerous features possessed by the Greek heroes. One of these features is their annexation or even relationships with the gods of the time. The characters in the Greek poems are generally simple men with exquisite qualities, but who are just as weak and mortal as all humans. This is also characteristic of Telemachus. He is a courageous man, descended from gods (he is the descendent of Hermes, from his father's side), but he is neither immortal, nor holy. His personal characteristics are revealed throughout the entire Odyssey, prominently throughout the first four chapters, or the Telemachy.
Aside from his personal characteristics and the guidance and protection of the goddess Athena, the making of the Telemachus hero is due to two interconnected elements: the magnitude of his father's heroism and the journey to find Odysseus. The journey is in fact the means of entering his father's heroic…...
mlaBibliography
Homer, 800 B.C.E. The Odyssey
Homer, 800 B.C.E. The Odyssey, Book I
However, when Achilles touches Priam as token that he should have no fear; both gods and mortals are said to be asleep. There is a sense of will in Achilles' gentleness towards the man, and his willingness to touch Priam's sleeve that night. In other words, human and divine reconciliation and pity is not simply a law, humans must accept the will of the gods, but they are also capable of choosing to add or subtract the misery of the world by showing pity to their fellow humans. Odysseus' cleverness, although aided by the gods, is also partly drawn from his own resourcefulness and character, as well as merely because Athena helps him.
Achilles makes what is said to be the greatest gift to Priam, that of Hector's body. In Greek custom, gifts were customary to give to visitors. ith such a gift, Achilles gives up his determination to mourn…...
mlaWorks Cited
Homer. "The Iliad." Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1990.
Homer. "The Odyssey." Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin, 1996
paintings by David and Raoux would have to begin by pointing out that, although both painters dealt with scenes from classical antiquity, they did so almost 100 years apart. As a result, each artist brought to whatever story he was illustrating the preferences and styles of his own generation, not to mention a hint at the political situation in which he found himself.
Raoux (born 1677, died 1734) lived during The Enlightenment, an intellectual movement associated with the 18th century. Paris was, along with London, a center for the growing belief that human reason "could be used to combat ignorance, superstition, and tyranny and to build a better world." (SU eb site) Particularly, the thinkers of The Enlightenment wanted to be free of the constraints of religion as practiced then, and of the domination of society by an hereditary aristocracy. (SU eb site)
Raoux, in his painting Orpheus and Eurydice, painted…...
mlaWorks Cited
Jean Raoux." Biography, retrieved 12 April 2004 at http://www.getty.edu/art/collections/bio/a197-1.html
Vidal, Mary. "David's Telemachus and Eucharis: Reflections on Love, Learning, and History."
The Art Bulletin, 1 December 2000.
The Enlightenment." Retrieved 12 April 2004 at http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/hum_303/enlightenment.html
For the first several years of one's life, their mother and father are their world. These first relationships occur at a time when the tiny human is learning the basic of their environment and how to respond to it. A child learns much of their early actions by imitating the role models around them. The relationship that exists between a child and each of their parents will set the tone for how they deal with other relationships that they encounter throughout their life.
In Chapter One we discover that our hero has "issues" with his paternal and his maternal relationship. These relationships overshadow almost any other conflict in the story at this time. It is apparent through Stephen's interactions with Mulligan and Haines that he did not have a strong paternal figure to model. He reacts in a rather passive manner. One must remember that this chapter takes place in…...
mlaWorks Cited
Joyce, James. Ulysses. Hans Walter Gabler (ed). Random House. June, 1986.
Universal Themes in Homer's The Odyssey
Homer's The Odyssey is an ancient work that has managed to survive up to the present time. Virginia Woolf argues that the themes and situations presented in The Odyssey are universal themes that all humans can relate to, despite the passing of time. A consideration of the themes and situations presented in The Odyssey will show that this is true. While The Odyssey is set in a different time and culture, the basic situations and struggles are ones that apply equally to all people. These themes and events include the struggle of being adolescent, the changing relationship between a mother and son, the process of a boy becoming a man and the changing relationship between family members as time passes. Each of these are universal themes and this is what makes The Odyssey as applicable to modern life as it was to ancient life.
The struggle…...
In that case, Odysseus' motives are clear: to slip back stealthily into his house and to sabotage the stupid suitors. However, like any sailor Odysseus weaves yarns throughout the epic. Interestingly, Athena probably lies about her identity more so than Odysseus, suggesting that white lies are not necessarily morally wrong if they are done to accomplish a good goal. Therefore, many of the stories Odysseus tells are a means to an end. Others are ways to impress people: he builds himself up in their eyes so that he seems like a more formidable character. Moreover, Odysseus also likes listening to stories, as he does at Alcinous's palace.
5. Odysseus also makes up clever names as integral parts of his disguises. His propensity points to the hero's astute mind, his cleverness, and his ability to manipulate situations with a touch of humor and mischief too.
6. Odysseus needs to outsmart Polyphemus. Thus,…...
Xenia as an Institution of Order in Homeric Society
Xenia, the custom of hospitality in Homeric society, is widely practiced in Homer's "The Odyssey." While xenia was at times extended to guests out of the goodness of a one's heart, it was more often extended as a method of maintaining order and avoiding conflict. Not only did xenia endear guests to their hosts and hostesses, often moving them to extend returning xenia should the opportunity arise; xenia was also a means of pleasing and honoring the gods, as visitors were believed to be sent from the gods for a specific purpose. When xenia is observed, peace and order prevail, as it did when Odysseus' son Telemachus visited Nestor. When xenia is not observed -- either by host or guest -- chaos ensues.
Regarding Telemachus' visit to Nestor, Telemachus was accompanied by the goddess Minerva and Nestor sought to honor the gods by…...
Nestor seems saddened by the fact that some of the best Greek warriors were killed in Troy, including Ajax, Achilles, and Patroclus as well as Nestor's own son. The fact that Nestor's own son died may make him particularly sympathetic, of course, to Telemachus' need to hear news of what happened to his father, and how the Greeks became separated at the end of the Trojan War.
Nestor explains to Telemachus that his father acquitted himself bravely during the siege of Troy, and thus he should be proud of his father's conduct as a warrior. He also says that his father was a wise and noble counselor, and the two were often in agreement during the frequent arguments within the Greek camp. But because Zeus sided with the Trojans, the god was angry with the actions of the Greeks during Troy's sacking, and tried to upset the Greek's homeward journey,…...
Introduction
The roles, ideals, views of men in the ancient civilization have been explored extensively in literature from the famous Kings of Israel to the mathematicians and philosophers of Greece. In contrast, the history entails limited literature of women in the ancient civilization. However, several masterpieces such as the Homeric poem, the Odyssey and the Iliad provides a glimpse of ideals, position, and role of women in the ancient civilization. Women play a fundamental role in life by taking multiple responsibilities as portrayed in the epic poem Odyssey. The epic poem presents the role of women in the facet of power, sexuality, and interaction with men.
An analysis of the women in the poem demonstrates a challenge of the space of women as traditionally defined by the patriarchal Greek society. The Homeric poem has a distinct feminist message of the struggle women endure as they try to extricate themselves from a patriarchal…...
Ulysses is a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson that recounts King Ulysses' experiences during his journey back to Ithaca after fighting at Troy. Throughout the poem, Tennyson is able to develop Ulysses' character through a first-person introspective of the king's experiences, which allow the reader to understand what Ulysses is thinking and what his motivations are.
At the beginning of the poem, it is quickly established that the narrator of the poem is someone of high-ranking, specifically a king. Moreover, the narrator establishes that he is old and that despite his rule and authority, he feels as though his people do not know him. Tennyson writes, "It little profits an idle king,/By this still hearth, among these barren crags,/Matched with an aged wife, I mete and dole/Unequal laws unto a savage race,/That hoard, and feed, and know not me" (Tennyson lines 1-5). In these introductory lines, the narrator also establishes he…...
mlaWorks Cited
Tennyson, Alfred. "Ulysses." Web. 24 October 2012.
In the traditions of Greek epics, he has not only been a hero in his lifetime, but strengthens his legacy by passing the ability to his son.
In addition to accomplishing works of great military valor, Odysseus's character also lends to his heroism. Neither he nor Telemachus exercise their physical abilities for their own sake, or to get praise, but both do it for a very valuable reason. During the Trojan ar, Odysseus fights for his people. His desire to return home is inspired by the love of his wife and his family. His anger towards the suitors is not just because one of them might have taken his worldly riches, but more importantly because they have been threatening his wife's devotion to him. That Odysseus is a family man of great character can be best witnessed through his interactions with Calypso, who fell in love with him and forced…...
mlaWorks Cited
Homer. The Odyssey. 800 B.C.E. The Internet Classics Archive. 7 September 2009.
That argument - to die young as a hero or to live a long, uneventful life - is at the core of the Iliad. By Book XI, Homer has firmly established Odysseus as a hero for all time, but one whose failings made him distinctly human. Heroes such as Achilles, who had previously been accorded godlike status, are also brought to this level. In particular, the point in the interaction between Odysseus and Achilles where the latter declares "I'd rather live working as a wage-laborer for hire by some other man...than lord it over all the wasted dead." (480-500) reveals much about this concept of human nature. Achilles, having previously chosen to die a hero, now as a shade regrets that choice.
Book XXII illustrates the slaughter of the suitors. This chapter reveals not only the superiority of Odysseus in the ease with which he and his men conduct the…...
Even though Odysseus's family holds high opinions of his character as a family man, his actions with Calypso are the true measures of his character. In book five of the epic poem, Minerva, who goes to rescue Calypso, finds the father and husband "sitting upon the beach with his eyes ever filled with tears of sheer home sickness" (Book V). The poem goes on to explain that while Odysseus is forced to sleep in Calypso's cave each night, he does not do this of his own volition, and would much rather be home. Thus, while Calypso, a goddess, attempts to seduce Odysseus, he does not betray his home and his family, but rather remains homesick for them, while being tired of the goddess. Though Calypso is a goddess of extreme beauty, Odysseus is more enticed with his own wife and son. In fact, Odysseus loves his family enough to cry…...
mlaWorks Cited
Homer. The Odyssey. 10th ed. trans. Samuel Butler. Gutenberg, 1999. 24 October 2008. http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext99/dyssy10.txt.
Odyssey
Odysseus and Athena as Liars
The world of the Odyssey is full of legendary heroes, exploitive gods, crude monsters, and devious men. Homer weaves three separate tales, those of Penelope, Athena, and Odysseus, into an epic tale, suitable for the aftermath of the Iliad, his previous book. Homer moves his characters through difficult situations, usually by leveraging a particular strength or weakness at hand, and these characteristics often include, on the part of the characters, personal traits such as cunningness or the ability to lie in order to achieve a wanted result. In the Odyssey, Homer delves into many different aspects of lies and cunning in particular. For instance, Odysseus the hero uses his cunning mind to defeat his enemies and exact revenge, whereas Athena uses lies to push Odysseus along on his journey, as the attributes he exhibits are favored by the goddess. This paper will examine these two characters…...
Telemakhos development into manhood with the maturing of a young male character portrayed in a film
The Odyssey is recognized as the epitome of epics in literature and mythology by which all other epics are judged. Odysseus' journey home to Ithaca after the Trojan war takes many twists and turns and has all of the elements of an action-packed and epic adventure. However, there is another story developing parallel to that of Odysseus and his crew. ack home in Ithaca, Odysseus has left behind a wife, son, and kingdom that suffer in his absence. Telemakhos has a journey of his own while his father travels the world. "The first four books of the Odyssey are often referred to as the 'Telemachiad, or the song of Telemechus as they focus on the difficulties of a young hero coming of age in a hostile environment." (Lucas) In much the same way that…...
mlaBibliography
Everitt, Nick, et al. "Telemachy." Wikipedia. 19 Mary 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telemachy
Fainelli, Michael. "I, Telemakos." Doublethink: AFF's Print Quarterly. 15 February 2005. http://www.affdoublethink.com/archives/018885.php
Fourie, Dirk. "The art of writing and making films adaptation willard." The Writing Studio. 1993. http://www.writingstudio.co.za/page351.html
Ganapati. "Ganesh, God of India, Symbol and Presence." Ganesha. 17 December 2004.
1. The Cyclops Polyphemus: Odysseus cleverly blinded Polyphemus by giving him wine (which Polyphemus had never tasted before) and claiming his name was "Nobody." When Polyphemus cried out in pain, the other Cyclopes thought he was mad and did not come to his aid.
2. Circe: Odysseus outsmarted the sorceress Circe by having Hermes give him an herb called moly that made him immune to her magic. He then threatened her with his sword and demanded she restore his men to their human form.
3. Sirens: Odysseus had his men block their ears with beeswax so they would not hear the Sirens'....
Odysseus' cleverness played a crucial role in helping him overcome the many obstacles he faced on his journey home. For example, when he encounters the Cyclops Polyphemus, Odysseus devises a plan to blind the giant by getting him drunk on wine and then driving a wooden stake into his eye while he sleeps. This cunning strategy allows Odysseus and his men to escape from the Cyclops' cave.
Additionally, Odysseus uses his cleverness to outwit the Sirens, who try to lure sailors to their deaths with their enchanting songs. He has his men tie him to the mast of his ship so....
Odysseus' Cunning as a Beacon of Resilience on His Odyssey Home
Throughout Homer's epic "The Odyssey," Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, embarks on a perilous journey home after the Trojan War. His path is fraught with formidable adversaries, tempestuous seas, and enchanting temptations. Yet, time and again, Odysseus triumphs over these obstacles, not through brute force or extraordinary powers, but through his unparalleled cleverness and strategic mind.
Outwitting the Cyclops
One of Odysseus' most renowned feats was outsmarting the monstrous Cyclops, Polyphemus. Trapped in Polyphemus' cave, Odysseus devised a cunning plan to escape. He first plied the Cyclops with wine, rendering him drunk....
I. Introduction
II. Body
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