The Odyssey Odysseuss Greek Values English Literature Essay
An heroic poem hero is more than merely a hero who goes on an extraordinary escapade and battles parlous animals. A true heroic poem hero is one who goes on a complex and backbreaking journey to achieve admirable values. It is one who originally may be debauched and immoral, but finally additions exceeding character and nature. He is willing to give himself for the improvement of society. Such is the instance with Odysseus in The Odyssey, who aspires to make his place in Ithaka and reunite with his household. Along the journey, Odysseus displays several of import Grecian values that form him as an heroic poem hero. Odysseus is an heroic poem hero due to his inventiveness in coercing state of affairss, courage during dashing challenges, and humbleness towards higher existences.
Odysseus displays exceeding inventiveness by utilizing his cunning accomplishments in hard and ambitious state of affairss. Throughout the heroic poem, Odysseus is able to utilize his inventiveness to overcome confusing state of affairss and get the better of the troubles he faces. His adeptness and craft are the traits he possesses that muddle him through the jobs he encounters. One facet that crafts his inventiveness is his ability to supply well-thought out replies to coercing inquiries. Whenever Odysseus is asked a demanding or nerve-racking inquiry, he warily thinks of an reply. He knows to reply with cautiousness because of the state of affairs at manus. Odysseus ‘s astuteness is apparent when Polyphemos, the hefty one-eyed animal, asks Odysseus what his name is. Through this pressuring inquiry, Odysseus is able to swiftly answer that his name is “ Nohbdy ” . He carefully yet rapidly thinks of an reply to such an intense inquiry. Odysseus displays the similar trait of inventiveness when Kalypso inquiries him of whether a person can compare with a goddess in grace and signifier: “ To this the strategian Odysseus answered / My lady goddess, here is no cause for choler. / My quiet Penelope – how good I know – / would look a shadiness before your stateliness ” ( V, 223 – 226 ) . Rather than supporting Penelope , he praises Kalypso and acts as though his married woman is inferior to her. He claims that the ground he wants to go forth the island is because he longs for his place, non for his married woman. By replying like this, he is able to go forth the island without angering Kalypso. Answering with discretion and cautiousness is Odysseus ‘s key to get the better ofing many of the challenges he faces. Not merely does Odysseus reply inquiries carefully, but he ever has programs and follows through with them. When trapped on the Land of Kyklopes, he devises a program to get away the cave and go forth the island. This program was executed by lying to Polyphemos about his name and easy acquiring him drunk. When the clip was right, Odysseus drives his elephantine expressway right into Polyphemos ‘s oculus, knifing the one-eyed animal. He antecedently develops a program and follows through with it, instead than improvizing. Odysseus knows that by holding a program, there is a direct set of stairss that will vouch success in his undertaking. Another program Odysseus follows is to eat the drug “ moly ” to defy Kirke ‘s thaumaturgy. In order to liberate his work forces, he has to kip with Kirke. Although this is the lone manner to liberate the work forces, he does what is told to him. By non avoiding the program, Odysseus successfully convinces Kirke to alter the hogs back into work forces. Finally, Odysseus knows when and how to lie under the right fortunes. He ingeniously lies to Polyphemos that he and his sailor ‘s ships have been destroyed when come ining the island. He does this instead than uncovering their true location because if the Kyklops were to assail the ships, they would hold nowhere to travel. His ability to explicate prevarications fleetly is apparent when he is about to reply to Polyphemos: “ He thought he ‘d happen out, but I saw through this, / and answered with a ready prevarication ” ( IX, 305 – 306 ) . Whenever Odysseus encounters a quandary or coercing inquiry, he sees through the troubles and finds a ready prevarication to reply with. His inventiveness contributes to his ability to prevail adversities. Additionally, Odysseus ‘s clever ability to lie is apparent when he outright avoids stating his sailors the hazards they are about to face: “ But as I sent them on toward Skylla, I / told them nil, as they could make nil. / They would hold dropped their oars once more, in terror ” ( XII, 288 – 291 ) . Odysseus knows that by stating his work forces about the dangers to come, it will merely scare them. Although Odysseus hides the truth and lies, it was under the right circumstance. He knows when to lie and what the consequences and effects are. Blatantly shown, Odysseus ‘s inventiveness through supplying good thought out replies to coercing inquiries, following through with programs, and replying with ready prevarications is merely one facet that shapes him as an heroic poem hero.
Furthermore, Odysseus shows how brave he is by possessing a bold gloss in challenges and ne’er professing to get the better of. Although Odysseus sometimes fails to get the better of the challenges and troubles he faces, he ne’er submits to prevail. Odysseus ‘s bravery is partially made up of him being able to confront his frights. When he is at the Land of the Dead and sees the shocking truth that his female parent is dead, he does non run off. His courage is exemplified when he instead stays and battles through the hurting: “ Sing this shade I grieved, / but held her off, through stab on stab of cryings ” ( XI, 97 – 98 ) . Despite the fact that he merely recognize his female parent was dead while he was off from place, he chooses to remain and speak to her. He fights through the haste of cryings and ache interior of himself instead than runaway and avoid the truth. A similar illustration is his fright of non being reunited with his household. Throughout the heroic poem, Odysseus is on a journey to make his place in Ithaka and see his household once more. However, the adversities Odysseus brushs and the length of the clip he is on the journey instills uncertainty in him. He is on his journey place for 20 old ages, including the ten old ages contending in the Trojan War. As the clip adds up and the troubles addition, Odysseus becomes disbelieving. However, he does non allow this scruple and uncertainness return over him. He instead faces the fright and continues on the journey. Odysseus is besides a brave hero by ne’er give uping because of the uncertainness in success. When Odysseus is discoursing with Telemakhos about the program to kill the suers, he does non hold with his claim that the suers are excessively strong. Odysseus does non believe that merely because the suers and their helpers are in Numberss more than one hundred, they can non be defeated. He alternatively is bold by saying, “ I ‘d instead hold my caput cut from my shoulders / by some cut downing adversary, if I / brought no injury upon that crew! ” ( XVI, 121 – 123 ) . He would instead hold his caput cut off by an enemy than inflict no hurting on the suers. This strong statement establishes his daring even when everybody around him is disbelieving. A similar illustration of Odysseus ‘s bravery is when he does non sail the other manner when confronting Skylla. Odysseus is to the full witting that the forecast of heading into Skylla is the decease of six work forces. However, what outlines his heroism is him cognizing that although six work forces will decease, he ‘d instead travel through the hurting of that than perchance all of his work forces deceasing in a vortex. Though Kharybidis may be assuring due to the possibility of complete endurance, he is non lured in. He is brave for taking Skylla. Finally, Odysseus ‘s possesses bravery because he defends others and non merely himself. Throughout the journey, Odysseus tries his hardest to maintain most of his work forces alive. Although his chief end is to make place in Ithaka and come together with his household, he besides wants all of his work forces to make their households. An illustration of him taking attention of his sailors would be when Odysseus and his work forces are heading towards Seirenes. He gives all of his sailors ear wax to stop up into their ears, aware of the dangers of the luring vocal of Seirenes. He does this because he wants the work forces to remain alive and be free from the temptation. However, what truly establishes his audaciousness is that he does non stop up his ain ears with wax. Odysseus does this because he needs to cognize of when the vocal has stopped playing and the work forces are free to take the wax out. Odysseus taking to bear the hurting of desiring to leap into the ocean and swim towards the island genuinely shows how brave he is. Rather than taking one of his work forces to make the occupation, he chooses himself. This clearly shows how he puts the safety and attention for others before himself. Another case is when he convinces Kirke to alter the swine back into his work forces. He ends up kiping with Kirke in order to accomplish this undertaking. By seting his concern and attention for the work forces before the hazard of being unfaithful to Penelope , he acquires the trait of bravery. He is defensive when it comes to his sailors and ever tries his hardest to maintain them safe. Clearly shown, Odysseus is highly bold in challenges and does more than merely assist himself.
Finally, Odysseus displays humbleness by humiliating himself and allowing spell of his hubris. In the beginning of the heroic poem, Odysseus is a dissolute and curt adult male who displays the traits of restlessness and haughtiness. He overestimates his ain capablenesss and frequently glees about his power and cognition. He believes he was better than the people around him. However, as Odysseus continues on his journey back place, his character traits start to alter. He begins to exhibit embarrassment and shame for his errors and actions, acquiring rid of his arrogance. One manner Odysseus shows humbleness is by bowing down to higher existences. This humbleness is apparent when he begs to Poseidon for clemency: “ In fatigue before your articulatio genuss, your Waterss? / Here is your retainer ; Godhead, have mercy on me ” ( V, 472 – 473 ) . Odysseus eventually understands that his hubris is the ground for his ruin on the journey. He begs for clemency and forgiveness to Poseidon. This establishes a cardinal point in the heroic poem where his character alterations for the better. Odysseus besides prays to the Gods when pulling his pointer back to kill Antinoos. Before he shoots, he prays to Apollo for fortune knowing that he does n’t hold the best arching accomplishments. By praying to Apollo, he is degrading himself and his accomplishments, clearly showing humbleness. Odysseus besides accepts his errors. When confronting Elpenor, a sailor who is left unburied in Kirkes hall, Odysseus weeps for commiseration. He realizes it was highly immoral and corrupt for him and his sailors to non bury Elpenor. Leaving Elpenor dead on Earth ‘s land was a error Odysseus accepts. His credence of his error is apparent when he apologetically promises to Elpenor his barrow and entombment. Another case of Odysseus ‘s humbleness gained through errors is when he and his sailors arrive on Lamos. Rather than scavenging through the island like predators looking for booty and hoarded wealth, he carefully sends two of his sailors with an attender to look into the dwellers. Odysseus learns from a error he and his sailors commit on Ismaros. On Ismaros, Odysseus and his work forces rummage through the island. They began firing down houses and stealing wealths, leting their edacity to take over. Despite Odysseus ‘s advice to go forth the island instantly, their gluttony and greed began to steep them. As a consequence, the ferocious ground forces of the Kikones onslaughts, killing six work forces from each ship. Odysseus clearly learns from the decease of his work forces to non do the same error in the hereafter. Aside from accepting errors, Odysseus besides obeys the programs that are told to him and does non acquire chesty. This is shown through several cases in the text, one being when he follows Kirke ‘s program of traveling to Hades and doing the forfeit. Despite his sailor ‘s ‘ laments and calls, he decides to go on to follow Kirke ‘s program. He assertively tells the work forces, “ Travel / to the cold places of Death and pale Persephone / to hear Teiresias Tell of clip to come ” ( X, 624 – 625 ) . He does non allow the sailors ‘s ailments allow him to disobey the program. Odysseus ‘s conformity is besides shown when he obeys the program of Hermes. He has alter the hogs back into his work forces by kiping with Kirke, maintaining in head that he has a married woman in Ithaka he should be loyal to. Despite the moral issue of kiping with another adult female and rip offing on Penelope , he obeys the program of Hermes and is able to liberate the work forces. He knows to listen to higher existences and people who are smarter than him. Odysseus ‘s shame towards the Gods, credence of errors, and conformity with programs told to him genuinely demo his humbleness.
In summing up, Odysseus in The Odyssey is clearly an heroic poem hero by exposing the Grecian values of inventiveness in anxiety-filled state of affairss, bravery during hard challenges, and humbleness towards higher existences. He undergoes a journey in which he learns to turn as a individual and develop good moral values. Although Odysseus is non the best individual in the beginning of the heroic poem, his hubris finally dwindles and his moral character elevates. He begins to accept his errors and listen to others. Rather than merely caring about himself, he has tonss of concern for others. He clearly displays the values and traits an heroic poem hero possesses.
Writing Goals:
1. To incorporate quotation marks right in sentences and do them flux.
2. To beef up my enunciation and usage strong word pick.
3. To utilize specific illustrations in text when seeking to demo an thought or turn out something.
