Essays on The Odyssey

Homer’s Odyssey was set 10 years after the Trojan war which would mean the stories taking place in the epic are dated sometime around 1170 BC. This is a time that is arguably unrecognisable by today’s standards in many parts of the world in terms...

Many modern and old stories are being analyzed and categorized as a Hero’s Journey story if they follow a set template for what it means for there to be a hero’s journey. Both stories, The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and The Odyssey...

When reading the works of Homer, we find that an ever-present theme in his poetry is the relative insignificance of mortals and their creations. Relative, that is, to the much grander scale of the natural world. Yet in Homeric terms the natural world is much...

Living in a major American city, we have no trouble identifying that those in need are all around us. People ask for spare change on the subway so that they can get a meal; people hold cardboard signs that read, “Anything helps.” Throughout history, the...

The foreboding dark mist in the gloom of the night (141) shadowing Odysseus arrival to the island of the Cyclopes suggests a sinister and frightening site. Recounting the unnaturalness of the occupants and the horror of the ensuing events, Odysseus narration seemingly confirms this interpretation....

One of the most valued skills one can possess is the art of storytelling. Man can express himself through means of song, art, dance, and poetry—but he must have a story to express himself. After the Trojan War ended, Odysseus journeys home facing various obstacles...

The characters in Homer’s The Odyssey are forever at the mercy of the Gods, those immortals who live in the heights of Mount Olympus, and who, on occasion, walk the lands of earth. Throughout the epic poem the main characters are visited quite often at...

In the many stories, tales, and adventures that we have read so far, there have been multitudes of borders crossed by a variety of characters. All of these characters thus far crossing said borders have had a different intention, goal, or motive that theyare trying...

Travel and migration can, in the most part, be viewed as voluntary. Exile is an action thatis involuntary, thus force is an aspect of exile. Travel and migration both include trade-offs. Trade-offs are the beneficial and dangerous components of every decision. When the dangers ofa...

Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus crosses countless borders, from the literal borders of kingdoms like Phaeacia and Ithaca, to the borders of life and death in Hades. However, there’s one border Odysseus seems to be unable, and perhaps even unwilling, to cross: The border between soldier...

When I was fourteen I voluntarily put myself in a box. It wasn’t the typical tattered brown box you get delivered to your door that is way too oversized for the small item you’ve purchased on amazon. The box that I put myself into was...

In today’s volatile world, groups of people are constantly transcending borders. Individuals cross physical boundaries every day, whether it be temporarily travelling for work or leisure purposes or permanently relocating to escape socioeconomic and political issues at home. Individuals are also able to cross the...

An epic poem over 400 pages long. Yep a poem. The plot line details the return journey of Odysseus, a Greek warrior, and his encounters with civilizations and Greek Gods through his travels.Composed in 700BC, it is one of the earliest poems to ever exist....

Odysseus’ Speech My fellow Ithacans, I have come a long way to get to where I am now. I have traveled for the past 10 years, and have learned a lot about other lands and cultures. I have met new people, and I have formed...

The Odyssey Reflection Haley Rotter I think that The Odyssey portrays two different types of woman. Women who are pro-marriage and pro-family and women who are anti-marriage and anti-family. Penelope for example, is pro-marriage and pro-family. She is a faithful wife to Odysseus and waited...

In Homer’s epic ballads The Iliad and The Odyssey, Achilles and Odysseus are the outstanding saints. Achilles battles Hector outside the dividers of Troy since Hector executed his closest companion, Patroclus. In the wake of battling in the Trojan War, Odysseus goes up against an...

Virtue in the Republic and the Odyssey In Plato’s Republic, the ideas of virtue are expressed in regards to the soul. Socrates says that the four main virtues—wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice—are found in different parts of the ideal city. Wisdom, courage, and moderation are...

Both Homer’s The Odyssey and Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe use fate to explain why the protagonists endure the trials they endured although in differing contexts. In The Odyssey, Fate assumes its traditional role of being puppeted by the gods, but with less rigidity. Mankind is...

The Odyssey is a classic piece of literature. Most people know how the story goes, but only a handful of those people have read and deeply discussed the story. The truth is, most people (mainly from inexperience) feel that the story of Odysseus and his...