Odyssey Essay Research Paper The Journey of

Odyssey Essay, Research Paper

The Journey of Odysseus and Telemachos In The Odyssey written by Homer and translated by Richard Lattimore, several themes are made evident, conceived by thenature of the time period, and customs of the Greek people. These molded and shaped the actual flow of events and outcomesof the poem. Beliefs of this characteristic were represented by the sheer reverence towards the gods and the humanities theGreek society exhibited, and are both deeply rooted within the story. In the intricate and well-developed plot of The Odyssey, Homer harmonized several subjects. One of these, was the quest ofTelemachos, (titled “Telemachy”) in correlation with the journey of his father. In this, he is developed from a childish, passive,and untested boy, to a young man preparing to stand by his fathers side. This is directly connected to the voyage of Odysseus,in that they both lead to the same finale, and are both stepping stones towards wisdom, manhood, and scholarship. Throughthese voyages certain parallels are drawn concerning Odysseus and Telemachos: the physical journeys, the mental preparationsthey have produced, and what their emotional status has resulted in. These all partake a immense role in the way the story is setup, stemming from the purpose of each character’s journey, their personal challenges, and the difficulties that surround them. The story commences when Odysseus, a valiant hero of the Trojan war, journeys back home. Together with his courageouscomrades, and a several vessels, he set sail for his homeland Ithaca. Fated to wander for a full ten years, Odysseus’s shipswere immediately blown to Thrace by a powerful storm. The expedition had begun. Upon this misfortune, he and his men started a raid on the land of the Cicones. However, this only provided them withtemporary success. The Cicones had struck back and defeated a vast majority of Odysseus’s crew. This was their first of manydisastrous experiences to come. Storms then blew his ships to Libya and the land of the Lotus-eaters, where the crew was given Lotus fruit from which mostlost their entire memories from home. Odysseus, and the others who had not tasted it, recovered the sailors by force, and setsail again, westward, this time to the island of the Cyclops, a wild race of one-eyed giants. Leaving most of his men in asheltered cove, Odysseus then entered the island with one crew only. They wandered around, encountering, and foolishlyentering an immense cave, awaiting the owner. Moments later, a Cyclops named Polyphemos, son of Poseidon, entered andpushed a huge bolder covering the entrance to the cave. Upon this, he immediately ate two sailors, and promised to eat theothers in due time. The morning came, and Polyphemos had promptly eaten two more seamen, against the will of Zeus.Odysseus, soon realized that killing him asleep would do no good since the mouth of the cave was still inescapable. The captainhad then devised a new plan. When Polyphemos returned that evening, Odysseus showered the monster with wine until he hadfallen under a drunken spell. Then, with the help of his companions took a sharp pole and rammed it into his large eye, blindinghim instantaneously. As the crew sailed away into the vast dimensions of the sea, Odysseus had unwisely revealed his name intaunting the poor beast, boasting his excessive pride. Polyphemos then made a prayer to his father, asking to punish the manwho had caused him this harm. Several days later Odysseus and his men arrived at the island of Aeolus, keeper of the winds. There, they stayed for about onemonth, and departed, in sight of the long-awaited Ithaca. However, before they left, Odysseus was presented with a containerof winds, carrying each but the needed West wind. As Ithaca approached, the crew not knowing the contents of the “skin”,opened it up and released all of the winds, depositing the ships back at the island of Aeolus, who refused to help them anyfurther. Setting sail once again, the group headed back west, where they had come across the Island of the Laesrtygonians, a savagerace of cannibals. Everyone, but Odysseus, lined their ships at the harbor, covered with rocks. The entire party was attackedand eaten by the Laestrygonians, who had bombarded them with giant boulders. Having but one vessel left, Odysseus sailed hisship to the Island of Dawn, inhabited by the sorceress Circe. A group of men were sent to explore the island, who were then lured, feasted, and the turned to swine by Circe. Knowing thisOdysseus went after her, and on his way encountered Hermes who gave him a potion to withstand the spell. Circe tried, andthen she failed. Odysseus had then requested for his crew to be turned back to normal. She complied, and eventually housedOdysseus and his shipmates long enough for him to father three children. Homesick and distraught, Odysseus was then advisedby Circe to search the underworld for Teiresias, to tell him his fortune, and how to appease Poseidon. Odysseus agreed and made a trip to the underworld, where he discovered many of his dead companions from Troy, and mostimportantly, Teiresias. With his new knowledge, he returned to Circe, which had provided him with just the information heneeded to pass the Sirens. They then departed from the island and continued on there journey, ears filled with wax. What Odysseus was about to encounter next would be a very difficult task. He needed to direct his ship through a straight,between two cl