The Odyssey by Homer is the story of Odysseus, a very brave, strong and smart Greek mythic hero who embarks on an epic journey. His journey fulfills all the requisites of a Hero’s Journey. Odysseus’ Journey takes him through various mental stages which will be outlined in bold. Odysseus’ ordinary world is that of the island of Ithaca where he lives with his beloved wife. When he was looking for a bride, Odysseus visited Sparta where he met Menelaus who was to wed Helen, Zeus, the mighty king of gods’ daughter. During this visit, he swore loyalty to Menelaus not knowing that he would one day be called to carry out his promise. The Call to Adventure or Action indeed comes when Menelaus calls all the He cannot do so immediately, but instead must cunningly drive the suitors out of his home. Athena reunites him with his son and brings reminders of his lost greatness in the form of the swine herder who reminisces of the good times when Odysseus lived and ruled Ithaca P.33. She also inspires Penelope to hold a shooting match with Odysseus’ great bow, whereby she will marry the winner. Odysseus, disguised as a beggar takes the bow and shoots through all the suitors’ axes and defeats them. His reward is that of by reclaiming what is rightfully his. His victory is followed by a ceremony ‘road back’ whereby he “purifies the hall with prayers and incense”p.37. He also goes to visit his elderly father. This is not the end of his ordeals as both he and his father almost lose a great fight against the suitors' families who want to avenge their deaths. Odysseus' resurrection or rebirth comes only after goddess Athena declares that they should put down their weapons and after Odysseus has managed to make peace with Poseidon. His final return occurs when Odysseus manages to return to his life of peace with Penelope and his son. Odysseus is a changed man Odysseus has managed to overcome many obstacles and has ultimately reaped the benefits by being able to come full circle and to once again return to a life of peace with family. The hero has not only been taken on a physical journey but has undergone a
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writing the Iliad and the Odysseus. The story of the Odyssey takes us through the seven stages of a Greek soldier’s journey of getting home after the Trojan War. The first stage in Odysseus’ Call to venture home to Ithica. Odysseus receives a call to go home after he has finished defeating Troy. For in Ithica lives Odysseus’ wife and child. The journey home is very dangerous and long, most of his men die. Through Odysseus’ journey he gathers many allies. After Odysseus defeats the Cyclops, Athena…
Odyssey: The Journey of a Hero The Hero's Journey is never an easy one. This particular journey, as detailed in Homer's The Odyssey, is one of struggle, loss, heartache, pain, growth and triumph. It is comprised of many steps that Odysseus has to overcome and battle through in order to achieve his final goal of reaching his home and his loved ones. From the Call to Adventure to the Freedom or Gift of living, Odysseus conquered them all. The story begins in the middle of the story, as many…
Period 3 English 1 The Heroic Quest Newsletter Odysseus’ Story The Odyssey opens in the country of Greece nine years after the Trojan War ended. Because of Odysseus' absence, several suitors want to marry his wife, Queen Penelope. However, she believes that her husband will return, so she does not want to marry. Odysseus' son, Telemachus, also believes that his father is still out there alive. Meanwhile, Odysseus is trapped on Calypso’s island without any transportation, and without…
A heroic journey is one full of hardships, growth, and passage—these are only a few characteristics depicted in each of the three stages of the adventure. Initially, it begins with departure; the hero first steps out of his familiarity and into the unknown. The second stage, initiation, follows with a series of trials that test the hero’s physical and mental ability while stimulating growth in his character, ultimately leading to the return. The return is the last stage, where the hero has received…
Charles Deng Ms. Gibson English 1/2 H p5 16 December 2013 Odysseus’ Clock Heroes are everywhere... such can be the Americans who fight over seas, the leaders who defend our human rights, the civilians who save the unfortunate, the people who feed us and shelter us from the cold and unknown, and the souls that lie within every one of us. We do not realize this because the definition of a hero is ambiguous. According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, a hero is a mythological or legendary figure…
their abilities at what they do. Odysseus isn’t a hero because he was too much pride, selfishness, and is irresponsible. First, Odysseus is foolish for waiting for the Cyclops to return to his cave instead of scavenging, and getting out of there. Odysseus endangered the lives of his men, and cost him eight of the twelve men he brought. Although he speared the Cyclops’ eye, it wasn’t worth eight of his men dying. As they sail out and were clearly safe Odysseus brags about his siege to Polythemus…
Spiritual Journey in The Odyssey In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, leaves home in order to fight in a war at Troy. Upon defeating the Trojans, he returns home with his army, however, Poseidon intends to prevent or at least delay his return by causing storms and high winds as well as drowning his crew. Odysseus’s voyage took ten years at sea is not only a physical journey home, but is also a spiritual journey of self-discovery in which he becomes a better king. After the journey home…
events,” they very well could have shown a picture of Odysseus. He a respected warrior from Ithaca and abandons his wife and newborn son fight for the return of Helen. To leave the ones he loves and to embark on a twenty year trek can only be achieved by a hero of epic proportion. In Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey, Odysseus is fit to be considered an “epic hero” because he exhibits the major established characteristics of the archetype. Odysseus' cleverness and quick thinking contribute to his identity…
an example of Greek mythology. The Odyssey shows all thirteen steps of the hero’s journey and the four functions of Greek mythology. Even though this book is five hundred pages long, it is an exemplar of Greek mythology, which is in contrast to most other Greek mythology stories that tend to be short. In the book The Odyssey the main character Odysseus is an exemplar of the hero’s journey. To begin, the initiate is Odysseus. He is uncomfortable with leaving his new born baby, Telemachus, home with…
Greeks, Odysseus must travel to Troy to lead the armies in battle. Refusal of the Call: When the hero hears to the call to adventure, the may hesitate, reluctant to leave the comfort and tasks of their everyday existence. Generally the hero may do this because they’re afraid of what might happen to them, do not see the call as important, or are more engrossed in their current activity. The hero may have responsibilities and do not want to leave their family. For example, in the Odyssey Odysseus could…
