Respect For The Gods In Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

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Throughout The Odyssey by Homer, our hero faces many difficulties that influenced him strongly. From a six headed monster to singing sirens, Odysseus sees it all. After almost 20 years at sea, our hero finally returns home to find his house in a pandemonium. Odysseus survives the tragedies by sticking to his values. In The Odyssey, respect for the gods cleverness, and hospitality were greatly valued and helped develop the myth of Odysseus.

Respect for the gods was very important and effective in the future of a man and the development of the society; as shown in the Odyssey, many were punished for their disrespect to the immortals. For example, after Odysseus’ men ate his cattle, Helios said, “‘Oh father Zeus and gods in bliss forever, punish Odysseus’ men! So overweening, now they have killed my peaceful kine...Restitation or penalty they shall pay-pay in full- or I go down forever”’(XII, 484-450)... Odysseus’ men wronged the gods and ate Helios’ cattle. In return for …show more content…
When Odysseus and his men are stuck in the Cyclops’ island, Odysseus says “‘My name is Nohbdy; Mother, Father, and friends, everybody calls me Nohbdy.’”(IX, 397- 398). By making Polyphemus believe his name is Nohbdy, he can avoid being discovered. He can also later on convince the other cyclops Polyphemus is in no pain. This is extremely clever because he can get away safe and mysterious. To be able to escape the cave, Odysseus has to make a plan that can obscure his men, so he, “I tied them silently together.. Then slung a man under each middle one, to ride there safely...Shielded left and right so three sheep could convey each one”’(IX, 465-469). If his men stroll out the cave, Polyphemus can detect their absence. Odysseus uses his clever, cunning ways to disguise his men. By also hiding his men beneath the sheep, he can verify his men won't be detected by blinded Polyphemus and will go

Essay on Response 1

the course of the story and ultimately alter the story itself, just as the title character changes in Homer’s epic, The Odyssey. The protagonists in the story, the men of the house of Odysseus, have dramatic and subtle changes throughout the epic that alter the way the plot moves. Odysseus’s attitude in the beginning of the epic displays that of a civilization with no sense of respect for the gods or honor for their beliefs. Odysseus’s son Telemachus starts the journey as a young man who must step…

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Whale Rider Odyssey

for their respect, power, and potential through the protagonist, Paikea. Because of her grandfather’s strong belief in the gender biased Maori culture, he restricts her from participating in anything “tough” or tasks that are traditionally for males. To overcome this discrimination, she disobeys her grandfather and attempts the tasks that her grandfather is teaching the boys how to do. At last, she succeeds, gaining the respect, power, and equality she deserves. On the other hand, in Homer’s epic, the…

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The Odyssey Essay

Egomania Humans are innately selfish beings. Many characters in Homer’s The Odyssey exemplify this perspective as they act upon selfish motives in order to better their social standing. These self-centered characters will lie, cheat, and steal in order to climb the social ladder. Because these characters are preoccupied with bettering their standing, they disregard their personal relationships and respect for one another is lost. In this way the rigid social class structure generates conflict…

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history, legends and heros have been recalled through poems, stories, and books. These stories have covered people famous for saving cities, obeying the gods, and being strong, fierce leaders. Achilles, know as the greatest warrior in the Trojan War, appears in Homer’s poem The Iliad. Odysseus, a legendary hero, is exploited in Homer’s epic, The Odyssey. The Green Knight, a fierce and complex character explained in the poem Sir Gawain, by Pearl Poet. These three men, along with many others, our parts…

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For Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, and the Coen brother’s movie, O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?, the same rules apply. The themes in both of these medians make both storylines meaningful and give the character’s purpose. Although O’ Brother, Where Art Thou?, a film by the Coen brothers, and The Odyssey portray these themes in somewhat different ways, both medians include the themes of religion and…

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and The Odyssey are epics studied from students to literary scholars. These ancient literature tell the story of a hero’s return, while outlining aspects of Ancient Greece. Reading Homer’s The Odyssey reveals hospitality through plot by repeating the importance of generosity in Ancient Greece, which differs from the communities of contemporary readers. Throughout The Odyssey, hospitality, or xenia, is a continuous pattern. Odysseus faces this concept many times. Xenia introduced Odysseus’ destinations…

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Homer's the Iliad, and Dante's inferno could possibly be two of the most influential pieces of literature that we have today. Dante's Inferno very clearly imitates some of the greatest classical writers. In his poem, he often refers to Homer, Lucan, Ovid, and even Virgil, which as you know is a major character in the story. Dante even incorporates a few mythological places, as well as creatures; some examples are centaurs and minos, and both the Acheron and Styx rivers. Dante was both the protagonist…

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Comparing Love In Aeneid And Homer's The Odyssey

It is quite easy to say that romantic or sexual love in Virgil’s Aeneid and Homer’s The Odyssey serve as an obstacle to the main character achieving their eventual goals and perhaps even preventing the protagonists from achieving happiness. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus is victim to women falling in love with him and obstructing his return to his home in Ithaca and in Virgil’s Aeneid, Aeneas is halted by one woman in particular on his journey as well. However, despite these examples of love being…

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Odyssey Hero's Journey

Through the Abyss "No one of the Achaeans labored as much as Odysseus labored and achieved" (4, 119-120). Odysseus is the main character in a series of tragic events; the hero. Odysseus is the captain of his crew and leader of his army. He snakes through every presented hardship. Odysseus wants to go back home to his loyal wife and son. The monomyth, or the hero’s journey, is a cyclical quest or adventure undertaken by a hero. Monomyths contain specific parts in order to recognize one from reading…

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Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus, the protagonist, embarks on a journey of self-discovery and moral judgement in which he reveals his true character. Odysseus finds himself trapped in a cycle of danger, at the will of the gods, during which he must use his knowledge and wits to escape. He has been away from home for more than twenty years after the battle of Troy, and can only think of returning to his beloved family and home on Ithaka. However, certain actions indicate that his motivations were…

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