The Odyssey Essay

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Ewing 1
Mr. Brown
English (A)
17 December 012
The Odyssey
Homer was in some ways a ghost, he believed he was a blind bard, or a storyteller. David Adam Leeming says that some people believed there are two Homers, or that Homer was a legend. Homer is famous for 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 sees his wisdom and she becomes his ally. Athena then convinces Zeus to let him live through his journey. Odysseus’ men are his allies throughout the whole story giving him brute strength as gifts. When Odysseus finds himself alone on Calypso’s island she gives him love and affection. When Hermes comes to tell Calypso that Zeus wants him released, she releases him willingly. When she does this she gives him a raft, food and water. Odysseus may have many enemies but he also has powerful allies. When Odysseus and his men decide to return to Ithica they have to do a little preparation before they go. To prepare they gather gold and treasure. While the voyage is underway they realize that they do not have any food or water and they will soon die because of this. They decide to stride into Cicones and steal whatever water and food they could find. This was dumb and ignorant because
Ewing 2 they had enough money to buy these things. Though the neb got the things they needed for the quest, it was not the smartest way to receive them. To get home Odysseus has to “Cross the Threshold”. He and his men have to dive into the unknown. They have known what’s ahead throughout their whole journey but now that it is time to venture into new water, land and adventures. The fifth stage in Odysseus’ journey is the Road of Trials. This is by far the hardest part in our Hero’s journey. This is where Odysseus has to overcome many different obstacles. The first event is when Odysseus and his men defeat Troy. After their victory they sail to Cicones to steal and loot from people. Then all of Odysseus’ men and himself get stuck in a huge storm that was created by Zeus. Through this gigantic storm they wash up onto the land of the Lotus Eaters. Here, Odysseus has to hold his men captive and restrain them from eating the divine lotus flowers. Next the men come across the Cyclops Pholyphemus. Pholyphemus is Poseidon’s son, Poseidon wants Odysseus dead for defeating his country of Troy. Odysseus tries to be a good guest for the Cyclops but he refuses and eats two of Odysseus’ men then goes to sleep. Odysseus wants to kill him in his sleep but then realizes that they cannot get out with the huge boulder blocking the entrance. So they wait for him to wake and leave for they pastures. They sharpen a pole and get the Cyclops drunk then stick the pole in his eye. To escape they hatch the plan to tie themselves under Pholyphemus’ sheep and wait for them to be let free before they untie themselves and escape. Poseidon gets angry and causes a huge storm. The ship gets thrown to Aeolia. There the wind king Aeolus takes the wind from the storm and puts it in a bag. Unfortunately once aboard the ship a curious soldier lets out the wind. The wind then makes a huge hurricane and blows them back to Aeolia. There they are sent away yet again. They then find themselves on Aeaea where the goddess Circe lives. The men dine on the food and wine that Circe offers and they are soon
Ewing 3 turned into pigs. Odysseus is about to go inside and fight to save his men when Hermes stops him and gives Odysseus garlic saying that this will protect him. Cerce cannot fight him so she frees his men and then
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