The Role Of The Hero's Journey In The Odyssey

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What is so interesting about a hero going on a journey that has captured people's interest for a millennium? For example, In the book The Odyssey written by Homer millennium, ago follows a rule that many of the modern books follow today. The Odyssey and so many other books follow a principal created by Joseph Campbell called a monomyth or the hero's journey. The Odyssey was about how a war hero named Odysseus takes ten years to get home and while he is on his way home he is faced with many great challenges. The Hero's Journey is a series of steps that the hero goes through in a book or story to accomplish an adventure. The story of a hero going on an adventure hasn't changed much in the many books that have been written since including a recent book Okay for Now written by Gary D. Schmidt. In Okay, for Now, a young boy by the name of Doug, moves to a new town where he learns to draw a set of birds drawing's he found at the library. The Odyssey and Okay, For Now, was written in a different millennium, with different authors and still …show more content…
In both of the books and Okay for Now the hero of the story does not go willingly on the call to adventure. For example, In The Odyssey the main hero, Odysseus is used to people listening and following his orders when he gives them. The call to adventure happens when he gives an order and his men do not follow it. "I then gave the command to pull out fast, that was my order, but the fools would not listen"(9.46). In Okay, for Now, Doug gets told by his dad that they are going to move to a place he has never heard of. Doug is not the happiest of this idea but he is forced into it. Doug likes his town and does not want to move. For example, "I'm going to miss this freaking place" (pg. 7). In both of the novel's the character is forced into the call of

The Hero's Journey In The Odyssey By Joseph Campbell

The hero’s journey, discovered by Joseph Campbell, is an 11 step process in which essentially a hero enters a special world and conquers many trials. The tale of The Odyssey can be summarized as a journey of a man named Odysseus trying to travel home after a battle, he encounters many problems along the way. The character in which is being compared, L Lawliet comes from the anime/manga, Death Note. Death Note is about a high school student who obtains a magical notebook allowing him to kill anyone…

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O Brother Where Art Thou And Odysseus Comparison

Jessica Wilkins World Literature 2332 Rattan October 29,2014 The similarities between The Odyssey and its Hollywood twin, O Brother Where Art Thou are many, reflecting the lasting effects of the great epic of the hero. By adding a modern twist on the tales of Odysseus and his men in this comparative mythology, the film reveals how ancient heroes and their epic stories of adventure and hardship are still able to entertain in the modern era. While many of the main aspects of the film, such as setting…

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The Odyssey Essay

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…

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Odyssey: the Journey of a Hero Essay

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…

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Gender Roles In The Odyssey

Breaking Through Gender Roles As history goes on, women have been revolutionizing their past archetypal and societal roles. Today, when looking at archetypal roles it is hard to recognize the way women used to be portrayed. Not only do we see the archetypes transforming in real life, but also in stories. After analyzing a collection of stories, it is evident that as literature becomes more modern, no women in each story are the same. Women take a more leading role rather than being a second choice…

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Polyphemus And Odysseus

Throughout book nine of "The Odyssey," Polyphemus plays a crucial role as the monstrous Cyclops encountered by Odysseus and his crew. This savage creature symbolizes the forces of nature and is one of the many challenges Odysseus will have to overcome on his journey to his long-lost home, Ithaca. Polyphemus embodies viciousness and highlights the differences between civilized beings and savages. His battle with Odysseus serves as a test of wit and courage, showcasing the hero's intelligence and ability…

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In What Ways Is the Telemachy Important to the Odyssey as a Whole Essays

In what ways is the Telemachy important to the Odyssey as a whole? What would the poem lose if these first four books were removed? Homer’s the Odyssey is the epic tale of Odysseus’ return home from the battle of Troy, yet we do not truly get to the hero in action until after we are drawn through the story of his son life in the absence of his father in Ithaka. In the first four books, we see how Telemachos, Odysseus’ son, matures and through his eyes Homer shows us the unrest and troubles of…

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Odyssey Hero's Journey

of Katniss Everdeen, Harry Potter, and Luke Skywalker appear to be vastly different, they are actually the same storylines substituted with different characters. Each film follows Joseph Campbell’s guidelines of a monomyth, which describes the hero’s journey in all successful plots. According to Campbell, a hero must first receive a call to adventure, refuse it initially, and then cross a threshold from his or her ordinary world into the special realm. There the protagonist faces several tests, encountering…

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The Odyssey And Joseph Campbell's Monomyth

In around 750 BCE, Homer created one of the greatest works of all time; the Odyssey. Not only did this epic poem set the standard for modern day poets, but also generated a guideline for movies. Joseph Campbell analysed the structure of the Odyssey, and created a monomyth; that consists of 12 stages and 7 archetypes. In most of the popular films, there has been an obvious correlation between their plots and Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, such as in the movie Despicable me. One part of the movie that…

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The Struggle In The Epic Of Gilgamesh

In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the story centers around the hero, Gilgamesh. At first, it seems as if the tyrant king plays the role of the bad guy. He terrorized the towns people and conquered all in his path. He was undefeatable because he was blessed by the gods and partly divine. A troubled hero is quite common in modern culture and media. For example, the superhero known as…

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