History 1500 Homer

Rehab Chudhury

HIS 1500

Dr. Ken Grant

November 19, 2017

Essay 3

        Homer is a Greek poet who wrote the Odyssey. Homer is thought to have been blind. Many people tend to find Homer mysterious. Some people don’t know whether he wrote the poem or whether it was a group of people. It is believed that since story telling is a tradition, Homer compiled the stories and then recited them from his memory. Homer was a very different poet compared to Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s work was very repetitive whereas Homer more of an epic. Shakespeare’s work was similar to a refrain or chorus, which suggests a musical element. Many people wondered if Homer if existed at all, which was known as the Homeric Question^[1]. It’s very hard to find the birth date of someone when the calendar wasn’t used then.

        At the time when the Odyssey was heard, it was very popular for storytelling to take place. It was written later on. Homer may have recited The Odyssey to symbolize the journey of life, and to show that the journey is more important than the destination. It was a poem about the nature of heroism, what it means to be a man, the duties of a king, the ideals of a marriage relationship. Homer's epics defined for Greece what their sense of identity was.  It's not just all about Odysseus. Every conversation he has with people, gods, creatures he encounters reveals some of the important ideas, sometimes through similarity to him, sometimes through contrast. For instance, Telemachus and Penelope, and what they think and do. Take a gander at the way the suitors are spoken to. These points of interest indicate something about what is thought of as a "right" approach to live and carry on.

Odysseus is a man who has solid attributes, yet additionally significant character flaws.  Due to his steady battles with his 'interests' and reason he can be classified as an epic hero.  Odysseus has some "great" qualities that make him an epic legend, for example, the accompanying: dauntlessness, brave, and cunning. Odysseus has numerous redeemable qualities, however, what makes Odysseus a more intricate character is the logical inconsistencies in his nature.  Odysseus, as I would like to think, has two noteworthy defects which are intemperate pride and faithfulness.  Odysseus, on account of his pride in his cleverness, uncovers that he blinded Poseidon's child^[2], Polyphemus, and Poseidon looks for his vengeance by making it troublesome for Odysseus and his men to make a trip home to Ithaca. Odysseus is likewise effectively maddened when somebody doubts his power since it harms his pride.  A case of this is when Odysseus requests that his men go to the corridors of Kirke and Eurylokhos challenges him^[3].  Eurylokhos does not have any desire to go to the lobbies because of a paranoid fear of being transformed into a creature, all the more particularly a swine. When Odysseus' summon is tested by Eurylokhos he winds up plainly infuriated.

Odysseus on his voyage shares his desire to come back to Ithaca to see his significant other and son.  Odysseus says he cherishes his better half and needs to see her, yet there are focuses in the story where his dependability to Penelope can be questioned.  One minute in the content where Odysseus appears to waver in his dedication is the point at which he shares the bed of Kirke.  In any case, Hermes reveals to Odysseus that he should not decline Kirke's bed inferring that Odysseus would have if not told otherwise^[4]. Despite the fact that Hermes advised Odysseus to share Kirke's bed, Kirke discloses to Odysseus that he may leave at whatever point he wishes, however, Odysseus remains with her for quite a while.

Odysseus does not have any desire to leave until the point that his men advise him that they need to get home.  It is likewise intriguing to take note of that when Odysseus recounts his significant other the tale of his undertakings that he doesn't say his affairs.  truth be told, he tries to demonstrate Penelope that he was dependable notwithstanding when enticed by these excellent women.

Odysseus is portrayed by numerous who know him to be the most shrewd and astute man they ever knew.  On the grounds that he is related to this craftsmanship this can be viewed as his central arête.  Athena is likewise known for her finesse and duplicity, which is in all probability why Athena helps Odysseus.  She frequently camouflages herself when she addresses Odysseus, however through her trickery talks honestly like Odysseus. Alkinoos^[5], the lord whom Odysseus is recounting the story to, voices his assessment on occasion and remarks on his wit.  He made a remark about Odysseus' mind when Odysseus educates him regarding speaking with the souls of the black market.

The Greek were the intended audience was for the Ancient Greeks of Homer's time, it teaches the lesson of a story of piety, courage, the Gods, and mankind's strengths and failures throughout a journey. In the modern era, the audience is more open. Many people face the same thing that was happening in the Odyssey and are able to relate to it in some way. The Odyssey, is a warning from ancient times that any war will necessitate a major readjustment on the part of the soldier if he is to once again rejoin society. Homer does this in a metaphorical rather than a literal manner but nevertheless the modern relevance is clearly present in the heart of the story.