Reading reflection on Homer’s Odysy
Contents
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Introduction to the essay
2.0 Homer, the author
2.1Arguments and rearch on the identity of Homer
2.1.1 The name “Homer” and its meaning
2.1.2 Homer’s occupation
2.2Works attributed to Homer
2.3The concept of Homer’s epic poetries
2.4Homeric dialect
2.5 The historical value of Homer’s epic poetries
3.0 Synopsis
3.1 Background
3.2 Odysus, the hero
3.3 Structure
3.4 The hero’s journey
3.4.1 Ordinary world
3.4.2 Call to adventure
3.4.3 Ideological struggle
3.4.4Mentor
3.4.5 Tribulation
3.4.6 Revenge
3.4.7 Return with the Elixir and reward
4.0 Evaluation and impact of the work
4.1 Evaluation from famous people
4.2 Impact on future literature
5.0 Reading reflections about Odysy
3.1 Themes of Odysy
3.2 Concepts that elucidate from the work
3.3 Appealing for reading
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Introduction to the essay
Epic, according wikipedia’s description, is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a rious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Bad on oral poetry, epics have been written down at least since the works of Virgil, Dante Alighieri, and John Milton, Beowulf is one of the mostly well-known pieces. In this essay, another famous epic will be the center that discusd, and that is Homer’s Odysy.
2.0 Homer, the author
2.1Arguments and rearch on the identity of Homer
2.1.1 The name “Homer” and its meaning
Although “Homer” is a Greek name, attested in Aeolic-speaking areas, nothing definite is known of him. The poet's name is homophonous with ὅμηρος(hómēros), meaning, generally, "hostage" (or "surety"), long understood as "he who accompanies; he who is forced to follow", or, in some dialects, "blind". 2.1.2 Homer’s occupation
The Ancient Lives depict Homer as a wandering minstrel, much like Thamyris or Hesiod, who walked as far as Chalkis to sing at the funeral games of Amphidams. We are given the image of a "blind, be
gging singer who hangs around with little people: shoemakers, fisherman, potters, sailors, elderly men in the gathering places of harbour tolwns". Scholars are divided as to which category, if any, the court singer or the wandering minstrel, the historic "Homer" belonged.
2.2Works attributed to Homer
It is wildly recognized that Odysy and Iliad are traditionally ascribed to Homer. In spite of Iliad and Odysy, some epics are said belonging to him. However, this point of view hasn’t been identified. According Aristotle’s own perspective, th ere’s still two extant works which are created by Homer, meaning a satiric poetry and Batrachomyomachi (Greek, which means the battle between frog and mice). 2.3The concept of Homer’s epic poetries
Homer’s epics include Iliad and Odysy, which are both said to be Homer’s work. The themes of two epics focus on singing the prai of the heroes in clan society. The keynote of Iliad regards war as a justifiable and glorious event. Simultaneously, the poetry describes the cruelty of war vaguely. In this degree, Iliad denounced the negative effect on which may have to the innocent social class.
2.4Homeric dialect
The language ud by Homer is an archaic version of Ionic Greek, with admixtures from certain other dialects, such as Aeolic Greek. It later rved as the basis of Epic Greek, the language of epic poetry, typically in dactylic hexameter. 2.5 The historical value of Homer’s epic poetries
In one aspect, the homer’s epic poetries are bad on the resounds of the verbal literature. Thus, the original characters have been prerved well, and which are embodied especially in the authenticity of ancient culture. Tho two giant works also become strong proofs about the highly prosperous culture around the Mediterranean district.
Homer’s epic poetries are amo ng the best literatures that have in early European history. Iliad and Odysy have been proved to be the primary sources to study the life that people have in prehistory time.
On the hand of the creative arts that have in both two tremendous work, romanticism and realism have been found ud. Though Greek mythology occupies large space in the poetries, the portrayals of crucial war are true reflection of people’s lives. Meantime, the highly general facts are expresd by the vivid characterization as well as the revealing of the inner world of the figures.
Homer’s epic poetries give readers great artistic treats. Furthermore, it is undoubtedly a milestone th
at will erect forever in the history of the world’s literature.
3.0 Synopsis
3.1 Background
Iliad, as the prelude of Odysy, starts its story after the ninth year of the Trojan War.
The Odysy begins ten years after the end of the ten-year Trojan War. For the sake of Odysy has stabbed Polypheme’s eyes who farther is Poidon, the god of the a, Odysus has been delayed by Poidon’s censure and still not returned home from the war. Odysus' son Telemachus is twenty and is sharing his abnt father’s hou on the island of Ithaca with his mother Penelope and a crowd of 108 boisterous young men, "the Suitors", who aim is to persuade Penelope to marry one of them, all the while enjoying the hospitality of Odysus' houhold and eating up his wealth.
3.2 Odysus, the hero
3.2.1 Parentage and name
As to the parentage, according to Odysy, his father is Laertes and his mother is Anticleia, although there was a non-Homeric tradition that Sisyphus was his true father.
The name Odysus is derived from the verb oussomai, which means “to be wroth against”. He is also known as Ulyss in Latin.
3.2.2 Characters of Odysus
Odysus is one of the first Greek mythic heroes renowned for his brain as well as his muscles. Indeed he is a man with inquiring mind, and he is also a man with outstanding prowess and bravery.
In the Iliad, Odysus was one of the most influential Greek champions during the Trojan War. Odysus is frequently viewed as a man of the mean, renowned for his lf-restraint and diplomatic skills.
3.3 Structure
In the perspective of writing structure, the first 13 volumes focus on the ten years of suffering that Odysus had had. The story starts from the discussion that gods have on MountOlympus about his fate. The gods of Olympus decided to t Odysus free to home. For the sake of their will, Calypso,
the a nymph, relead him after having delayed Odysus for 7 years. In the last 11 volumes, Odysus returned back to home, and with the help of his son, Telemachus, he killed the suitors.
3.4 The hero’s journey
3.4.1 Ordinary world
To Odysus in the Odysy, our hero’s ordin ary world could not be equivalent with the world we live in. for this book and the tale of Odysus, his ordinary world refers to his living on the island of Ogygia. For the delays by goddess calypso, his journey begins from ending his 7-years life in Ogygia.
3.4.2 Call to adventure
Odysus’ call to adventure takes place while he is still in his ordinary world. Hermes travels from Mt.Olympus with the declaration of Zeus that Odysus must to
be t free from her detainment. Thus, Odysus is at liberty to finally leave her. So, with this reason, he for a time refus her statement that he is emancipated from Ogygia.
3.4.3 Ideological struggle
After being told about the fate, Odysus acted like he didn’t trust calypso’s devious mind and suspected her of hatching some trick against him.
3.4.4Mentor
Passing through the Odysy, Pallas Athena is his mentor for the trip. She prompts him to have the courage to be able to act in many situations, she knows all and often us this omnipotence to aid Odysus, and she is the one who also aids his son, Telemachus, first by providing the impetus for him to arch for news of his father around Achaea. Throughout Odysy, Athena plays a major role in the events that occur.
3.4.5 Allies and enemies
As he begins his journey, Odysus travels safely for many days, however the immortal cur bestowed upon him by the relentless and unforgiving Poidon, god of the as and earthquakes, is yet to befall him. After dealing with so many sufferings, Odysus finally escaped from the a and got to an island. This is the island of the Phaecians, and after meeting the King of the peoples' daughter, Naussica, he is welcomed by King Alcinous and Queen Arete. He finally reaches Ithaca with the great oarsmen rowing him on in their own ship, and finds that hefaces another challenge
on coming home, perhaps even more trying than all the previous perils that he has faced outside of Ithaca, sailing around the great and mighty as.
3.4.6 Revenge
After returning back to Ithaca, Odysus should first face the suitors. With the help of Telemachus, he kills the suitors and wreaks his ultimate revenge.
3.4.7 Return with the Elixir and reward
Odysus’ reward is winning back his place of power and being able to be with his wife, his son and his father again. The return with the elixir is when Odysus and his loyal friends finally defeat his last threat to their survival, and peace is wrought over the entire place of Ithaca by Athena and the rest of the immortal gods up on high.
4.0 Evaluation and impact of the work
4.1 Evaluation from famous people
Aristotle remarks in his Poetics that Homer was unique among the poets of his time, focusing on a single unified theme or action in the epic cycle.
“They still give us aesthetic pleasure and ar e in certain respects regarded as
a standard and unattainable ideal.” By Karl Marx
4.2 Impact on future literature
Published sometime between 800 and 600 BC, the Odysy is, along with the Iliad, one of the best known, and most stupendously awesome, works of ancient literature. In this category, Virgil’s epic poem the Aeneid; Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem
“Ulyss”; James Joyce’s novel, Ulyss; countless paintings; Cream’s song “Tales of Brave Ulyss”; the Cohen Brothers’ movie O brother, Where Art Thou?--And the list still goes on.
5.0 Reading reflections about Odysy
5.1Concepts that elucidate from the work
5.1.1 Family value
Home, as the purpo for Odysus’ hard journey, family values were written as the core concepts t
hat people have in Homer’s period. Crucial wars, Penelope’s celibacy, even Poidon’s revenge were the most direct proofs.
5.1.2 Heroism
In Odysy, Odysus is written as a great hero who resists the unfortunate fate. From Iliad to Odysy, heroism is throughout the two works. In the context of slavery, tangled warfare happened from one city-state to the other. As a conquence, hero became a major role in the history of that period. Despite of numerous respects that was given to the heroes,
5.1.2. Love
Home, as the purpo for O dysus’ hard journey, family values were written as the core concepts that people have in Homer’s period. Crucial wars, Penelope’s celibacy, even Poidon’s revenge were the most direct proofs.
5.1.3 Human life
Human life which I would like to sort as the following aspects: Fidelity, in my own perspective, readers can find pure fidelity from Odysus’ family, meaning Telemachus’ will to find his father and t
he celibacy Penelope have. With no regard of all the suitors, Penelope lived all by herlf undivided loyally. Meanwhile, Telemachus still has the faith about his father’s coming back.
Slavery, bad on the moral of salve society, conquest and enslavement would be the theme that always existed. Not only did enslavement appeared during the Trojan war, but also can be proved as all the suitors ended their life by being killed.
5.1.4 Portrayals of women characters
Women in Roman times are considered to have little status and dominated by the man at the time. It is therefore noticeable that Homer’s Odysy has prented us with a different perspective of what we have learnt before, women in the Odysy is not merely prented as meek, humble and therefore blended into the background, but strong, powerful and wi.
For instance, as a mentor of this journey, Athena showed hers great intelligence and power which was not only showed by the help she gave to Odysus, but more could be en according to her influence to the goddess in Mt.Olympus. In this way, we can infer that in the book Odysy, small changes about people’s view have been taken unobtrusively. Odysy exhibited an entirely different way for the world to regard females.
5.2 Appealing for reading
Homer’s epic poetry, the Odysy was giant genius work that still sparking in the history of literature. As a student majored in English, reading something about the classic Greek culture is of greatly necessity. In modern English, allusions
