temptations of Odysseus

A detailed Summary of temptations of Odysseus

Odysseus: a hero in every way. He is a real man, skilled in the sports, handy with a sword and spear, and a master of war strategy. Most of the challenges and adventures in his return voyage from Troy show us this even if we had no idea of his great heroic stature and accomplishments in the Trojan war. I found in my reading of the Odyssey that most of the trials the gods place upon him are readily faced with heroic means. These challenges are not

necessarily welcomed by Odysseus but accepted as part of his role. He is the hero, its his lot to wield sword and shield and bravely face the next army or monster. Then we begin to see more of the challenges do not require our hero to fight his way out. These threats are the most difficult problems for Odysseus to overcome. The tests like the isle of the lotus eaters, Circe's island, and Calypso's island were the hardest challenges for Odysseus. His encounter with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the Laestrygonians, Charybdis and Scyylla, and the kingdom of the dead: these dangers were on his level, heroic battles where he could fight valiantly and if it was his fate, die valiantly. The challenges where heroic means were not a solution to overcome the danger w

offered him immortality and eternal youth, if only he would stay with her forever. However our hero struggles on and now after many years of hardship he never loses the sight of his wife Penelope, his family, and his people in Ithaca. For him to really be the hero he must return home no matter how long it takes. Here faced with something so tempting, immortality and eternal

not have fought the suitors and proved himself . The act of returning was always the ultimate goal for Odysseus and the temptations of happiness, beauty, immortality, and eternal youth were much harder for him to pass up every time he had to put his life on the line and fight an army or evade a monster. He could have given in to any of the temptations at any time and never had to

youth, he withstands and mourns for home. So he endures and longs for home until time ran its course and the gods decreed that it was time for him to return. If Odysseus had given in to Calypso or any other of his temptations on the homeward voyage, however, that would be the a fate worse than death for a hero. He wouldn't have made it home to reclaim what was his. He would never see his loving wife again or ever see his son. If he couldn't ever get back then there would have been no reason to ever leave. All of his heroic deed would have been in vain and no one would have even remembered him. He could

Odysseus rushes off to save his men. On his way, he meets up with the god Hermes. Hermes helps him out and gives him a plan to help save his men. So our hero is saved by the god Hermes from a horrible fate. Still Odysseus is not content to sail on and leave the goddess behind (Odyssey 10:269-532). Here Odysseus lost sight of his goal, thinking he was in full control of the situation. Only after a full year has past does he even ask Circe to help them on their way and only at the urging of his crew. He forgets that it was only by the gods help that he was able to triumph over Circe. There was no other way he could have survived her magic. In a sense he is beat by her because he forgets his voyage home and wastes a year in tarring there. By forgetting the voyage he denies himself, a hero, and forgets his family and subjects in Ithaca. Exactly the same threat that the lotus eaters posed to Odysseus and his men. The

Some common words found in the essay are:
Odysseus Odysseus, Charybdis Scyylla, Odysseus Calypso, Hermes Hermes, Ithaca Exactly, Odysseus Dying, Unfortunately Circe, lotus eaters, odysseus crew, lotus flower, immortality eternal, eternal youth, immortality eternal youth, isle lotus eaters, circe's island, returning home, isle lotus, threat lotus, threat lotus eaters, heroic means,

Approximate Word count = 1553
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English