By being filled with vigour and an outstanding word selection; the Odyssey sets the mood for many of the adventures allowing the reader to become caught up in the story. In Homers description of the adventure, you feel overcome with curiosity while reading. The plot of the Odyssey consists of the journey taken by the main character Odysseus while returning from the Trojan War. The wanderings are presented by use of flashback points in the poem where they've added meaning or more striking effect which is more dramatic or tightens the plot.

For example the opening scenes show the disorder that has arisen in Odysseus' household during his long absence. A band of suitors is destroying his property as they attempt to steal his wife Penelope. One cannot help but feel the beginning of an adventure whilst Telemachus goes in search of his father and Penelope mourns for her husband. She is a smart character by eluding the suitors of marriage by her weaving.

The focus then shifts to Odysseus himself. The story tells of his ten years of travelling. Odysseus's ships were immediately blown to Thrace by a powerful storm. The expedition had begun. Upon this misfortune, he

Having but one vessel left after the encounter with the Lystragonians, Odysseus sailed his ship to the Island inhabited by Circe. A group of men were sent to explore the island, who were then lured, feasted, and the turned to swine by Circe. Knowing this Odysseus went after her and on his way encountered Hermes who gave him a potion to withstand the spell. The excitement sets in when you ponder whether it is a trick from the G-ds or if this is going to be a turning point for Odysseus' return. Circe tried, and then she failed. Odysseus had then requested for his crew to be turned back to normal. She complied, and eventually housed Odysseus and his shipmates. Homesick and distraught, Odysseus was then advised by Circe to search the underworld for Tiresias, to tell him his fortune, and how to appease Poseidon. Odysseus agreed and made a trip to the underworld, where he discovered many of his dead companions from Troy, most importantly, Tiresias. This section heightens the involvement of the reader and establishes the emotional tone of the hero's narrative which is of compassion and regret. This is initiated when he is reunited with his mother. With his new knowledge, he returned to Circe, which had provided him with just the information he needed to pass the Sirens. Again you wonder if this is a trick, will his journey end here with Odysseus dying with his crew, or will they continue.

Storms then blew his ships to the Lotus-eaters, where the crew was given Lotus fruit from which most lost their entire memories from home. Each stop hightens the tension of the story. Odysseus, and the others who had not tasted the lotus, recovered the sailors by force, and set sail again, to the island of the Cyclops, a race of one-eyed giants.

Later Odysseus and his men arrived at the island of Aeolus, keeper of the winds. There, they stayed for about one month, and departed, in sight of the long-awaited Ithaca. However, before they left, Odysseus was presented with a container of winds. As Ithaca approached, the crew not knowing the contents of the bag, opened it up and released all of the winds, depositing the ships back at the island of Aeolus,

Some common words found in the essay are:
Trojan War, Poseidon Odysseus, Island Helios, Zeus Calypso, Homer Odyssey, G-ds Odysseus', Lystragonians Odysseus, Knowing Odysseus, Charybdis Odysseus, Ogygia Calypso, island aeolus,
Approximate Word count = 1447
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)