Writing Assigment Wk 3 - Assignment Example

1. Odysseus is a character of contradictions, and often has a significant amount of problems getting his contradictions to play themselves out. Oneof the major conflicts in his character is the desire to return home, and do anything he can to achieve this, versus the desire to win renown and glory for himself. Usually the impulse to win renown and glory get him into trouble whereas the his intentions to get home help him along his way. One of the great examples of this comes from later in our readings, in book 9, where Odysseus is able to outwit the Cyclops by claiming to be “nobody” but eventually angers Poseidon by blinding his son and then declaring that he is “not nobody, [but] Odysseus, son of Laertes, King of Ithica” (Book 9).

He would have been much better off simply sailing away without announcing his name, but needed to achieve glory.2. The above decision probably was one of the worst ones that Odysseus made, because it foolishly prolongs his journey for absolutely no reason. His pride and hubris get in the way of his better judgment, and he continues to bait his enemies. It is understandable in the historical context, as a desire for glory was something that should have been at the heart of any Greek hero, but there are many times that Odysseus lets this impulse go a little bit too far, even for the Greeks, which is shown by Homer’s choice to punish the hero for his overly prideful attitude in that situation.3. Odysseus’s main enemy is the God of the Ocean and the Seas, Poseidon.

The grudge emerged from Odysseus failing to provide a sacrifice for Poseidon after the god helped him sneak into Troy without being detected through the Trojan Horse (Book 5). This probably could have been averted had Odysseus been a little more respectful and a little less foolhardy. Poseidon supported the Greeks against the Trojans, so presumably would have been rather pre-disposed towards Odysseus (actually, definitely was positively predisposed towards him as he helped him enter Troy!) and it was only Odysseus’s lack of respect that got them into conflict with each other.

The story mentioned above about Odysseus calling out his name to the Cyclops adds insult to injury, making Poseidon hate him even more, which was avoidable.4. Odysseus is a true hero, but in a different way than many heroes are portrayed today. Aragorn, a hero from the Lord of the Rings books and films, is a prime example of a modern hero, who has estimable personal qualities (such as being brave, strong and valorous in combat) but also has a higher mission – to help save the world even if he has to sacrifice himself (he even says he will sacrifice himself to save Frodo on several occasions).

Odysseus, however, does not fit the same mold, as though he has many qualities that are good, for instance being incredibly brave and cunning, his quest is essentially a personal one, and he shows little impetus to self sacrifice, being the only member of his crew who is actually able to make it back to Ithaca. 5. I prefer the second readings because the opening of the text, in media res, can be somewhat confusing, especially if you have not grounded yourself by reading The Illiad first. This beginning definitely makes sense in the context in which Homer was writing, because this would have been a well known story and he had already produced The Illiad first, and part of the enjoyment came from seeing the familiar story unfold in a novel way, however I believe that for a modern audience this can be a bit distracting and disorienting.

Works CitedHomer. The Odyssey of Homer,. Trans. Samuel Butler. New York: Pub. for the Classics Club by W.J. Black, 1944. Print.