The Odyssey As A Hero Journey - 1555 Words

Heroes, as shown in literature, often undertake the most difficult tasks and place themselves in mortal danger in order to bring back, for themselves and their societies, both knowledge and treasure. Their stories follow â€Å"Hero Journey.† The Odyssey, as the epic story of the hero Odysseus, follows closely the complete cycle of a Hero Journey, both as a physical and as a psychological undertaking. The Hero Journey, used as a framework for both Odysseus’ physical and mental journeys, serves to bind the two together. Each of Odysseus’s physical difficulties can be viewed as a metaphor for a psychological hardship that he must overcome, and by overcoming these hardships, Odysseus matures—achieving a more complete understanding of himself and†¦show more content†¦For one month Odysseus refuses to leave his safe home on Ithaca. We are not told of the rationale behind his final decision to join the war; however, we must assume that he believes he wil l be successful, returning home with many spoils of war. His decision to leave Ithaca cannot be merely an external one: he is a young king, and while he rules his land with great strength, he is inexperienced (he does not wish to go off to battle (Book 24, ll. 126-128)). In part, his reasons for initiating his journey must include the experience and maturity he will gain fighting the Trojans. We can take the initial threshold Odysseus must cross to be the Trojan War itself. The war represents a first step for Odysseus—after all, while it is his trickery that eventually wins the war for the Achaeans (it was his idea to build the large wooden horse in which the Achean army hid and from which they successfully sacked Troy (Book 4, ll. 304-306)), we are introduced to Odysseus as â€Å"the man of twists and turns† (Book 1, l. 1). Cunning is a trait he already possesses: It cannot be the object of his journey; it merely starts him off. Yet he must initially survive the battle, and his survival proves his capacity to undertake the journey (though he may already be capable of the journey, this capacity must be shown to us in some way, hence the war). The second stage in the Hero Journey is the most visible—the trials that must beShow MoreRelatedOdyssey: the Journey of a Hero Essay1907 Words   |  8 PagesOdyssey: The Journey of a Hero The Heros Journey is never an easy one. This particular journey, as detailed in Homers The Odyssey, is one of struggle, loss, heartache, pain, growth and triumph. It is comprised of many steps that Odysseus has to overcome and battle through in order to achieve his final goal of reaching his home and his loved ones. From the Call to Adventure to the Freedom or Gift of living, Odysseus conquered them all. 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The Odyssey shows archetypes that also reveal this culture. Three archetypes found are monsters, loyalty, and a hero, which shows the ancient Greek culture for modern readers. Skull crushing and blood thirstyRead MoreLiterary Criticism Of The Odyssey1604 Words   |  7 PagesAssessment Task 1: Essay on The Odyssey The Odyssey by Homer was written during around 700 B.C and it is the second-oldest extant work of Western literature. The Odyssey is an epic poem and can be understood through the lens of archetypal criticism which explores themes that are based on heroism and the protagonist Odysseus is an epic hero who undergoes a ten-year journey to return to Ithaca. Northrop Frye explains the value of archetypal literary criticism in helping modern readers appreciate the