...Throughout popular literature, heroes share defining qualities and can often be similar. In both the epic poem The Odyssey and the book Cold Mountain the heroes, Odysseus from The Odyssey and Inman from Cold Mountain share qualities that make them similar. The Odyssey is set in Ancient Greek times and the main character Odysseus took a long journey to get home to his wife Penelope. It's a similar case in Cold Mountain for Inman. Inman is a confederate soldier who is jaded of war and longs to be back with his girl, Ada, so took a long journey to his home Cold Mountain where Ada is In both the classics there are common traits, goals, and fates for the two heroes. To begin with in both of the classics there is common traits between the...
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...Throughout Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey and Frazier’s novel Cold Mountain, many similarities are displayed. A few similarities exemplified are the character traits shared between the protagonists, the destination of the journeys, and the motivations for the character’s adventures. Similar character traits are shared between Odysseus and Inman. Odysseus, the protagonist of The Odyssey, is the leader of the Greeks in the Trojan war. Inman, the protagonist of Cold Mountain, is a Confederate soldier during the Civil War. Both Odysseus and Inman share the quality of partaking in a war of some time period. When traveling through their journeys, both of the characters are required to think intelligently when encountering conflicts of supernatural...
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...the truth of your character with the choice of your actions.” This is true in The Odyssey by Homer, because Odysseus’ actions reflected on what kind of person he portrayed. Odysseus and I both exhibit the traits of self-control and loyalty. Odysseus and I both demonstrate the trait of self-control. In The Odyssey, Odysseus showed that he has self-control when he didn’t kill the Cyclops right away. Odysseus and his men waited until the Cyclopes was drunk until they “straight forward sprinted, lifted [the spear], and rammed it deep in [the Cyclop’s] crater eye” (906). This shows self-control because Odysseus could have killed the Cyclops by stabbing his liver, but he didn’t because he knew that they would have no way out of the cave. In addition, Odysseus was tempted into eating the Lotus flower because all of his men were so happy when they ate it. This demonstrates self-control because Odysseus could have eaten the flower, but he knew he wouldn’t have made it back home. On the other hand, I have also shown self-control. When I was shopping with my mother a couple days after...
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...In Homer's the odyssey there is a character named Odysseus. Odysseus goes on an amazing journey and along his way he goes through many things that mold him into an epic hero. Odysseus also proves his heroism through his behavior. During the story Odysseus often presents us with his great intelligence, his superhuman strength, and also his great leadership and bravery. However though Odysseus does not always act like a hero and does immoral things but when the time is right, the true heroic side of him will come out and we will see how heroic Odysseus really is. Odysseus is a true epic hero and has the the personal characteristics to prove it. Throughout the Odyssey Odysseus presents us with examples of his superhuman strength. That is characteristic...
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...Odysseus, Where Art Thou CS HUM/102 January 21, 2014 Professor Michael Downs There is an interesting event that takes place in works of art that we enjoy, and that is how something that we enjoy today can be based on something else from many years ago. Take the epic poem “The Odyssey” and the film “O Brother Where Art Thou”; the plot of this film is based loosely on the plight of Odysseus in “The Odyssey” Let us begin with the main characters of these two works. The Odyssey has Odysseus and O Brother Where Art Thou has Ulysses. Both appear to be natural born leaders with an outstanding wit and the capability to talk themselves in and out of trouble. Both Odysseus and Ulysses have great pride and confidence which seems to be a constant catalyst for their troubles. These two men obtain the faith of their men easily and both seem to drag their companions down into the dirt with themselves. Ulysses and Odysseus both seem to care a great deal about their men and both attempt to spare their men as much grief as either of them can given the circumstances they put themselves into. The stories of Ulysses and Odysseus are about the troubles and adventures that they face trying to make it back to the women that they love. There is another similarity between these two stories. The main woman of Odysseus’ heart is his wife Penelope, while Penny is the holder of Ulysses’ heart. Both of these women also never seem to lose their love for their husbands while these...
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...In Homer’s the Odyssey, a man named Odysseus spends years and years trying to get home to his family. On his long journey, he encounters a number of different situations that test his true character. The reader finds out who Odysseus really is based on the situations he is put in and how he chooses to handle these situations. From being stuck on an Island with Calypso, a nymph goddess, to almost being eaten by a vicious cyclops, to seeing his wife for the first time in 20 years, Odysseus stays true to his character. Throughout the epic, Odysseus shows constant signs of bravery, leadership, intelligence, cleverness, and wholehearted faithfulness, and these things are what makes him such an admirable character. Bravery and leadership go hand in hand because bravery is a trait that all good leaders have. Odysseus showed amazing bravery and leadership skills throughout the Odyssey. One place where Odysseus’s bravery and leadership are revealed the most is when Odysseus and his men encounter Poseidon’s Cyclops son, Polyphemus. Odysseus used his leadership skills and bravery to help his men escape the wrath of Polyphemus while...
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...Cassandra Jackson Humanities Dr. Mathew Roberts August 15, 2013 The Comparison of Qualities of the Protagonist in Odyssey by Homer and Medea by Euripedes The comparison of Medea by Euripedes and Odyssey by Homer show many similarities as well as differences. Let’s begin with the character of Medea. After reading Medea by Euripedes the character of Medea shows that she was a barbarian by nature, and she was considered a foreigner. Medea states that “I am the mother of your children, wither can I fly, since all Greece hates the barbarian ( www.theatre history.com). Medea tells this to Jason after the king tells her she must leave his kingdom. She was a beautiful intelligent woman, but she was a woman scorned. She displayed a woman who could not accept rejection, or by no means could she forgive. Medea was a mother, a lover a wife. She also was a loyal person. She displayed this by no matter what it took to help Jason, she took all necessary steps to fulfill her wishes so that she would be able to be with him. You ask yourself was Medea this way before Jason, yes I believe she was. This goes back to the fact that she really was a barbarian in a foreign land. In this story I came to the conclusion that Medea actions showed a woman who was truly mad. She was not aware of the cruel and barbaric actions she took out on people she knew and love. I felt this...
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...In the epic poem,“The Odyssey,”written by Homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald the main character Odysseus is on his way home and is faced by a numerous amount of challenges, Odysseus uses his leadership skills, cunning and fearless personality to return home safely. Leadership is one of the character traits that helped Odysseus get home. Odysseus employs his leadership skills when he motivates his crew to row past Scylla, a monster with 6 heads, and Charybdis, a whirlpool, he does this in the excerpt“Well I walked up and down bow to stern trying to put heart into them,”(Fitzgerald, 510). To get home Odysseus must cross Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus again shows his leadership ability when he avoids Charybdis knowing the whirlpool will...
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...In Homer’s The Odyssey, the author tells us of a magnificent story of lust, deceit, greed, and heroism. The Odyssey is a display of a journey of determination, willpower, patience, and virtue. The author tells the tale of Odysseus, on his voyage home to Ithaka. This is happening after the end of the Trojan War. Odysseus, the main character, goes through a series of many unforeseen trials and tribulations in this exemplary journey. This exemplifies his character and displays him as a hero in the eyes of the audience. During these different happenings, Odysseus makes decisions that do not correspond to his character. Odysseus is displayed as not only a hero but also as a good leader to his men. Throughout all their trials such as the Sirens, Polyphemus (the cyclops), and the enchantress Circe, Odysseus is displayed as clever, patient, cunning, and fearless. Odysseus made decisions not only for himself but also for his men as well. For example, he did not leave his men on the island of the Lotus Eaters when they clearly had no desire to go back to Ithaca; he knotted them onto the boat and left the island. He was determined to get home with as many of his men as he possibly could, though they repeatedly disobeyed him. Odysseus is one of history's greatest leaders and this is a vital part of what makes him such an epic hero Another characteristic that stand out and makes Odysseus a hero is his ability to overcome his obstacles in order to reach his goal. Odysseus is faced by many...
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...The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer telling the story of the King of Ithaca. Odysseus displays the traits of a true hero; strength, nobility, confidence, courage, and the love of glory. He gains fame through his journeys, victories and skill. As with all Homer created heroes, Odysseus possesses pride which causes him to do very unwise things. The Iliad is another epic poem written by Homer entertaining us with a story about Achilles. Achilles was the greatest warrior in the Achaean army. The most significant flaw of Achilles is his excessive pride. He is willing to subvert the good of the whole army and to endanger the lives of those who are closest to him to achieve emotional blackmail. The plot of the Odyssey is Odysseus’ 10 year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus battles mythical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus fight off suitors or fakers trying to steal Penelope's hand from Odysseus and Ithaca's throne long enough for Odysseus to return. The Odyssey ends with Odysseus winning a contest to prove his identity, killing the suitors, and retaking the throne of Ithaca for himself. The plot of the Iliad is about the final year of the Trojan War, a conflict in which Greek warriors sailed the Aegean (Turkey) and surrounded the fortress of Troy for ten years, three millennia ago. The plot also includes the greek hero...
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...story like no other. The epic poem The Odyssey by Homer and the film The Wizard of Oz by Victor Fleming, both focus on a heroic main character struggling to get home. The Wizard of Oz presents Dorothy Gale as the savior for her new friends and local residents of Oz. The Odyssey does the same, illustrating Odysseus as the savior for his crew, as well as his family in Ithaca. Dorothy and Odysseus share many different character traits that depict heroism, however, they have many different approaches to achieving their goal of going home. Dorothy and Odysseus share some similarities of heroism. For example, they both are depicted as brave, loyal, and determined. Dorothy is brave because she stands up...
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...work of Homer, and constructs parallel situations from The Odyssey, in order to show the differences between Roman characteristics and Greek characteristics. The main character of each book, Aeneas from The Aeneid, and Odysseus from The Odyssey, both represent the...
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...The Odyssey- Book Vs. Movie Introduction After reading the Odyssey and watching the movie, I have noticed many differences between the two. Whether there are scenes skipped, added, re-modified, or they stay the same to one another, both the book and movie of The Odyssey share the same story. Similairities Character personality traits and conflicts are very similar between the book and movie of the Odyssey. For example, Odysseus's character is very much the same in the book and movie because he is very smart and witty in battles. He also has a problem with women along his journey back home. Penelope is another character that is very similar in the book and movie. She is very emotionally strong and patient in how she waits twenty years for Odysseus to return and had faith that he was still alive. There are also similarities between the conflicts in the movie and book. Odysseus still faces Scylla and Charybdis in his long journey home and how Penelope's internal feeling of Odysseus being gone for so long is the same. Comparing the book and the movie of the Odyssey, there are many new scenes added in the movie or scenes that were completely cut out or changed. One of the scenes in the text that was changed in the movie is the Lotus Eaters scene. In the text, Odysseus and his men went to an island with Lotus Eaters while in the movie, the lotus blossoms were given by Circe. Which made him and his men stay longer with Circe for five years. That is also different from...
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...Throughout the history of human existence, scholars have wondered what characteristics found in ancient literature exemplified in their corresponding ancient societies and how these classical works influenced said cultures. One way to answer these questions is to look at famous literary works and the epic heroes that comprise them. Characteristics of epic heroes such as those found in Beowulf, Gilgamesh, the Iliad, and the Odyssey often reflected traits that were seen as favorable within the societies in which they were written, which, in turn, led to these archetypal heroes greatly impacting surrounding societies. When comparing and contrasting epic heroes such as Beowulf, Gilgamesh, Hector, Achilles, and Odysseus, it becomes evident that...
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...work a feeling of transcendetality. Two great authors from the Western civilization that take part of a modern literary culture that is characterized for its epic stories and epic characters that follow along the definition of an epic hero. An epic hero is a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. Dante’s Aligheri’s Inferno and Homer’s The Odyssey respectively have two characters that fulfill what is like to be recognized as a brave and noble character. Throughout both poems, we can see how each character has unique qualities that make them outstand and set them up as a leader, but at the same time, they have the flaws of any human being. It is clear when a character overcomes the status of any human being and sets the lead as a hero. An important trait of an epic hero is the fact that starts a journey; it may be of a personal matter, such as Dante, or of societal matter, like Odysseus. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is a war hero travelling home after a period of twenty years. In this epic, Odysseus is brought out as a hero with superhuman courage. In most cases, he has been shown fighting with supernatural forces. One characteristic of this journey that is different from Dante is that the hero in this epic fights against external forces. Odysseus faces many challenges while traveling home. To begin with, he is cast on an island that is surrounded by waters. Some situations appear to have no immediate solution as one is...
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