Use of Disguises in Homers Odyssey Essay - 986 Words

Use of Disguises in Odyssey The characters use of disguises in Homers Odyssey is a crucial element that helps to catalyze the victory of good over evil. Each disguise is unique, created for a specific purpose. Before she talks to Telemachos, Athena disguises herself as a wise old man in order to ensure that her words carry weight and are taken seriously. She knows that she must assist and encourage Telemachos into searching for his long lost father without revealing her divine nature, so she assumes the guise of Mentor because men were generally given more credibility in those days. In a similar vein, Odysseus disguises himself as a homeless man in order to exude anonymity so that he can safely return to Ithaka where he†¦show more content†¦He is praised by Athena for his ability to quickly devise a false tale. In the Achaian world, intelligence is more highly treasured then a hard working man. Odysseus cleverness makes him godlike and comparable to the immortals, and he even had opportunities to be among the immortals, as exemplified by Kalypsos offer for eternal life and youth. Despite the fact that he is cheating on his wife, an unscrupulous act, Odysseus is still regarded as a great man; glorious and honorable. Contrast to the modern American view of evil, Odysseus blinding of Polyphemus is not an evil act, but rather one that is praised for its cleverness. Odysseus nobody trick has proved to save his life. Although his goal was to survive, Odysseus abandoned his morals of honesty to accomplish the feat. By identifying himself as nobody, he fooled Polyphemus, but he also hid his true identity, which is lying and deceiving. He actually degraded his manhood by disguising himself mentally. Ironically, Odysseus escapes not as a manly warrior, but rather as a sheep. After leaving the cave, he wants to redeem himself and his manhood. Revealing his name to Polyphemus almost cost the crew members their lives, but the fame that Odysseus would obtain from tricking Polyphemus will be everlasting and was worthwhile to him. Showing a lack of good judgement, Odysseus again reveals his position in the water, but luckily, they do escapeShow MoreRelated Use of Disguise in Homer’s Odyssey Essa y2154 Words   |  9 PagesUse of Disguise in Homer’s Odyssey   Ã‚  Ã‚   The difference between a wise and a foolish decision is often found in discerning when to conceal and when to reveal. This discretion in concealing and revealing is a major theme within The Odyssey. There is a proper time to deceive and a proper time to tell the truth; thus, it is crucial that one act accordingly. This importance is exemplified in Odysseus life. When he is discreet in his timing, he achieves his goal. One example of this is the TrojanRead MoreEssay about Use of Disguise in Homers Odyssey1056 Words   |  5 PagesThe Use of Disguise in Odyssey       In Homers Odyssey, the use of disguise to help convey a false identity assists the characters in accomplishing their plans.   Without the use of disguise it would thwart Odyssey’s attempts at arriving back to his homeland. Each disguise has its own individual purpose, for example Athenes image as Mentor to advise Telemachos.   The main intention being to assist and encourage Telemachos into searching for news of his long lost father without revealingRead MoreO Brother, Where Art Thou?: Modern Adaptation of Homers Odyssey1265 Words   |  6 Pagesthe epic poem The Odyssey. The Coen brothers, writers and directors of the film, did not over analyze their representation. â€Å"It just sort of occurred to us after we’d gotten into it somewhat that it was a story about someone going home, and sort of episodic in nature, and it kind of evolved into that,† says Joel Coen in Blood Siblings, â€Å"It’s very loosely and very sort of unseriously based on The Odyssey† (Woods 32). O Brother, Where Art Thou? contains ideas from The Odyssey for the sake of modernizationRead More Disguises in Homers Odyssey Essay954 Words   |  4 PagesDisguises in Homers Odyssey   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Homers Odyssey, disguises help convey a false identity that assist the characters in accomplishing their plans.   Each disguise has its own purpose, such as Athenes image as Mentor to advise Telemachos.   Her purpose was to assist and encourage Telemachos into searching news of his long lost father without revealing her true identity of divinity.   Being old and wise, and especially male, helps put more power behind the words spoken by Mentor because menRead MoreHomer s Odyssey : Power Of Cunning Over Strength910 Words   |  4 Pagessurroundings in order to craft an overall message or theme as a takeaway for their audience. Homer’s epic The Odyssey demonstrates this well. While Homer’s epic depicts Odysseus as a strong and powerful king who has won many wars, it is not his strength that propels him to be able to return to his home. If one were to read between the lines, they would realize that one of Homer’s major themes in The Odysse y compares the power of cunning over strength. The theme unfolds throughout the narrative whenRead MoreEssay on The Importance of Identity in Homers Odyssey1433 Words   |  6 PagesThe Importance of Identity in Homers Odyssey Within the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer presents the story of Odysseuss quest to find his home and his identity. According to Homers account, with its origin in oral tradition, the two quests are interchangeable, as a mortal defines himself with his home, his geographic origin, his ancestors, his offspring, etc. But in addition to this Homer illustrates the other aspect of human identity, shaped by the individual and his actions so that he mayRead MoreEssay on The Odyssey Disguise To Find True Identity1225 Words   |  5 PagesThe Odyssey Disguise To Find True Identity Disguise To Find True Identity The Odyssey is an epic that shapes and defines the roles of many great leaders. These leaders are made up of mortals, alive and dead, and immortals. The trip taken by Odysseus is not only a journey of a war hero back to his homeland, but is a journey in all of the characters lives, which develop a better sense of personal identity and selfhood as the epic goes on. It is the many disguises that each character uses thatRead MoreAn Analysis Of The Odyssey 1251 Words   |  6 PagesMimi Wang Mrs. Kottke Honors 10 English 3/24/16 The Power of Women in The Odyssey Throughout literary history, women are portrayed as mere property or tools of men; however, women can also be shown as people who hold power in Homer’s The Odyssey. Women hold a significant amount of authoritative power over men in both their lives and mindsets, and this can be seen through Circe s powers that are able to manipulate Odysseus and his men, Penelope s tactics to stall marriage and her caution towardRead MoreMetamorphosis In Homers The Metamorphosis979 Words   |  4 Pagesexperienced in the form of disguises, which can be used to serve many different purposes. (Discussion) This idea of metamorphosis is an important aspect of identity in mythological texts. (Thesis) In the Odyssey, Homer uses metamorphosis on the character Athena to help her fulfill her role as a mentor. Ovid’s The Metamorphoses also uses metamorphosis of the characters Io and Callisto to insure their identity as Jupiter’s mistresses. (Essay Map) First, in Homer’s The Odyssey, metamorphosis is usedRead MoreArchetypes In Homers The Odyssey1507 Words   |  7 PagesAncient Greeks’ work consists of monsters, creatures, gods, goddesses, fights, and battles. It shows that Ancient Greeks are very imaginative and creative. Three main archetypes that are used in Homer’s epic ,The Odyssey, each show a different aspect of Ancient Greek culture. The three archetypes are: the hero archetype, the monster archetypes, and the search for love. The hero archetype shows the Ancient Greeks’ love for thrill and adventure; Odysseus goes on many thrilling adventures while on