Comparing The Iliad And The Odyssey - 905 Words

This short essay will identify five traditional epic characteristics that are evident in both the Iliad and the Odyssey. The first epic characteristic evident in both epics is catalogs and genealogies. For instance, Book VIII of the Odyssey features a list of participants in the game (115-125) and the Iliad Book II features a catalog of ships (484-759). Secondly, both epics start in media res. The Odyssey starts ten years after the Trojan War and the Illiad starts nine years after the start of the war. Thirdly, the Muses are prayed to for inspiration to tell the story, which can be observed in the Iliad Book I (1-9) and in the Odyssey Book I (1-31). Fourthly, the main characters also give long formal speeches. For instance, in Book XI of the Iliad, Hector rallies his men with a long speech after Agamemnon is carried off the field (248-291). Similarly, there are extended speeches between Telemachus and the suitors, which compile Book II of the Odyssey. Finally, there is intervention of â€Å"gods† or machinery in both epics. For Odysseus , Poseidon’s divine intervention kept him from returning home for several years. Similarly, one of many examples of divine intervention exists fairly in the beginning of the Iliad, when Apollo responds to Chryses’ appeal to strike the Greek armies with plague. In conclusion, five traditional epic characteristics that are evident in both the Iliad and the Odyssey have been identified in the paragraphs above. 2. Scholars claim HomericShow MoreRelatedComparing The Iliad And The Odyssey2006 Words   |  9 Pageshistory came down from the epics, and this would shape the tradition from which later Greek historians would draw. Homer’s Trojan War, and the heroes that populated the narrative were considered to be true events and historical figures. The Iliad and The Odyssey, recorded long after the events supposedly occurred, also gave rise to the perception that the past was divided into two parts: a heroic age of the gods and heroes and a post-heroic age of men. Because the age of heroes was defined by theRead More A Comparison of Homeric Formalism in The Iliad and The Odyssey1339 Words   |  6 PagesHomeric Formalism in The Iliad and The Odyssey Much that is terrible takes place in the Homeric poems, but it seldom takes place wordlessly... no speech is so filled with anger or scorn that the particles which express logical and grammatical connections are lacking or out of place. (from Odysseus Scar by Erich Auerbach)    In his immaculately detailed study comparing the narrative styles of Homer to those of the Bible, Erich Auerbach hits upon one of the most notable intriguesRead MoreOdysseus Character as Genuine Hero Essay examples871 Words   |  4 Pagestrouble. Odysseus made a remarkable realization when he rejected Calypso’s proposal to become immortal. She wanted to lay with him and keep Odysseus on her island for herself. Odysseus declined Calypsos offer without even the slightest hesitation, comparing his wife Penelope to Calypso, â€Å"I am quite aware that my wife Penelope is nothing like so tall or so beautiful as yourself. She is only a woman, whereas you are an immortal.† (Homer 62) Calypso’s desire for Odysseus forced her to speak words to frightenRead MoreThe Iliad And The Odyssey1599 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Iliad and The Odyssey, Homer has different portrayals of the roles that women play in each epic. These differences are so striking that some readers have even argued that there is a possibility that a woman could have created The Odyssey, modeled after Homer’s Iliad. In The Iliad we see women represented as war prizes and slaves, vulnerabilities to men, and in positions of limited power. In T he Odyssey however, we see women capturing men and keeping them as prizes, rising from a status ofRead MoreOdysseus Vs Achilles : Brain Or Body?866 Words   |  4 Pagesabandoned in the next. These shifts reflect what the people of that particular time period decided was important, as seen when comparing and contrasting Homer’s epics The Iliad and The Odyssey. In The Iliad, might is right, and physical strength—and sometimes even mindless brutality—is viewed as the most important and noble trait a person can possess. In The Odyssey, however, cunning, wits, and contemplation become what the people value most. Odysseus’s ability to think rationally and use a wellRead MoreGreek Mythology And The Mythology850 Words   |  4 PagesHomer’s epics, Iliad and The Odyssey, which seem to have existed at least 700 years prior to when Roman civilization even began (Greek vs Roman). Before these epics were written, Greek myths were passed along through spo ken word. Also, when comparing and contrasting the Roman epic Aeneid to Homer’s Iliad and The Odyssey one will notice how similar they are. They both follow the story of the Trojan War. Aeneid follows the life of Aeneas, a trojan on his way to Italy(The Aeneid: Summaries); Iliad covers theRead MoreEssay on Was Troy The Movie Accurate According To Homer?1791 Words   |  8 PagesHomer? Did the movie Troy, released in 2004, accurately depict the story of Homers epic poems the Iliad and the Odyssey, and was it a good movie from a critical point of view? I think it was a good movie from an entertainment standpoint, but it fell short in its comparison to Homers epics. As a fan of epic movies, I have watched the movie Troy a couple of times. In comparing the movie to the epic, there are various discrepancies between the two. First Ill address the overallRead MoreThe Aeneid Is A Latin Epic Poem Written By Virgil1163 Words   |  5 Pagesof Aenes, a Trojan who traveled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the romans. The Iliad is an ancient Greek epic poem written by Homer. Both the Aeneid and the Iliad are both the same and different at the same time. The Iliad and the Aeneid are both masterworks in epic poetry. Not only do they summon destiny and martial duty, but also heroism. They are both fixated around the Trojan War. In the Iliad it focuses mainly on the end of the Trojan War and the war’s critical power. In the AeneidRead MoreGreek Epic Narrative : The Iliad, The Odyssey And The Argonautica3638 Words   |  15 PagesWomen in Greek Epic Narrative: In the Iliad, the Odyssey and the Argonautica By Laurence Crooks The Iliad, the Odyssey and the Arognautica would suffer without the depth of character created by their leading women. Each epic hosts a new and interesting woman who makes a place for herself in the complex narratives. Helen survives as a woman who knows her place, in history, the narrative, and the events leading up to the war and acknowledges all of these when other charactersRead MoreTroy vs. the Iliad Essay1398 Words   |  6 PagesOver the thousands of years that the epic story the Iliad has survived, there has no doubt been some form of alteration to Homers original. Last May, Wolfgang Petersen directed a movie based on the Iliad. This movie, Troy, has proven to be a very loose adaptation of Homers original, as are almost all stories that are made into movies, unfortunately. With its timeless storyline, amazing scenery, gorgeous actors/actresses and most of all, its reported two hundred million dollar budget, it is easy