In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus portrays the perfect Homeric hero in possessing all the defining traits of an admirable hero and leader. ... The Odyssey continues to exemplify his heroic traits in the epic of his homecoming. ... By his unnecessary taunts, Odysseus flaws his heroic character through excessive pride, whose consequences are manifested throughout the epic. ... Odysseus" heroism transcends time, fulfilling both the heroic ideals of Homeric ideology as well as modern day definitions of a heroic character. ... However, this is only an addition to the admirable character he a...

• Word Count: 885
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

"A man paints with his brains and not with his hands" - Michelangelo While the famous artist Michelangelo might have been employing the word "paint" literally when he crafted this quote, when taken in a more abstract sense, the words of wisdom echo a theme developed hundreds of years earlier and immortalized in The Odyssey - the idea that prowess of the mind is far superior to that of the body (or its impulses). Throughout the text, The Odyssey presents a dichotomy of early Greek values---Athenian traits as opposed to Poseidon qualities. ... As the narrative continues o...

• Word Count: 792
• Approx Pages: 3
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Each character experiences the competing impulses that exist within all human beings: the instinct to live morally, act peacefully, follow the true and the good or the instinct to satisfy one's immediate desires, act violently and enforce one's will. ... He is also the character who has the greatest appreciation of the gods that are the basis of civilised life. ... The language of the characters reflects either the degree of either their civilisation or their savagery. ... In the opening of Homer's the Odyssey, the very first adjective Homer applies to Odysseus is "polyt...

• Word Count: 2877
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate