THE ODYSSEY Essays (551 words) - Greek Mythology, Mythology

THE ODYSSEY Ten years after the war of Troy Odysseus, is being kept in the island Ogygia against his own will by the nymph Calypso. Meanwhile in Ithaca, everyone think he's dead. Odysseus wife Penelope is being persuaded by unwanted. Telemachos son of Odysseus wants to fight the suitors, but he can't. The god Athena decides to help Telemachos on his quest to find his father. She takes him to Sandy Pylos and Lacedaimon to the kings Nestor and Menelaos. They inform him that he's still alive but being kept in Calypsos Island. Zeus sends Hermes to rescue Odysseus, in which he succeeds by convincing her to let him build a ship and leave. While he travels in his ship is destroyed by Poseidon. He's rescued by a woman called Nausicaa, and takes him to her father's palace. During the party to his honor he reveals his identity and he tells his adventures. Odysseus recounts how he and his crew went to the region of the cyclops. Where they were captured by Polymephos son of Poseidon. Odysseus tricked the giant and escaped. Then the god Aeolus gave them a bag of winds to travel. The men thinking it was riches opened it unleashing hurricanes which lead them to the island of Circe. They stayed with Circe for a year. After this they left to the underworld to get advice. They sailed for a series of adventures. First they passed by Sirens, Odysseus outsmarted them by plugging his ears. Next they met Scylla and Charybdis which almost ate them all. Afterwards they landed on the island of Helios the sun god, where Odysseus told them not to eat the cattle, they disobeyed and all of the crew except Odysseus died. Lastly he was kept in Ogygia for seven years. All of the Phaeacians filled a ship with treasures and sent him to his home town. Unfortunately Poseidon turned the ship in stone for revenge. Once he arrives at Ithaca Athena disguises him as a beggar, he recruits the swineherd, reveals himself to his son then he heads to his palace still disguised. Penelope says that she will marry the person who can shoot a bow of Odysseus through seven axes. No one could shoot the bow, until the beggar gets the bow and shoots it through the axes. Odysseus drops his disguise and with the help his son, and Athena's protection he kills the suitors. He reunites with his wife, but he kills a young nobleman during battle, and his parents are furious. Next morning he leaves the palace to his father Laertes, while the noblemen's parents look for vengeance. Athena appears and made peace with both families, and ended the strife forever. I loved this book because of all the challenges and adventures Odysseus tells. Personally I'm fascinated by Greek mythology. What I most learned of this book is how humans don't what to do after war. This book was set in peace time, but Odysseus didn't knew what to do after all his battle at Troy. He kills every suitor in his house, and every serving maid. This is a problem because it's not war like the Iliad and if it weren't for Athena's intervention with the nobleman's parents this cycle of battle would've continued until everyone would be dead.