The Odyssey By William Shakespeare - 1458 Words

Robert A. Heinlein once said, â€Å"Yield to temptation, it may not pass your way again† which is similar to Odysseus’ motto in The Odyssey. Odysseus is constantly dealing with obstacles that have been set in place by the Gods. Mainly the obstacle involves a woman being a temptress in order to detour Odysseus from his journey home to Ithaca. Eventually, Odysseus resists the seductresses in order to continue his journey home to Ithaca so he can finally see his wife Penelope. In The Odyssey women have a narrow, but significant role similar to their role in ancient Greece. Every time there is temptation present Odysseus yields, especially when the seductress is desirable, showing that he wants to yield to the woman who are tempting him with sex,†¦show more content†¦However, a majority of Homer s audience would know that the real reason Helen was the cause of the Trojan war is because she has an affair with Paris. After Paris captured Helen and brought her back to Troy, Helen fell in love with Paris. This abduction of Helen ignited the start of the Trojan war. In the epic, Helen is described as being as â€Å"striking as Artemis with her golden shafts† (Od. 4.136) and is very hospitable towards Telemachus. Helens beauty as well as her affair with Paris have deemed her to be a seductress. Helen’s role as a temptress is crucial, because she is the reason why Odysseus left Ithaca to fight in the Trojan war. Menelaus reminisces about the Trojan Horse and mentions Helen being the â€Å"voice of all our long-lost wives† (Od. 4.313) since she was imitating the voices of Greek soldiers’ wives. Helen did not intentionally try to keep Odysseus away from Ithaca, but she catalyzed the events that caused Odysseus to stay away for ten years. Helen being a temptress is vital, because she is the reason that Odysseus is on his quest to return home. A similar temptress to Calypso, in The Odyssey, is Circe. Circe is also described as a â€Å"lustrous goddess† with a â€Å"spellbinding voice† (Od. 10.243). These characteristics make it easy for Circe to bewitch Odysseus’ men, however Odysseus escapes the trap. Odysseus â€Å"mounted [mounts] Circe’s gorgeous bed† to save his men similar to how he sleeps with Calypso, during his stay with her (Od. 10.386). Circe does notShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Odyssey 1368 Words   |  6 Pagesof xenia in The Odyssey William Shakespeare, in Timon Of Athens Act III Scene line 39 writes : I charge thee, invite them all: let in the tide of knaves once more; my cook and I ll provide† Shakespeare is explaining to his readers that he will invite everyone in and he will cook for them meaning that he will provide everything to his guests. Similarly, in The Odyssey Odysseus without knowing it is providing for all the suitors with a home and food for endless days. The Odyssey has many differentRead MoreThe Muses in Greek Mythology and Art1643 Words   |  7 PagesOn display in the Lourve museum in Paris, France there is an ancient Greek vase depicting either Terpsichore or Eroato â€Å"Muse with lyre†, c.400 B.C.. Also, The Muses Urania and Calliope by Simon Vouet, in which she is holding a copy of Homer’s Odyssey. An extraordinary example of art depicting the Muses is the Archelaos Relief: â€Å"Apotheosis of Homer, a relief sculpture which some scholars have estimated to have been created around 250 B.C. depicts all the Muses, Zeus, Mnemosyne, Apollo, as wellRead MoreEssay on Patriarchy in Hamlet1721 Words   |  7 PagesPatriarchy in Hamlet  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   William Shakespeare’s Hamlet employs the concept of patriarchy in several scenarios and each on different levels. These levels of patriarchy, if even for the same character, vary in their role in the play. Three patriarchal characters are easily identified: the ghost of Hamlet’s father, the king Claudius, and the lord chamberlain Polonius. Despite their variances each patriarchy displays values and actions which are key factors in bringing about the cataclysmic endingRead MoreThe Renaissance And Romanticism During The 19th Century1245 Words   |  5 Pagesbelieved they were making a leap towards perfection(†¦). This idea of perfection came from the Greek search for excellence (page 4, PDF). Some major figures in British literature during this time period were William Shakespeare, John Milton, John Donne, and Ben Johnson(†¦). William Shakespeare had a large influence on literature(†¦). He was considered one of the greatest and most famous poets of his time(†¦). John Milton was a major figure during the Renaissance(†¦). He was also considered one ofRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1279 Words   |  6 PagesMonumental Texts (An Analysis of the Three Most Important Texts Studied This Semester) Literature affects every aspect of our lives. The great, classic writers teach timeless, valuable life skills. Shakespeare was the greatest writer of all time. His writings mainly consisted of dramas and sonnets. Romeo and Juliet, as well as, A MIdsummer Night’s Dream were written about the same time period. He was able to inter relate everything that wrote. For example, the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe couldRead MoreElizabethan Poetry Essay582 Words   |  3 Pagesand Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey (1517-47) made valuable contributions to this anthology. Wyatt transplanted the sonnet form from Italy to England.Both Wyatt and Surrey wrote sonnets based on the Petrarchan model, the form which immortalized by Shakespeare and Milton. They brought the theme romantic personal love in poetry to Britain. Surrey translated the Aeneid of Virgil into English. Edmond Spenser (1552-99) The publication of Spensers The Shepherds Calendar (1579) marked the beginningRead MoreSpeech Is The Effective Form Of A Culture972 Words   |  4 Pagesthe box be more creative it allows you the chance to speak and so does spoken word which is another form of poetry that I will discuss later in the essay. Poetry was very relevant during times like ancient Greece .If you mention the names Homer, Shakespeare and Sophocles then you will notice people are mostly familiar with those poets. Although the work they created was long ago they would still remember are known they are a famous figure in history. Even during their times they were know figures.Read MoreCharles Baudelaire And Victor Hugo976 Words   |  4 Pagesof poetic elaboration. His poems including the L Ame du Vin and Mort des Artistes are popular for the thematic basis of defining the pursuits of life and art. The English romantic poetry is dense and divided into two eras; William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge and William Blake wrote in the first half of the romantic period and Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats wrote in the second half. The Romantic Era is known for the development in poetry, from metaphysical approaches to theRead MoreHuman Identity Of Identity1170 Words   |  5 Pages† - Erik Erikson. This year in class we have read Night by Elie Wiesel, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, The Odyssey by Homer, Beowulf, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles, and Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. All of these stories show how mankind’s identity has been shaped by family, power, and fear. Mankind’s identity has been shaped by family. This is evident in Night, The Odyssey, and Oedipus Rex. In Night, Elie Wiesel and his father are separated from his mother and his sisters. So they stayRead More Farce and Satire in Shakespeares Comedy of Errors Essays1156 Words   |  5 Pagesnot limited to the framing plot, though they often depend on it. In fact, what is serious and thought-provoking in the play is often the source of laughter, too. Usually the laughter comes first, and then, if were attentive, well notice that Shakespeare has given us something to think about. Let me offer some examples. First, the play treats with some seriousness issues related to marriage: jealousy, loyalty, love, misunderstanding, the need for patience, the troubles of the marriage-bed