Topic > An Analysis of Odysseus' Journey

The Odyssey presents its readers with many moments of pain: Penelope grieves over the possible loss of her husband, Telemachus is tormented by the pain that suitors give him by trying to take over from her disappearance of his father's estate. Perhaps the most striking example of pain occurs during Odysseus's entrapment on Calypso's island, Ortygia. Odysseus' resentment and longing for home deviates from the strong and courageous attitude we expect to see from a "hero of the Trojan War." An important question we must address as we seek to reach a deeper understanding of the text is what "nostos" or "homecoming" means to the soldiers. Odysseus leaves home for the same reason that most other soldiers do: to gain "kleos" or "glory." However, "nostos" has a double meaning for Odysseus: the general meaning of returning home and the personal meaning he gives it of "coming to". By dramatizing the difference between Odysseus's current circumstances during his journey home and his internal desire to return home, Grief opens up and elaborates his character's inner space in a way that his heroic actions do not. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Until Book 5, we have only heard glorious war stories about Odysseus from King Nestor, King Menelaus, and Helen as they relay information about Odysseus to Telemachus. However, Odysseus is introduced to us in Book 5 in a very emasculated manner, crying on the beach of Calypso's island. This disappointing introduction stands in stark contrast to the Odysseus portrayed in the stories and indicates a change in his character. "But as for the Great Odysseus, Hermes could not find him in the cave. He sat down on a promontory, there weeping. as always, wrenching his heart with sobs, groans and anguish, during his seven years on Calypso's island , Odysseus faces no active challenge. He has no way to be a hero in Ortygia because he has no way to escape. eclipse of the life he has known and what he has known of himself up to that point, as a warrior and hero. He experiences a wave of emotions such as longing and frustration as he cries for the house while stranded on Ortygia transition from the trajectory of a "war hero" to a man who accepts his pain, despair and helplessness on the island. Odysseus's identity is redefined during his period of mourning. This can be seen by comparing his old behavior with the difference in how he handles situations that happen after his encounter with the Underworld. Previously, Odysseus' behavior seemed reckless, as he always wanted to explore the new lands he encountered on his journey home. For example, he wants to explore the land of the Cyclopes: “I will go with my ship and my crew and explore the natives who live there. What they “are”: violent, wild, lawless / or friendly to strangers, God-fearing men” [217/173-177], although they are uncertain whether it is safe or not. He seeks to achieve glory by making a name for himself in every foreign land he encounters. This creates a tension between 'kleos' and 'nostos' because readers question the urgency with which Odysseus wants to return home. Odysseus makes an error of judgment when he reveals his name to the Cyclops, endangering himself and his men and prolonging their painful and arduous journey. As the ship sails from the Cyclops' island, Odysseus reveals his identity to the Cyclopes against the wishes of his men: "So they begged.