God + Man = Relationship Goals? In many stories, the gods, whether they’re Roman, Greek or Norse, play important roles in the story and determine the outcome of a character’s journey. Usually, the good are rewarded and the bad are punished for being greedy. Man’s relationship with the gods in The Odyssey varies depending upon their opinion and also whether man has good or bad intentions. Examples of this relationship include the gods providing wisdom, protecting and hindering based on a situation. Odysseus, the main character, embodies wisdom as he is favored by Athena because of it. A multitude of characters are wise within The Odyssey, but Odysseus, by far, is the most noteworthy of them.
“The grey-eyed goddess Athena answered him: / “O Majesty, O Father of us all, / if it now please the blissful gods/ that wise Odysseus reach his home again.”(1.105-08)
In the beginning of the book Odysseus is stuck on the island of Ogygia and Athena wishes to free him so he may…show more content… Ino helps Odysseus because she can tell he has a noble cause and gives him a veil that protects him from drowning so he may complete his journey with less suffering. “But Athena spoiled their shots. / One hit the doorpost of the hall, another / stuck in the door’s thick timbering.”(22.282-83) When Odysseus and Telemakhos are trying to dive out the suitors they attempt to all shoot at Odysseus at once but Athena sends the projectiles in different directions. This is a prime example of protection as Athena has probably saved Odysseus’s life and it also presents the idea that the gods support men with good intentions which Odysseus has because he wants to get rid of the parasite-like suitors who barged into his home to ask Penelope to marry them and then proceed to eat their livestock and drink their wine. Though the gods do help the good, they also punish those who are arrogant and
