The Hero's Heroic Journey In Greek Mythology

Words: 803

Pages: 4

Open Document

In Greco-Roman literature, a hero’s descent into the underworld is a critical stage of his or her heroic cycle. Often visiting at their weakest point, heroes communicate and acquire information from the prophesying dead and leave better prepared to reach their end goal. The Homeric Hymn to Herakles describes its hero as someone who: “roamed the vastness of land and sea at the behest of King Eurystheus, causing much suffering himself and enduring much; but now in the fair abode of snowy Olympus, lives in pleasure and has fair-ankled Hebe as his wife” (West 195). This hymn succinctly lays out the three distinct stages of not just the heroic voyage of Herakles, but of Greek heroism in general: departure, initiation, and return. Able to sustain himself through arduous trial and reach his way home from …show more content…
This three stage cycle is orthodox throughout many Greek heroic epics such as those of Homer and Virgil, in which heroes face the same fate of departure, trial, and return (Cook 1). Intrestingly, common to both the phases of trial of these ancient poets is the hero’s rather mysterious descent into the Underworld, a realm often seperate from the real world where heroes have the ability to communicate with the dead. The existence of this Underworld owes itself to the Greek mythological belief that death wasn’t the actual end — it was the beginning of a journey to a realm far from the actual world where identity survives in a shadowy afterlife of disembodied souls (Mystakidou 25). In Greek langauge, the descent into this Underworld is termed katabasis, literally meaning a journey to Hell or world of the dead while the word Nekuia describes the actual invocation

Heracles Essay

The Hero`s Journey of Hercules What is the hero's journey? The hero's journey is simply a series of events that a character endures in order to become a hero. This concept has reappeared throughout Greek mythology. The strongest and most famous hero, Hercules, begins this journey at a very youthful age. Hercules path in life, filled with numerous challenges, proves he has gone through the hero's journey. Before Hercules becomes a hero he must get the call to adventure. It began…

Words 628 - Pages 3

Odysseus Essay

Ms. Hill Kaushal Rao Due Date: 9/31/13 Period 3 English 1 The Heroic Quest Newsletter Odysseus’ Story The Odyssey opens in the country of Greece nine years after the Trojan War ended. Because of Odysseus' absence, several suitors want to marry his wife, Queen Penelope. However, she believes that her husband will return, so she does not want to marry. Odysseus' son, Telemachus, also believes that his father is still out there alive. Meanwhile, Odysseus is trapped on…

Words 1203 - Pages 5

The Wizard of Oz and Dorothy Essay

Initiation The central themes of Greek mythology are not only found in Greek text books or stories specifically about Greek gods or goddesses like Zeus, Odysseus, or Aphrodite. Greek themes can be found on any bookshelf and even in movies that do not exactly state anything about Greek mythology. The classic American movie The Wizard of Oz follows Greek themes by the heroic initiation that Dorothy Gale embarks on her journey in the world of Oz that relates to a classic Greek myth, The Odyssey. Dorothy’s…

Words 1699 - Pages 7

Fate And Perseus Free Will In Homer's Odyssey

Perseus is too strong to be kept down and on an island, so it is fitting that his fate is to go on adventures and quests and to be helped by gods. He fits the heroic model of an honorable man overcoming all obstacles to reunite his family and do justice. It is interesting to note that the story does not indicate whether fate or Zeus guided Perseus's box to the island. As in the Creation of Earth, the reader must wonder who is in charge. Is there a difference between fate and Zeus, and if so, what…

Words 403 - Pages 2

Essay about Smith 1

or devotion. The hero’s quest is often seen as a symbol of the journey of self- discovery, a quest to overcome inner monsters and finally achieve an understanding of themselves. Beowulf and Hercules embody the positive and negative traits associated with being a hero. Two of the greatest heroes of all time are Hercules, the Roman name for the Greek hero Heracles, who is the son of Zeus in Greek Mythology; and Beowulf, the Anglo-Saxon hero of the Geats in Norse Mythology. Hercules was born…

Words 1222 - Pages 5

What Dreams May Come Hero's Journey

examine and contrast a contemporary text that features a narrative in the form of a heroic journey. The analysis will specifically attempt to contrast a modern day text and how it exhibits elements from classical mythology and model for a heroic quest. The contemporary text chosen is a fantasy drama from 1998, What Dreams May Come, featuring Robin Williams as Chris Nielsen, a pediatrician who undergoes a journey to attempt to save his wife. The plot portrays Chris as a protagonist who is put in extreme…

Words 1164 - Pages 5

's Influence In Tom Robbins 'Jitterbug Perfume'

Robbin’s Influence The novel, “Jitterbug Perfume” by Tom Robbins presents a belief on classical mythology tales that provides an adaptation of “The Odyssey” by Homer. In particular, Robbins modifies its characters and concepts to reinforce the importance of the journey of life and self-discovery. One of Robbins biggest influencers is the life and work of Joseph Campbell who is the author of mythology books. Lastly, Robbins values heroes and heroines because the way his two characters, Kudra (the…

Words 1500 - Pages 6

Essay On Odysseus Is A Hero

Is Odysseus A Hero? Most people around the world know of Greek Mythology. Most importantly, they know the story of Odysseus, “the hero,” and his long journey returning home after the Battle of Troy. Throughout this prolonged trip, he faced many challenges and was forced to make tough choices. But were they the right choices? Odysseus returned home after putting his men in unnecessary dangers that resulted in them all dying, he slaughtered even more lives on purpose after he arrived to his household…

Words 1435 - Pages 6

Iwc1 Literature, Arts and Humanities Essay

IWC1 Test 1.02 Module Pre-Test Question 1: Multiple Choice The historical revival of Classical culture began during the: a) Middle Ages b) Renaissance c) Baroque Era d) Romantic Era Feedback: The correct answer is b. The historical revival of Classical culture began during the Renaissance. Question 2: Multiple Choice Which of the following was a key feature of ancient Chinese humanism? a) An emphasis on theoretical philosophy. b) A subordination of intellectual life to religious…

Words 10011 - Pages 41