Who Is To Blame In The Odyssey

Words: 552

Pages: 3

Open Document

The Blame Game The Odyssey has many patterns and themes that become more prevalent as the story goes on. One pattern that seem to be repeated often was that the the gods felt that they were always being blamed by the mortal people. Some people in the Odyssey seem to just blame the gods when they don’t know who to blame, even when it isn’t the gods fault. On the other hand sometimes when the mortal people blame the gods it is the gods fault, but either way people still blame the gods.

The first example we see of a mortal person blaming the gods is with Telemachus at his house talking to Athena, who was in disguise. Telemachus said, “Now the gods have reserved our fortunes with a vengeance-”(Book I: Line 272). Telemachus blames the gods on behalf of the fact that Odysseus is gone. Odysseus has a feeling of “vengeance” towards the gods because he wants to meet his father, but he is unable to have that opportunity to so. Odysseus has no one to blame in this situation but the gods, because he feels that it is there fault. Secondly, a little later on in the story a similar comment comes from telemachus again. Telemachus said “Bards are not to blame- Zeus is to blame. He …show more content…
Although Odysseus doesn’t have a direct strait quote saying that he blames the gods, his actions tell otherwise. It started out at the beginning when Odysseus longed to get home and see his wife but faced Poseidon’s rage and ended up on an island with the lustrous goddess, Calypso. Later in the story Odysseus is seen “weeping...sobs and groans of anguish” (Book V: Line 94-95). Odysseus is angry about not being home and the only person he can blame is the gods, specifically Poseidon and Calypso, because they are the ones preventing him from going home and seeing his family. Odysseus’ actions show his anger and bitterness towards the gods for not allowing him to travel

Blame The Gods In The Odyssey

quick to blame the gods they say that we advice there misery, but They them selves in there depravity design greif grater than fate assigns.in the epic poem odyssey by homer there is a man named odysseus forced to fight in the trojan war and he's there for 10 years. After he wins the war he Then tries to get home, but the gods have other ideas for odysseus and his men. they face hard challenges but he makes it back to ithaca to see his son and his wife once again. Odyssey is clever…

Words 709 - Pages 3

The Role Of Calypso In The Odyssey

The Odyssey by Homer shows a vast variation of how women are depicted to all males. From the tempting monsters to the pitiful wives, women are of less value to men than any other commodity. Women are nonetheless invisible, walked upon, and avoided beyond angst for weakness. One of the known characters, Calypso, is portrayed as a beautiful nymph whose offers are very appetizing and difficult to refuse. In the book, Calypso is just seen as an obstruction that needs to be avoided. No man can see the…

Words 465 - Pages 2

Clytemnestra In The Odyssey

In “The Odyssey,” the depiction of Clytemnestra matches traits of Pandora. Clytemnestra allows the murder of Agamemnon by Aegisthus, thus losing her fidelity to him. Even after Agamemnon returns home from a harsh battle and journey, he is met by a terrible death. While this act would generally allow condemnation of Clytemnestra, it is Aegisthus who takes most of the blame. He alone is attributed to the creation of the plot to murder Agamemnon. Homer writes, “So monstrous was the crime he planned…

Words 688 - Pages 3

The Odyssey Essay FINAL Draft

Jessi Zirker PreAP English P. 2 March 11th, 2015 The Odyssey Essay The Time to be Heard As alpha is to omega: men are to women. The constant fight for rights, a voice, even freedom has lived on throughout history up until today. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer translated by Robert Fitzgerald women are seen as nothing more than a boatload of problems. Whether this belief rooted from Pandora releasing all things bad into the world, or Eve being the root of sinful nature,…

Words 1861 - Pages 8

Mariposas Vs Odyssey

I believe that “Summer of the Mariposas” and “The Odyssey” are both very similar. They both have many differences. However, I think they have more similarities compared to differences. The “Summer of the Mariposas” is about five sisters who travel to Mexico to learn more about where their father has been and visit their grandmother. It all started when the sisters were playing in the Rio Grande. While playing, they saw a dead body floating along the Rio Grande. They investigate and find out he’s…

Words 1101 - Pages 5

In What Ways Is the Telemachy Important to the Odyssey as a Whole Essays

In what ways is the Telemachy important to the Odyssey as a whole? What would the poem lose if these first four books were removed? Homer’s the Odyssey is the epic tale of Odysseus’ return home from the battle of Troy, yet we do not truly get to the hero in action until after we are drawn through the story of his son life in the absence of his father in Ithaka. In the first four books, we see how Telemachos, Odysseus’ son, matures and through his eyes Homer shows us the unrest and troubles of…

Words 1543 - Pages 7

The Great Theme Of Fate In Homer's Iliad

friend, Patroclus. Achilles’ options are to either kill Hector and soon meet his own death, or to run away from it all and live a long life. This concept of one having a say on their fate is strange though, for most people believed it was the gods who decided and worked out their fate. That, however, was not the case in this circumstance. Achilles had the option to flee from his death, but refused it in order to avenge his friend’s death. Achilles states “As for my own fate, I’ll accept it whenever…

Words 446 - Pages 2

Examples Of Greed In The Odyssey

shown by Calypso, one antagonist in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. In the story, the goddess Calypso keeps the hero, Odysseus, as a prisoner on her island to fill her loneliness. She enslaves him and makes him stay to make herself satisfied without taking into account Odysseus’s misery and his desire to return home to his family. In The Odyssey, Homer reveals that one cannot be forced into a relationship and be expected to be happy; the member who is forced into the relationship will live in sorrow, while…

Words 601 - Pages 3

Gods In Odysseus

Your own careless actions almost always result in unfortunate events. However, you cannot be held responsible for actions performed as a result of another. The gods in The Odyssey are that someone, causing Odysseus and his crew to encounter unfavorable situations. Although at first glance, it seems like the crewmembers made their own decisions, the gods were really pulling the strings. While Odysseus and his men surely thought they were in charge, it was the gods that manipulated Odysseus and his…

Words 883 - Pages 4

Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

From Homer’s reading, Odyssey many critics argue that Odysseus is the cause of his own troubles. I feel that this is true. Odysseus had many heroic qualities but he had some flaws also. The flaws that Odysseus had was that he was arrogant, unfaithful, and stubborn. There were several ways that Odysseus was arrogant in the Odyssey. There were many situations that Odysseus blames on his men. With him being the leader, he was not there for them. Instead he called them “fools” and takes no responsibility…

Words 530 - Pages 3