With reference to The Iliad/Odyssey Heroes video that we watched in class on Tuesday, what did it make you contemplate regarding archetypal patterns? Homecoming? Pride? The hero? Divinities? Heroic Code? Guest/Host? Hubris? Other? Please quote from any notes you captured.
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When watching the video I noticed how Odysseus was made to loose himself throughout all of his challenges which made it that more important/heroic when he didnt loose himself and returned home.
Patterns I noticed were that women are usually the victim, but retaliate in most cases. Also the hero is usually an unexpected one. Pride can sometimes get the better of them.
I thought it was pretty symbolic that women always helped the men carry on to their next destination. Pride was a huge part of what made the odyssey so long and full of troubles. Divinities had a lot of power over the journey they took and controlled if they got there safely or not. Heroes don't always seem like heroes.
Usually the Gods have full control, however in the Odyssey the "Gods create the role while Odysseus acts in it," what happens to him is the result of his wit and own decisions. Also, unlike most heroes, Odysseus does not set out on his journey to become immortal.
Watching the Iliad video there was the whole idea of the homecoming and how everyone always looks forward to it. You want to come home to the people who know and where your from and what you know best. Also with the hero is kind of how they will always prove you wrong and always show the others wrong and fight until the undone is done. The Odyssey is the main one who does this shows pride.
The video we watched mentioned that humans who suffered were seen as noble compared even to the gods. Suffering is painful in the moment, but extremely valuable in the long run. Trials have the influence to shape and refine humans for the better. Also, the video mentioned that Odysseus had the opportunity to "forget home" and fall to the Sirens or other temptations, but it is significant that he never lost sight of his final goal. Even after all those years, he never forgot his purpose and lived to experience his homecoming.
I wonder that even though, all the heros know that their pride can get them in trouble and yet they still do things that are against their moral code because they gods say they should. When will they ever take matters into their own hands even if the gods are controlling them?
I felt like Odysseus showed extreme Hubris. After he stabs the cyclops in the eye, he is very boastful about who he is and about mocking the giant. He also has all the ladies all over him and he acts as though everyone loves him. When all his men get turned into swine, I bet that made his ego even greater because he was then the only real man around. When he is acting as a beggar, he has to calm down on the pride quite a bit. I think that it was good for him to live on the other end of the spectrum, but that doesn't last for long. I think he was a great hero and yes, he did go through a lot of turmoil, but he could have calmed down on the hubris a bit and still have been a great hero.
From watching the video, it has made me think that it is archetypal for everyone to be relieved when they arrive home after a long voyage. Also, it seems as though the guest host relationship is somewhat upheld today, but not to the extreme as in the case of the Cyclops and Odysseus.
In the film i noticed a large amount of pride portrayed throughout all the expeditions. Even though the travels were very treacherous they never stopped. They ran into many great obstacles and fought their way through them. Even though many men and ships were lost they kept it together in the hope that their pride would help them conquer the obstacles and return home, and it did.
Well like the movie said homecoming is a big deal. Having to much pride can cost you more than you would have ever expected, this is shown when Odysseus thinks the cyclopes can no longer harm him, he tells him his name not knowing that the cyclopes father is in fact Poseidon and keeps Odysseus at sea for so many years. In the film, the guest host relationship is horrible. Circe turns Odysseus men into swine because she let them dine at her table and they acted like crazy pigs, so she turned them into what they were.
While watching the videos, I thought about mortality versus immortality. A lot of hero's tend to strive for immortality, but all that Odysseus wants is to get home, and live his life. It is nice to see that Greeks did value that life has an end, so you need to make the journey as great as possible. I thought also about homecoming, because I have been gone from home, family, and friends for over two months. Coming home is a weird feeling when you have been gone that long. It almost seems like it is no longer your home because the place you have been has become your home. Once you have taken a moment to take everything in though, home is the sweetest place to be.
In the Iliad film, most of the descriptions of Greek Literature are shown in full force. The guest host relationship is explored with the Circes as well as the cyclops. Also the momentous challenge of avoiding hubris comes to even Odysseus. It was also interesting that they explored how it was better for Odysseus to stay mortal but enjoy life then become immortal and waste his life on a remote island.
The "Illiad" and "Odyssey" videos share a common theme with those coming from the book. Odysseus, who suffers severely from Hubris, is extremely cocky and is his own greatest enemy. Each journey is its own problem. He must suffer through each task and is required to make sacrifices. One of the literary theorists stated that part of the idea of life is when you die you wanted to say: "Man, I lived." The goal of life is not to live a simple life but one that makes you appreciate the good times.
I noticed that all of the struggles Odysseus had were what made his life such a triumph. He lived a great life because of all the things he endured. He lived a noble life.
I noticed that all of the things that Odysseus has to go through forms him into the man he is and this goes with many other hero stories.
There has been a common theme of hubris overtaking a hero as he has gone on his journey in the myths we have read. However, Odysseus was only faulted with hubris once, when we failed to keep his mouth shut when leaving the giants cave; stating his name. He is different in the fact that his goal is to return home, to lead his human life rather than become a glorified person and win immortality; smart man.
I think that it is very heroic that all these men left so fast for just one girl. That is real dedication to a launch all those ships for one Queen. The whole story to me is doing what you believe is right. Many men did and that to me is very heroic.
I noticed in the video that all Greek hero's have a homecoming that is very important to them. They all want to get back to their homelands in order to see their families. All the hero's go on their adventures because of the pride they hold. They want to be known as the bravest and greatest heros that have ever lived. Many of these hero's adventures are based off of the heroic code witch states, frankly, that they complete their heroic tasks not for others but for themselves. They do things for the pride it gives them, so that they would be remembered. Hero's are hero's not for the world and people around them who need their help, but for themselves, for their own pride.
What I noticed is that I feel like women are usually the ones who get hurt or arre victimized within these tales in some way or another. A lot of drama gets started around women within the Greek Mythology world. Another thing I saw was that almost every hero had a homecoming that was really important to them, and I mean if I were a Greek hero gone for an extremely long time, missing the people I love, coming home would be a huge deal to me too.
homecoming is always a great feeling and regoicing happens between the returning person and fal=mily members. yay! if i were gone for 20 years i would be so happy to be home
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