Monday, April 21, 2014
"The Iliad?" "The Odyssey?"
With reference to The Iliad/Odyssey, what did it make you
contemplate regarding archetypal patterns? Homecoming? Pride? The hero?
Divinities? Heroic Code? Guest/Host? Hubris? Other? Please quote from
either text or the video. Please complete this blog response during
class today.
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25 comments:
According to the video, there are many instances in which Odysseus holds up both the heroic code and a the guest host relationship. Especially with the guest host relationship, he ends up being the only one to survive because he honors this relationship.
All the challenges that Odysseus' went through because of "the squabbling of the Gods". The heroes are more noble because eventually the will die unlike the Gods. On his journey Odysseus has to choose to live and die or be immortal. It shows his humanity when he chooses to be a human and live with his family. But that does not mean that it was an easy journey. He had to overcome many challenges and temptation, some put upon him and some inflected on himself. A prime example was when Odysseus called back to the Cyclops that it was Odysseus who defeated him. If he could have avoided this pride, he would have gotten home sooner. What I like the best about the Odyssey is that it's about coming home. There is some human nature about returning home, and it is Odysseus' return home that make the novel so desirable.
It left me ruminating about the universal nature of such themes as homecoming, something that every always has, and always will understand at a personal level. Center an epic tale around such a visceral and relatable feeling ensures its longevity. I can understand such themes, thousands or year later and that is a testament to the nature to both the stories and human nature.
While reading and watching the video it really made me think about how the gods influenced peoples lives a lot but ultimately it was up to the people to succeed or fail on their own. All of he heroes we have learned about have been helped by the gods in some way but it is still because of their heroic traits that they were able to accomplish the task that they were given. This is where the heroic code comes in, because every hero must follow this code in order to actually succeed as a hero. Its not all because of their relationship with the divinities.
In the Iliad and the Odyssey, despite the fact the gods and goddesses and other such divinities are the ones that mainly run the show, Odysseus is better than them not because he doesn't suffer, but because he does. Suffering is not shameful in Greek Mythology, but rather it's that which makes you human, and that which makes you more complex and even greater than the gods.
In Greek Mythology heroes must go through many trials so that they can define their heroism. The gods themselves are magnificent, but what makes humans more spectacular is that us humans have to venture through suffering and pain, and because of this when we succeed the fact that we overcame them is what makes us out to be heroes. It is also fairly common that in Greek Mythology when you become too prideful it comes back and causes you added suffering. The homecoming is by far one of the greatest moments for a hero though, after all this is when the hero can claim his/her title and return back to their normal routine.
The Guest/Host was shown through two particular instances. The Cyclops was not a particularly good host because he did not welcome the travelers. However, the sorceress on a different island was a good host and her guests were behaving poorly so she turned them into pigs. The idea of Homecoming is basically the point of the story. The whole of the voyage back was to return home. Although Odysseus was the only one of the sailors to successfully return home, all of the sailors kept that idea in mind. As in all Greek Mythology, the Gods and Goddesses play major roles in the ventures in the Odyssey and the Iliad. They created storms, and monsters, and problems all due to their emotional traits particular to each god and goddess, solidifying our idea of each character.
Homecoming are the substance of the stories. As a guy said in the movie "its not the icing on the cake it is the cake". It brings everyone together and creates peace. Hero's are what the people like to read about and we like to see them win. Although many people die on the Greek myth voyages the hero stays strong and lives on, even if they they like it or not.
In "The Lliad" "The Odyssey" Odseus is trying to return home but it takes him 10 years to do so, because the Gods are making him pass impossible tests. This has been a common theme through the heroic stories of Greek Myth, hero's having to pass many challenges to prove them selves of greatness. Also at the end of "The Odyssey" Odseus passes his final test which is wife as set up for the men of the city. He passes the test and this shows how important homecoming is.
The Odyssey made me contemplate regarding patterns is the things that gods have to go through and do before actually becoming a god there is always something they have to do in order to get where they want to get. They have some kind of pride for the things that they are doing and how they are getting their mind set on what's right and wrong to do and won't hurt their own pride.
We all are experiencing odysseys in that life is an odyssey. It is the journey of life that makes us crave home or the comforts of what is yours. Specifically in the Iliad/odyssey it is a hero who is making the journey. He is forced to make tough decisions and do things that will hurt others in order to save others. He is the representation of man making the journey of life to ultimately get home.
The Odyssey seems to play a big role in our life today. The Iliad/Odyssey have interesting symbolism of homecoming, pride/hubris, heroic code of the Greeks and the Greek Divinities. In the video it talks about homecoming today of "people who have fought for war" that find rest and joy coming back home. Odysseus also had joy after he came from his journey. Odysseus seemed to be a great hero that does follow the Heroic Code by accomplishing a long task journeying around the sea trying to find his home. Also, Odysseus showed pride or hubris when he killed the Cyclops and boasted of outsmarted the creature. The divinities in the Odyssey are Athena with war and reason of life, and Poseidon with the sea and father of the Cyclops. These symbols seem to have a big impact on our life today for some of the reasons we use Odyssey for journeys of the past or present.
The thing that the odyessy does the best is extablish the idea of home comming. Homecomming is so apealing because we are reconised as the heros that we belvie our selfs to be. What sets us apart form the hero is he over comes his hubourus at the end of the tail. This of corse is after he has suffered so much for upsting posiandain. Another thing is how much the gest host realstionship is tested. Ultimtly I think that The odysey is hear to show you that homecomming is a sought after victory that we all admire.
only a few heroes had good homecomings and only a few heroes had good hosts but the story makes me contemplate that all heroes have a curtain about them that they all want to have that Immortal power that the gods temp them with but the stronger side of the heroe tells them to live life instead of living immortal but to instead experience some of the things that life can offer to mortal. gods are immortal and represent nature and emotions of human beings so to me becoming is great and bad great for the power and bad for the representation of human beings
Both of these texts made me contemplate a few things, such as homecoming and pride. Pride, never backing down from a challenge. In seeing that Achilles didn't back down from his challenges, even to his death. And Odysseus didn't back down from his ten year voyage home, he fought off everything he could and made it through. In homecoming, Odysseus got this thrill that stayed with him, throughout all twenty years, to get home.
The Odyssey shows us how the gods weren't afraid to punish those who misbehave in any way. Poseidan made it hard for Odyseus to return home and therefore, he didn't return for 20 years. Also, Odyseus showed elements from the heroic code. When faced with the decision to either lose six of his men or go across the whirlpool and risk destroying his whole ship, he went with the choice to lose six of his men. He showed a lot of self-worth then. The Odyssey shows us how human we all are.
The Odyssey shows us how the gods weren't afraid to punish those who misbehave in any way. Poseidan made it hard for Odyseus to return home and therefore, he didn't return for 20 years. Also, Odyseus showed elements from the heroic code. When faced with the decision to either lose six of his men or go across the whirlpool and risk destroying his whole ship, he went with the choice to lose six of his men. He showed a lot of self-worth then. The Odyssey shows us how human we all are.
The story of Odysseus encapsulates many commentaries in regards to the human condition, themes related to hubris, as Odysseus and his men blind Polyphemus, as Odysseus begins to depart again, he blows his cover of every man out of vanity and thus is manufactured the greatest obstacle of his journey, Poseidon. The story also captures the fixed alignment of many divinities, like humans, divinites also pick sides and lower themselves to conflict with one another. The video captured many more themes and motifs related to gender inequality, the cycle of death and rebirth a myriad of things, above are simply a few I saw as being increasingly prevalent.
The Iliad/Odyssey depicts many attributes of the heroic code. Odysseus was a warrior to society, but many other actions were made like when he disguised himself as a beggar and completed the task to continue to be with his wife Penelope after many men attempted to get with her. Odysseus refused to lose his face and honor. He also had a characteristic of excessive pride, and focus on existence. Coming home with exciting for him much like it would be for others.
Within the video, I really liked when the narrator said, “Poseidon deals with raw emotion.” Relating to how how unpredictable and capricious nature can be. As humans, we often fall into this distinctive voice within our own heads to just act and not think. There is always a choice, when Odysseus has to go through the cave, he’s making a difficult decision within his crew. We sympathize and relate to him because we live through that everyday, constantly making tough decisions. But that’s one of the things that makes us strive and thirst for more answers and adventure. Life would be boring if we all didn't have a designated expiration date.
There were many situations where Odysseus keeps the heroic code and guest host realtionship
After watching the video, Odysseus follows both the guest/host relationship and the heroic code. He ends up surviving and his whole group dies.
The idea of homecoming is the main theme of greek myths. When they go on voyages in the myths, they endure many challenges and trials, and while people die along the way, the hero always pushes forward and returns home. We, as viewers, like to see the hero survive and win and return home.
Pride can go a long way. It can mean different things to different people. You can show\earn it in different ways too. The way I see it best is that you don't do it for the fame or glory you just do what your supposed to do and those will follow along and you'll be magneficent.
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