The Odyssey Is An Ancient Greek Epic Poem Essay - 2056 Words

The Odyssey is an Ancient Greek epic poem, giving the account of Greek hero Odysseus’ ill-fated ten year journey home after the fall of Troy. It is attributed to the Greek poet Homer, and thought to have been written in the 8th century BC. In the opening passages of the poem, we find Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, still weeping for her husband after twenty years of his absence. Throughout history, Penelope has come to represent chastity and faithfulness in marriage, and though she is undoubtedly and unfailingly loyal, she is not nearly so one-dimensional. Instead, Penelope’s relationship with her husband is one of enduring love, loyalty, trust, and an equality that is almost unheard-of in Ancient Greek literature. One of the main themes in Penelope’s relationship with Odysseus as depicted by Homer is her enduring love for Odysseus and her ever-present anguish over his absence. Having been gone for twenty years, and could reasonably have been expected to be dead, it is a testament to her faithful love for Odysseus that not only does she not give up hope of his return, but also remains strong under immense pressure to remarry in the four years leading up to the return of Odysseus. The palace at Ithaca has been overrun by 108 suitors, all vying for the hand of Penelope, but she resists temptation and resorts to various cunning methods to delay the inevitable remarriage – all in the hope that her husband is not dead and will one day return. It is a very strong bond of loveShow MoreRelatedThe Odyssey : The Role Of Women In Homers Odyssey966 Words   |  4 PagesFor the Greeks, the epic of Homer was more than just a poem about gods, monsters, and people, but it was a story that showed different kinds of human interactions. The Odyssey portrays what is right or wrong in relationships between god and mortal, father and son, and man and woman. In the epic poem, the role of women is a vital demonstration of Ancient Greece. The women in the epic are unique in their personality, motives, and relationships towards men. In Homers, The Odyssey, all women are differentRead MoreHomer: The Most Famous Greek Poet751 Words   |  4 PagesHomer was real or not, a group of people, a boy or a girl; one thing we are sure of is that â€Å"Homer† wrote two of the best epic poems. The Iliad, which was based on the tenth year of the Trojan War and the Odyssey, which was about a guy named Odysseus who goes on many adventures as he tried to get home to his son and his wife. From what we know Homer was the most famous of all Greek poets because of his written works, his legendary history, and his influential work. â€Å"Hateful to me as are the gatesRead MoreAnalysis Of O Brother And The Odyssey 1707 Words   |  7 Pagesthat has managed to endure the test of time is Homer’s The Odyssey, and epic poem telling of Odysseus, a warrior and a king, and his long and trying journey back to his home country(Fagles, 186). The evolution of this epic can be seen as it gets interpreted and transferred into other forms of media, particularly film, which is one of the most prominent forms of media in the modern technological world. One popular adaptation of The Odyssey to film is the Academy Award nominated film O Brother, WhereRead MoreHomer’S Two Tales, The Iliad And The Odyssey, Are Both1749 Words   |  7 Pagestwo tales, the Iliad and the Odyssey, are both incredibly well known and widely taught across the world and at many different levels of education. Some call Homer the â€Å"greatest poet to ever live† and although this can be disputed his works truly speak for themselves and have braved the test of time quite well. This paper will cover who/whom Homer is as a person, or persons, and the time period of his writings, the truths versus the dramatizations of the Iliad and Odyssey, how the author’s perspectiveRead MoreEssay on The Mysterious Homer, Author of The Odyssey and The Iliad663 Words   |  3 PagesThe Mysterious Homer, Author of The Odyssey and The Iliad   A sketchy figure by the name of Homer is given credit for the two great epic poems of ancient Greece. The Odyssey and The Iliad influenced Greek culture, education, and morality. Little is known about Homer and many scholars question whether he existed at all. (Encarta) Some say two different unknown authors wrote the two poems. (Britannica) Others say that many oral poets were responsible for the finished products. (Britannica) In thisRead More The Odyssey Essay1550 Words   |  7 Pagesthan Odysseus. This journey is called The Odyssey, written by Homer. It is an epic poem or story told of a hero name Odysseus on a 20-year voyage trying to get back home from the Trojan War. The great epic poem known as The Odyssey and attributed to Homer was probably first written down around the eighth century BC, but the origins of the ancient story in myth, legend, and folklore and art appear to be much older. Greek Epic Hero When you think about Greek Epic heroes, Odysseus will most likely comeRead MoreEssay about The Odyssey - Gender Roles893 Words   |  4 PagesThe Odyssey is the product of a society in which the dominant role was played by men. In ancient Greece, just as in the whole of the ancient world, and in America and Western Europe until the last century, women occupied a subservient position. Society was organized and directed by men, and all of the most important enterprises were those which men arranged and implemented. Women were valued, but they participated in the affairs of the world only when they had the tacit or open approval and permissionRead MoreEssay about Homers The Odyssey1646 Words   |  7 PagesHomers The Odyssey The Odyssey is a companion to The Iliad, a story of the Trojan War. Both The Iliad and The Odyssey are epic poems written by Homer. In The Odyssey, Homer relates the misadventures of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, that occur during the decade following the defeat of Troy. In doing so, the fates of his fellow warriors are also made known. The Odyssey begins on Mount Olympus, in the palace of Zeus, king of the gods, where a discussion takes place regarding the woes of humans andRead MoreArchetypes Of The Odyssey968 Words   |  4 Pages Archetypes of The Odyssey Ancient Greece was full of mystery. They told of mystical, almost supernatural, heroes and monsters. One such story was told of a warrior named Odysseus. A king who ruled over the kingdom of Ithaca, but sadly left for war, leaving both his family, and his kingdom. Fighting for almost a decade, Odysseus set off on a long journey towards home. Through thick and thin, and through all of the bloodshed and fighting, he finally has a happy ending at home. At what cost thoughRead More12 Literary Piece1670 Words   |  7 Pagesor the Sacred writings: This has become the basis of Christianity originating from Palestine and Greece 2. Koran: The Muslim bible originating from Arabia 3. The Iliad and the Odyssey: These have been the source of Myths and Legends of Greece. They were written by Homer. 4. The Mahabharata: The Longest epic of the world. It contains the history of religion in India. 5. Canterburry: it depicts the religion and customs of English in early days. This originated from England and written by

The 19th Century American Art described Naturalism as Free Essays

The 19th Century American Art described Naturalism as: Life imitating nature and the artists of this period began focusing on â€Å"real life† situations.   Naturalism literature began to flourish after the civil war and after the most loved Romanticism and Victorian literature.   Naturalism focuses on the lower to middle class man in which he is a futile figure of a domineering universe of a hostile nature. We will write a custom essay sample on The 19th Century American Art described Naturalism as or any similar topic only for you Order Now    Some sort of struggling for the fittest and the strong and predestined are the only sure winner. The Ambrose Bierce story at Owl Creek Bridge is told by a third party narrator. For a simple reason that a man who is dead cannot narrate his own death?   It says nothing more of a man named Peyton Fahrquhar, a planter from a respected Alabama family; the author even distinguishes him as a gentleman which befits his physical appearance.   Despite of the man’s description, the person in the story seemed to die a futile death giving stress on the character of naturalism to which man is unimportant as quoted by the narrator below: †¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"he   . . original secessionist   Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ devoted to the Southern cause. Circumstances of an imperious nature, which it is unnecessary to relate here, had . . . .army which had fought the disastrous campaigns †¦ (Bierce, 2004) Cynical, skeptical or mocking characteristics is vividly present along these lines, â€Å"To be hanged and drowned,† he thought, â€Å"that is not so bad; but I do not wish to be shot. No; .. not be shot; that is not fair.†(Bierce, 2004) The story dealt more on the agonizing death of a person but it was more descriptive than sentimental.   It is an unwanted way of dying and yet there is no reason to stop it. The entire theme below is focused on someone who has experienced a few moments of life before death and another few moments after dying.   His soul seemed to search and in a way could not even tell he is really dead. The story of the life of Peyton is a step by step narrative about the ironies of violent death, as if a man could account of his own dying which can be paraphrased: â€Å"To die of hanging at the bottom of a river! — the idea seemed to him ludicrous. He opened his eyes in the darkness †¦above him a gleam of light, but how inaccessible! He was still sinking, for the light became fainter †¦.mere glimmer.†(Bierce, 2004) â€Å"His neck ached horribly; his brain was on fire, his heart, – fluttering faintly, gave a great leap, trying to force itself out at his mouth. His whole body was –   wrenched with an insupportable anguish! â€Å"(Bierce) 2004. The two lines below were skillfully drawn by the author and I must say that he has expertly given the most significant characteristic to the story by defining life and imitating nature.   He uses the forest and trees, even the detail of a leaf and those that inhabits it including the morning dewdrops.   He described nature just as he describes a new life that is to be unfolding. †¦Ã¢â‚¬ the forest on the bank of the stream – trees, the leave ,, veining of each leaf — he saw the very insects †¦ noted the prismatic colors in all the dewdrops †¦million blades of grass. The –   gnats that danced..the eddies . . . the beating of the dragon flies’ wings, the strokes – water spiders’ legs, like oars which had lifted their boat — all these made audible music.†(Bierce)2004. â€Å"A fish slid along beneath his eyes and he heard the rush of its body parting the water.†(Bierce) 2004. This brief sentence above almost completed the story the author wanted to conclude, that death has come and the heavens could be so near.   As if describing that the soul came out from the eye and it moves thru the waters.   Bierce in his few words was able to describe a real life situation which is one of the most interesting characteristic of a naturalistic piecework.  Ã‚   That after life naturally comes death. â€Å"Peyton Fahrquhar was dead; his body, with a broken neck, swung gently from side †¦beneath the timbers of the Owl Creek bridge.†(Bierce) 2004. Though the whole work is a literary genius, it leaves a mark of pessimism on the part of the reader. Pessimism in the sense that the character of the story was never given a chance. He was doomed simply because of a circumstance that is beyond the control of the person being told.   There was no hope but a dream or it could be real that the character’s soul transcended only to be able to look for his love ones. Even in this scene we can see that there is a big division.   There is desire to be with someone and yet the story emphasizes more on losing. The sad part of it is for an observer to have an impression that not all prayers are answered and an urgent question that need to be asked – where is God why did he allowed such fate? REFEENCES: Bierce,   2004 A. An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge [Electronic Version]. Retrieved 24 September 2007 from How to cite The 19th Century American Art described Naturalism as, Essay examples

Analysis of Jean Kilbournes Speech on Alcohol free essay sample

Content: Jean Kilbourne’s content use was very imagery based which is a very effective technique in persuasive speech. It is very apparent in her video that she does an extensive amount of research, and that she is extremely passionate about the content that goes into her videos. Kilbourne is a master when it comes to displaying images and information in a certain light to support her theories. Her entire thesis is based on a very feministic stand point and whether or not you necessarily agree with what she is saying it is hard to argue her point because she presents her points and ideas so well. The speech and direction used in her video is easy for all types of people to understand. Whether female or male she gets her point across and explains her ideas with solid proof. Kilbourne’s information and ideas are not the most original that I have ever seen but they are very unique in the sense that she appeals to every sex, race, and religion. We will write a custom essay sample on Analysis of Jean Kilbournes Speech on Alcohol or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Kilbourne is very well spoken and articulate and this helps her case as it only shows women in a very professional and educated light. She overwhelms her audience with an abundance of evidence and examples that are shown in the exact light that she needs for them for completely back her opinions and points of interest. Kilbourne’s supporting materials are in all of the content that she presents. She gives specific examples of every point that she makes with imagery, statistic and quotes from legitimate sources. Thoroughness is one of her strong points as well. Her examples are not only supportive or her ideas but, they directly relate to how she almost manipulates the viewer by showing us why she is right and how this is affecting women on a regular basis. Organization: Killing Us Softly was one of the most organized persuasive videos that I have ever seen. Although I did not fully agree with a lot of what her video was about I had to respect it because of just how well it was presented. During the introduction she gave her audience a very clear and thorough interpretation of what we were about to watch, and what her main concept and ideas that she was trying to get across were. She wastes very little time jumping right into examples of the message she is trying to get across. Kilbourne shows the audience countless examples over and over in an order hat may seem random to some but actually is very organized. She starts off with a strong example to set the tone and then gradually moves onto less extreme examples to show the varying levels of negative light being shown on women in advertising. Kilbourne’s main points are also very organized and clear. Almost like a check list as she went along showing the many different types of n egativity towards women in not only certain types of advertising but of all types across the board. Kilbourne shows just how enormous the advertising world is. It is a multimillion dollar industry that preys on intimidation and manipulation of women and their role in society. She exploits the very abundant and differing levels of exploitation of women in ads ranging from magazines, television, radio, billboards, and etcetera. Kilbourne’s conclusion was very strong and to the point. She showed a very funny but accurate commercial that shows men â€Å"acting† like women asking â€Å"Do I look fat in this? † or saying their hips are too big, that they have their mothers fat legs, â€Å"I will not let my dress size determine my self worth†; it ends saying â€Å"Men don’t obsess about these things, why do we? This is a very strong point to her conclusion because it shows how strong of an influence the media has on women and society as a whole. Delivery: Kilbourne’s entire speech comes across very confident and delivers her speech with conviction and authority. She is very passionate about her work and i deas and it seeps through in her video. Along with her numerous examples her very educated and clearly researched ideas are very evident during her speech. Kilbourne comes across extremely enthusiastic and energetic. Just by watching the way she performs her speech you know that she is very emotionally invested in her work and ideas. It rubs off on her audience because instead of just being perceived as â€Å"bitching† or â€Å"moaning† she is very thorough and accurate with her information. Even though a lot of it may be perceived my opinion by most she is so enthusiastic you can’t help but to really take a deep look and thought into what she is arguing. It is hard to judge Kilbourne’s eye contact and voice because we did not see her speech live, but from how she viewed the camera and the way that she presented herself it leads you to believe that she would be the same if not better in person. Like I stated before she comes across well educated and she is very articulate which compliments her arguments because she is a good poster-woman for all women. Kilbourne showed an abundant amount of visual aids and examples which in my opinion is what really made her speech. And as I stated before I don’t necessarily agree with everything she presented it is hard not to be moved by her speech because of how influential and well done it was.