A Critical Approach to Worlds' Classics-Homer's The Odyssey-Part-3 World Literature in Translation

1. Homer’sTheHomer’sThe OdysseyOdyssey
MA-IV- World Literature inTranslation
Lecture-3
Prof. O. P. Budholia
&
Dr. Naveen K Mehta
Department of English
Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies,
Barla, Raisen (MP)

2. IntroductionIntroduction
 The Odyssey, Homer's epic poem is about the
decades-long journey of Trojan War hero
Odysseus.
 The narration of The Odyssey begins with
Telemachus’ journey.
 Then, the narrative moves back in time, as
Odysseus recounts his journeys for the length ofOdysseus recounts his journeys for the length of
three entire books.
 Finally, the narrative moves forward in time to
Odysseus' return to Ithaca.
 The Odyssey has various themes such as Loyalty ,
Perseverance, Appearance vs. Reality, Spiritual
Growth etc.

3. Main ThemesMain Themes
 Loyalty:
Penelope is expected to wait for Odysseus, gone for more
than 20 years. Telemachus must stand for his father, who he
does not even remember, against the suitors. However, there
are characters who do not remain loyal to Odysseus and
their fate is not good.
 Perseverance andVengeance:
Perseverance works to survive in any situation. Vengeance is
acceptable to hurt or kill those who are disloyal. The end of
the epic shows what happens to those who defy Odysseus
 Spiritual Growth:
Telemachus and Odysseus both experience struggles which
cause them to mature spiritually by the end of the epic.

4. Main ThemesMain Themes
 The Role of Men andWomen:
Men are almost always superior to women, except in
Sparta where women have more rights.
 The role of Fate :
Characters receive hints as to their fate; however, some
choose to ignore the foreshadowing.choose to ignore the foreshadowing.
 AppearanceV/s Reality :
Athena takes on many different characters’ identities and
even animals’ when helping Telemachus or Odysseus.
Athena can even change others’ appearances for reasons
such as checking on someone’s loyalty or making a good
impression on a king.

5. Main ThemesMain Themes
 CunningV/s Strength:
The triumph of cunning over strength is a running theme in Odysseus’
journey. In Book XIV, he escapes the Cyclops with his words rather
than a traditional duel. In Book XIII, he disguises himself as a beggar in
order to probe the faithfulness of the members of his court.
 OrderV/s Disorder:
In The Odyssey, order and chaos are represented by the contrastingIn The Odyssey, order and chaos are represented by the contrasting
settings. The island of Ithaca is orderly and “civilized” whereas the
worlds visited by Odysseus during his travels are depicted as obstacles
to Odysseus' journey, preventing him from returning home.
 Greek gods and mortals:
The gods have many of the same negative traits as humans and often
cause destruction. Gods may choose to save one person and many
others will die as a result. The gods are given credit for all that is good,
they are sometimes blamed for bringing destruction to mortals

6. Main ThemesMain Themes
 Hospitality :
Always be polite to your guests; however, this
expectation prevents Telemachus and Penelope from
removing the suitors from their home.
 Hubris:
It is excessive pride that leads to destruction.
Odysseus is often guilty of hubris and Athena mustOdysseus is often guilty of hubris and Athena must
rescue him.
 Temptation:
Giving in to excess or temptation, whether food,
drink, or other pleasures, will cause a person harm. The
Sirens’ song leads to destruction and the suitors’
desires lead to their destruction.

7. ConclusionConclusion
 Odysseus is a great warrior, an excellent sailor,
the best carpenter, the best hunter, the finest
marksman, and the leading expert on caring for
farm animals. He is also extremely intelligent.
 The Odyssey utilizes flashbacks to describe
events of the past in detail, including the end ofevents of the past in detail, including the end of
the Trojan War and the return of other war
heroes.
 Odysseus, the protagonist of the epic, faces many
enemies, temptations and challenges during his
long homeward journey. Not only does he
overcome those external enemies, but also
overcomes his internal conflicts

8. THANKSTHANKS
For Any DoubtFor Any Doubt
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Prof. O. P. BudholiaProf. O. P. BudholiaProf. O. P. BudholiaProf. O. P. Budholia
oror
Dr. Naveen K MehtaDr. Naveen K Mehta