The Odyssey; An Epic by Homer

“THEODYSSEY”BY
HOMER
Module: World Literature in Translation
Presented to:
Dr. Durr-e-Nayab
Presented by:
Group no. 06
Unaiza Saeed #06
Anab Fatima #07
Sana Ahmad #20
Zoya Hashmi #21

Table of Contents
Ҿ About the Author
Ҿ Overview of ‘The Odyssey”
Ҿ Main Characters
Ҿ The Odyssey: Genre
Ҿ The Odyssey: Setting
Ҿ The Odyssey: Tone
₪ Lines (1-50): Explanation & Analysis
₪ The Odyssey: Themes
₪ The Odyssey: Symbols

ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
The Greek poet Homer was born
sometime between the 12th and 8th
centuries BC, possibly somewhere on the
coast of Asia Minor.
He is famous for the epic poems The
Iliad and The Odyssey, which have had an
enormous effect on Western culture, but
very little is known about their alleged
author.

The Mystery of Homer
Homer is a mystery. The Greek epic poet credited with the enduring epic tales of The Iliad and The
Odyssey is an enigma insofar as actual facts of his life go. Some scholars believe him to be one
man; others think these iconic stories were created by a group. A variation on the group idea stems
from the fact that storytelling was an oral tradition and Homer compiled the stories, then recited
them to memory.
What Was Homer Like?
Blind: A character in The Odyssey, a blind poet called Demodokos.
“Homer and Sophocles saw clearly, felt keenly, and refrained from much,” wrote Lane
Cooper in The Greek Genius and Its Influence: Select Essays and Extracts in 1917,
ascribing an emotional life to the writer.

His Legacy
"Plato tells us that in his time many believed that Homer was the educator of all
Greece. Since then, Homer’s influence has spread far beyond the frontiers of Hellas
[Greece]….” wrote Werner Jaeger in Paideia: The Ideals of Greek Culture. He was
right. The Iliad and The Odyssey have provided not only seeds but fertilizer for almost
all the other arts and sciences in Western culture. For the Greeks, Homer was a
godfather of their national culture, chronicling its mythology and collective memory
in rich rhythmic tales that have permeated the collective imagination.

Odyssey, epic poem in 24 books traditionally
attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer. The
poem is the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca,
who wanders for 10 years (although the action of
the poem covers only the final six weeks) trying
to get home after the Trojan War. On his return,
he is recognized only by his faithful dog and a
nurse. With the help of his son, Telemachus,
Odysseus destroys the insistent suitors of his
faithful wife, Penelope, and several of her maids
who had fraternized with the suitors and
reestablishes himself in his kingdom.
OVERVIEW OF ‘THE ODYSSEY’

ΨOdysseus
ΨPenelope
ΨTelemachus
ΨAthena
ΨCalypso
ΨCirce
ΨPoseidon
ΨZeus
ΨAgamemnon
MAIN CHARACTERS

ODYSSEUS
The protagonist of The Odyssey. Odysseus fought
among the other Greek heroes at Troy and now
struggles to return to his kingdom in Ithaca.
Odysseus is the husband of Queen Penelope and
the father of Prince Telemachus. Though a strong
and courageous warrior, he is most renowned for
his intellect. He is a favorite of the goddess
Athena, who often sends him divine aid, but a
bitter enemy of Poseidon, who frustrates his
journey at every turn.

Homeric characters are generally static. Though they may
be very complex and realistic, they do not change over
the course of the work as characters in modern novels and
stories do. Odysseus and especially Telemachus break
this rule. Early in his adventures, Odysseus’s love of
glory prompts him to reveal his identity to the Cyclops
and bring Poseidon’s wrath down on him. By the end of
the epic, he seems much more willing to temper pride
with patience.
“Much have I suffered, labored long and hard by now
in the waves and wars. Add this to the total—bring the
trial on!”

PENELOPE
Wife of Odysseus and mother of Telemachus. Penelope
spends her days in the palace pining for the husband who
left for Troy twenty years earlier and never returned.
Homer portrays her as sometimes flighty and excitable but
also clever and steadfastly true to her husband.
Though she has not seen Odysseus in twenty years, and
despite pressure the suitors place on her to remarry,
Penelope never loses faith in her husband.
"All the nobles who rule the islands about... they court me
against my will, they lay waste my house... I yearn for
Odysseus, always, my heart pines away."

TELEMACHUS
Odysseus’s son. An infant when Odysseus left for
Troy, Telemachus is about twenty at the beginning
of the story. He is a natural obstacle to the suitors
desperately courting his mother, but despite his
courage and good heart, he initially lacks the poise
and confidence to oppose them.
He becomes mature and more responsible by the
end of the story.
₶“My fault, father,” the cool clear prince replied,
“the blame’s all mine. That snug door to the vault,
I left it ajar.”

He is wholly devoted to his mother and to
maintaining his father’s estate, but he does
not know how to protect them from the
suitors. After all, it has only been a few
years since he first realized what the
suitors’ intentions were.
His meeting with Athena in Book 1 changes
things. Aside from improving his stature
and bearing, she teaches him the
responsibilities of a young prince. He soon
becomes more assertive. He confronts the
suitors and denounces the abuse of his
estate

ATHENA
Daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom,
purposeful battle, and the womanly arts. Athena
assists Odysseus and Telemachus with divine
powers throughout the epic, and she speaks up
for them in the councils of the gods on Mount
Olympus. She often appears in disguise as
Mentor, an old friend of Odysseus.
Penelope works at the loom all the time but
rarely sees Athena, and then usually only in
dreams.

ATHENA
Athena is confident, practical, clever, a master
of disguises, and a great warrior, characteristics
she finds reflected in Telemachus. Her role as
goddess of the womanly arts gets very little
attention in The Odyssey.
“Among mortal men, you’re far the best at
tactics, spinning yarns,
and I am famous among the gods for wisdom,
cunning wiles, too.”

Calypso
The beautiful nymph who falls in love
with Odysseus when he lands on her
island-home of ogygia. Calypso holds
him prisoner there for seven years until
hermes, the messenger god, persuades her
to let him go.
Circe
The beautiful witch-goddess who
transforms Odysseus’s crew into swine
when he lands on her island. With Hermes’
help, Odysseus resists Circe’s powers and
then becomes her lover, living in luxury at
her side for a year.

Poseidon
God of the sea. As the suitors are Odysseus’s mortal
antagonists, Poseidon is his divine antagonist. He
despises Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops
Polyphemus, and constantly hampers his journey home.
Ironically, Poseidon is the patron of the seafaring
Phaeacians, who ultimately help to return Odysseus to
Ithaca.
Zeus
King of gods and men, who mediates the
disputes of the gods on Mount Olympus.
Zeus is occasionally depicted as weighing
men’s fates in his scales. He sometimes
helps Odysseus or permits Athena to do the
same.

AGAMEMNON
Former king of Mycenae, brother of Menelaus, and
commander of the Achaean forces at Troy. Odysseus
encounters Agamemnon’s spirit in Hades. Agamemnon was
murdered by his wife, Clytemnestra, and her lover,
Aegisthus, upon his return from the war. He was later
avenged by his son Orestes. Their story is constantly
repeated in The Odyssey to offer an inverted image of the
fortunes of Odysseus and Telemachus.

ЂThe Odyssey is an epic poem, meaning an exalted story of a warrior-like hero’s journey and
dealings with the gods, told in a formal poetic structure. Epic poems typically begin in the middle
of an extended action, or to use the Latin term, in medias res.
ЂThe Odyssey begins in a moment of crisis in Odysseus’s hometown of Ithaca, where suitors are
running amok in Odysseus’s house and pestering his wife, Penelope, to remarry. As Odysseus’s
son, Telemachus, learns what happened to his father during the Trojan War, the poem’s audience
hears about events that are not directly relevant to the story of Odysseus. While outside of the
main action of the poem, these interludes fill in the details of the story that come before the
beginning of the poem, allowing Homer to tell a much broader story in a plot that spans a
relatively short period of time.
The Odyssey: Genre

The Odyssey: Setting
Composed around the year 700 B.C.E. The poem is set
about 500 years earlier, around 1200 B.C.E., a period
known as the Bronze Age.
The poet imagines this time as a golden age in which
kings enjoy extraordinary wealth, warriors possess almost
superhuman strength, and women are supernaturally
beautiful. The gods walk among humans. Monsters pose a
threat to any traveler who strays off the map.

The Odyssey repeatedly contrasts two kinds of setting:
domestic and wild.
∏Domestic: The poem’s characters often find themselves
in luxurious domestic settings, the palaces of kings and
goddesses i.e. Odysseus’ palace & Circe’s luxurious
home.
∏Wild: At other times, the poem’s characters find
themselves in unknown, untamed spaces, where they face
serious threats. At sea they are threatened by storms and
the wrath of gods and monsters. In unknown lands they
face hostile armies.

The tone of The Odyssey evolves from somber and mournful to joyfully excited but serious as
Odysseus gets closer to completing his quest.
Depressing Tone: The book begins in a depressive tone, as Telemachus and Penelope despair of
ever seeing Odysseus again and the situation with the suitors is becoming dire. We first hear about
Odysseus in the opening lines, when he is described as “heartsick on the opening sea,” having
suffered “many pains.”
Joyful Tone: By the end of the poem, the tone is admiring, as we finally see Odysseus engaged in
battle, and both he and Telemachus are invigorated by their fight with the suitors. The tone in the
final books of the poem is optimistic, and also serious, underscoring the sense that the gods are
controlling the action and Odysseus is fated for victory over the suitors, whose deaths are
inevitable
The Odyssey: Tone

The end of the poem is the most bloody, violent, and unrestrained, with the action related in an
unapologetic tone.
Homer describes the bloodshed, such as Telemachus’s murder of the servant women, in great
detail, and with little remorse: “so the women’s heads were trapped in a line, nooses yanking their
necks up, one by one, so all might die a pitiful, ghastly death… they kicked up heels for a little –
not for long.”
This mercilessly gory tone echoes the beginning of the poem,
as in the repetition of the phrase “warm tears,” but this time
there is the sense of resolution, as the violence is described as
inevitable for the peace that ends the poem.

Documents Retrieved from:
https://www.biography.com/writer/homer
https://www.sparknotes.com/lit/odyssey/
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Odyssey-epic-by-Homer
REFERENCES

Module: World literature in
translation
• Topic:
Analysis of poem “Odyssey”
by Homer
• Presented to:
Ma’am Durr-e-Nayab
• Presented by:
Anab Fatima
• Roll number:
(07)
Y

Sing to me of the man, Muse,
the man of twists and turns …
and again, off course, once he had plundered
the hallowed heights
driven time of Troy.
Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds,
many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea,
fighting to save his life and bring his comrade's
home
But he could not save them from disaster,
hard as he strove—
the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them
all,
the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun
and the Sun god blotted out the day of their return.
2/1/20XX PRESENTATION TITLE 27
Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus,
start from where you will—sing for our time too.
By now,
all the survivors, all who avoided headlong death
were safe at home, escaped the wars and waves.
But one man alone …
his heart set on his wife and his return—Calypso,
the bewitching nymph, the lustrous goddess, held him back, But
then, when the wheeling seasons brought the year around,
that year spun out by the gods when he should reach his home,
Ithaca —though not even there would he be free of trials,
then every god took pity,
all except Poseidon. He raged on, seething against
the great Odysseus till he reached his native land.

Homer begins the poem by asking the Muse, who is the goddess of
poetry and music, (in epic mythological poems it was tradition
poets usually asks for guidance for writing poems) for her
guidance in telling the story of a man (Odysseus) who has
experienced many twists and turns of fate and has suffered many
hardships.
In these starting lines very beautifully, poet is introducing his
heroic character Odysseus, “The man of the twist and turns”.
So, the reader, from starting line of the poem acknowledge about
the velour and courageous character of the poem who is so brave,
and faces may challenge in his life.
Sing to me of the man,
Muse,
the man of twists and turns
…
driven time and again off
course,
Explanation
Lines
1-2

In the second line poet is calling his journey as a divine
time because he is a traveler and conqueror and he thinks
that his journeys full of challenges was holy,
and the poet is using the poetic device here Metaphor
using plunder meaning stealing. It means that his tragic
journey gave him the divine treasures that he has stolen
and conquered them by using the term, Troy.
Troy refers both to a place in legend and a real-life
archaeological site. In legend, Troy is a city that was
besieged for 10 years and eventually conquered by a Greek
army led by King Agamemnon. The reason for this "Trojan
War" was, according to Homer's "Iliad," the abduction of
Helen, a queen from Sparta.
Once he had plundered the
hallowed heights of Troy.
Lines
2--3
Explanation

Lines
4--6
In simple context this line stated about his vast experience of tragic journeys
that he travelled almost half of the world.
Clause ‘learned their minds’ is referring to Odysseus defining character
traits: strength, courage, nobility, a thirst for glory, and confidence in his
authority.
His most distinguishing trait, however, is his sharp intellect. Odysseus’s
quick thinking helps him out of some very tough situations.
Odysseus and his crew have seen many strange lands and have suffered
many trials. Their careless behavior has sometimes angered the gods, who
have prevented their safe return to Ithaca. He was prisoned in Ireland by
Greek gods, but he didn’t lose hope and fought his best and returned home.
Many cities of men he saw
and learned their minds,
many pains he suffered,
heartsick on the open sea,
fighting to save his life and
bring his comrade's home.
Explanation

Lines
7--10
But he could not save them from disaster,
hard as he strove—
the recklessness of their own ways
destroyed them all,
the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of
the Sun
and the Sun god blotted out the day of
their return.
Explanation
These lines offers foreshadowing into how the poem will
end – Odysseus having survived, but all his men having
perished.
Odysseus and his companions stopped on an island for
some rest, but Odysseus wanted to avoid the island
altogether, but Eurylochus(companion) insisted that the
crew needed rest. Odysseus made the men swear an oath
not to eat any cattle, but they were trapped on the island for
a month by an unfortunate wind; eventually their stores ran
out and the men began to starve.

One day Odysseus fell asleep,
and Eurylochus convinced the
men to eat the Cattle of the Sun
(God): it is better to die at sea
from the wrath of the gods, he
said, than to die of hunger.
Odysseus woke up to find that
the men had broken their oaths
and killed some cattle. Sun asked
Zeus to sent down a storm that
destroyed their ship and killed
everyone except Odysseus.

Lines
11--12
Explanation
The unidentified narrator then requests, “Launch out on his story, Muse,
daughter of Zeus, / start from where you will.” This is the style of Homer,
telling story in his poem.
Basically, Odysseus was telling this story to a man and lady (Zeus and
Athena) who rescued him and asked him to tell them about his tragic
journeys and their adventures.
Indeed, The Odyssey starts not at the beginning of Odysseus' journey but in
the middle of the action: 20 years after his initial departure from Ithaca. By
jumping forward and backward in time, Homer provides important details
at crucial moments without interrupting the narrative flow.
Launch out on his story,
Muse, daughter of Zeus,
start from where you will—
sing for our time too.

Lines
13--16
Explanation
Poet is describing that in war many
people die. Rest of the survivors who
fought the war are now at their homes.
Odysseus, the reader is told, is the only
Greek survivor of the Trojan War who has
not yet returned home after war, the one
who was a bravest of all went alone for
facing all the twist and tragedies of life.
By now,
all the survivors, all who
avoided headlong death
were safe at home, escaped the
wars and waves.
But one man alone …

Lines
17--19
Explanation
Now poet is describing another story that Odysseus is being held prisoner on the
island Ogygia by the "bewitching nymph" (witch) named Calypso who wants to
marry him and wants Odysseus as her husband. As readers of The Odyssey
discover, however, Calypso is indeed compelled to release her hold on Odysseus,
and the instrument of the mortal's liberation is Athena (God of wisdom and war),
the goddess who looks out for Odysseus during the many years he spends on his
journey. Athena is the daughter of Zeus (sky and thunder God), the most powerful
figure in Greek mythology and in Homer's story.
his heart set on his wife and
his return—Calypso,
the bewitching nymph, the
lustrous goddess, held him
back,
deep in her arching caverns,
craving him for a husband.

Lines
20--21
Explanation
In this line it is said by
referring to previous lines
that after having his
journeys when it was time
to return home to his wife
and son, his fate was turned
by God as he was
imprisoned by witch.
But then, when the wheeling
seasons brought the year around,
that year spun out by the gods
when he should reach his home,
Ithaca

Lines
22--24
Explanation
At a divine council on Mount Olympus (home of 12 gods),
Athena pleads with her father, Zeus, to take pity on
Odysseus and allow him to return home. Athena was the
goddess who supported him and asked his father to release
him and let him return to home.
—though not even there would he
be free of trials,
even among his loved ones—
then every god took pity,

Lines
25--26
Explanation
In these lines the struggle of Athena are
continued to send Odysseus back home,
but Odysseus has suffered the wrath of
Poseidon, (God of the sea) here is also
reference of story that once Odysseus had
blinded his son Polyphemus the Cyclops
(water flea).
So, he was angry with Odysseus and was
not agree to forgive Odysseus . Meanwhile,
Odysseus' wife, Penelope, is surrounded by
suitors at his home in Ithaca.
all except Poseidon. He
raged on, seething against
the great Odysseus till he
reached his native land.

Literary devices:
“Literary devices or literary
techniques are specific structures that
writers often use to add meaning to
express their ideas and enhance their
writing.
Example: simile, metaphor, anaphora
etc.

Literary devices in 1st 26 lines of poem:
Anaphora
Alliteration
Simile
Most
existing
Least
existing

Anaphora:
Definition
Anaphora is the
repetition of a word or
phrase at the beginning
of a series of clauses or
sentences.
• Many cities of men he saw
many pains he suffered,
• all the survivors, all who
avoided
• his heart set on his wife and his
return
• the bewitching nymph, the
lustrous goddess

Alliteration
Definition
Alliteration describ
es a series of words
in quick succession
that all start with the
same letter or sound.
• the man of twists and turns
• time of Troy.
• escaped the wars and
waves.

Simile:
Definition:
Simile is a comparison between two
things using ‘like’ or ‘as.
• hard as he strove—

The
Odyssey
Lines 25-50 Analysis
Presented to: Dr. Durr-e-Nayab
Presented by: Sana Ahmad
Roll no. 20
M.Phil. 2nd semester
Course: World Literature in Translation

Lines From English Translated text Ian Johnston
Lines 27-50
But at that moment,
Poseidon was among the Ethiopians,
a long way off, those same Ethiopians,
the most remote of people, who live
divided 30
in two different groups, one where
Hyperion goes down,
the other where he rises. Poseidon went
there
to receive a sacrificial offering to him—
bulls and rams—and was sitting at a
banquet,
enjoying himself. But other gods had
gathered
in the great hall of Olympian Zeus.
Among them all,
the father of gods and men was first to
speak.
whom Orestes, Agamemnon's famous son,
had killed.1 With him in mind, Zeus addressed
the gods: 40
“It's disgraceful how these humans blame the
gods.
They say their tribulations come from us,
when they themselves, through their own
foolishness,
bring hardships which are not decreed by
Fate.
Now there's Aegisthus, who took for himself
the wife of Agamemnon, Atreus' son,
and then murdered him, once the man came
home.
None of that was set by Fate. Aegisthus knew
his acts would bring about his total ruin.
We'd sent Hermes earlier to speak to him. 50

But at that moment,
Poseidon was among the Ethiopians,
a long way off, those same
Ethiopians,
the most remote of people, who live
divided.30
Lines 27-30

Poseidon was the God of the sea. He was Odyssey’s Divine
antagonist. He despises Odysseus for blinding his son and
continuously hampers his way home. When all of the Gods were
gathered to discuss his faith Poseidon was among the Ethiopians.
Now here in The Odyssey, Ethiopians is the term used for the people
who live at the upper Nile region as well as in the certain areas south
of the Sahara desert. These were the farther most regions and most of
the Ethiopian people lived divided.
Poseidon the God of the sea

in two different groups, one where
Hyperion goes down,
the other where he rises. Poseidon went
there
to receive a sacrificial offering to him—
bulls and rams—and was sitting at a
banquet,
gathered
Lines 31-35

The Ethiopians were mainly divided
into two groups. One of these groups
lived at the place where Hyperion
rises. Now, Hyperion here is a titan
God of light and sunlight and was
associated with watching and
observation. The other group of the
Ethiopians lived at the place where
He sets.
Hyperion the God of
sunlight

Cont.
So, these also refer to the poles from
where the sun rises and sets. These lines
have further explained about the reason
of the visit of the God’s sea (Poseidon).
He was there for a particular reason and
the reason was that He was there to
receive a sacrificial offering to him. In that
sacrificial offering there were bulls and
rams as sacrifices. There was a banquet
where the Sea God was enjoying His
time.
Sacrificial offering of the Ethiopians

Lines 35-37
gathered
in the great hall of Olympian Zeus.
Among them all,
the father of gods and men was first to
speak.

Lines 35-37
While Poseidon was away all the
other Gods were gathered at the
hall of Zeus. There they have all
gathered to discuss the fate of
Odysseus. In them the one who
spoke was the father of gods and
the men as well. Here the father
of gods and men refers to God
Zeus who was
the sky and thunder
god in ancient Greek religion,
who rules as king of the
gods of Mount Olympus. He was
first to talk.
God Zeus

In his heart he was remembering royal
Aegisthus,
whom Orestes, Agamemnon's famous
son,
had killed. With him in mind, Zeus
addressed the gods: 40
Lines 38-40

Lines 38-40
Zeus had Aegisthus in
mind who was killed by
Agamemnon's son
Orestes. Having that
man in mind the God
started addressing the
Gods at the Olympian
Hall.

“It's disgraceful how these humans
blame the gods.
They say their tribulations come from
us,
when they themselves, through their
own foolishness,
bring hardships which are not decreed
by Fate.
Lines 41-44

Lines 41-44
Zeus started his speech by saying that at times
the people are the creators of their own fate. Here,
Homer significantly portrayed that at times when a
hardship is brought upon a human being it is not
always by the God but sometimes he himself is
the one who turns his fate to these tribulations.
They create troubles for themselves by their own
foolishness and carelessness. At many instances
their worldly temptations paves the way for their
destruction which is not by fate but themselves.

Now there's Aegisthus, who took for
himself
the wife of Agamemnon, Atreus' son,
and then murdered him, once the man
came home.
Lines 45-47

Lines 45-47
Aegisthus’s story
Clytemnestra was unfaithful to
her husband Agamemnon who
was in battle at Troy. Aegisthus
was the apparent lover in the
triangle who killed Agamemnon
in order to establish an intimate
relationship with his wife.
Orestes, Agamemnon’s son,
knew of how his father died but
waited strategically until the
opportune time came, and
avenged his father by killing
Aegisthus and Clytemnestra, his
mother.

The story about Agamemnon, the infidelity of his
wife Clytemnestra with Aegisthus,
Agamemnon’s death at the hands of the two
lovers, and the vengeance by his son Orestes
on behalf of his father is repeated several times
in the story because:
2-The story is also used to strike a
close resemblance between
Agamemnon’s situation and his
eventual death, with what
Penelope is going through at the
hands of unwanted suitors.
1-The story is also used to
show the difference between
Clytemnestra and Penelope
and also shows the benefits
associated with fidelity and
perseverance.
Cont.
Orestes,
Agamemnon’s son

None of that was set by Fate. Aegisthus
knew
his acts would bring about his total
ruin.
We'd sent Hermes earlier to speak to
him. 50
Lines 48-50

Lines 48-50
He commented that this was not
written in his fate and he very well
knew that his doings are going to
bring ruin upon him but he continued
otherwise. Hermes was a special god was also the
messenger of the Gods. So, before the ruin God
Zeus sent him to Aegisthus but he did not stopped
from his wrong doings and met death.
Hermes the Messenger God

Literary Devices
Literary devices highlight important concepts in a text, strengthen the narrative, and
help readers connect to the characters and themes.
Flashback
Flashbacks to previous events split up present-
day scenes in a story, usually to
build suspense toward a big reveal. Flashbacks
are also an interesting way to present exposition
for your story, gradually revealing to the reader
what happened in the past.
In his heart he was remembering royal
Aegisthus,
whom Orestes, Agamemnon's famous son,
had killed.
In these lines the poet used the flash back as a
tool to described what happened in the past.

Metonymy
Metonymy is like symbolism, but even more so. A
metonym doesn’t just symbolize something else,
it comes to serve as a synonym for that thing or
things typically, a single object embodies an entire
institution.
Among them all,
the father of gods and men was first to speak.
In these lines the poet has used father of the gods
and men instead of Zeus, which is his name.

• "Odyssey". Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. Archived from the original
on 2016-02-29.
• "Calypso and Odysseus Archived 2016-05-02 at the Way back Machine." Greek Myths &
Greek Mythology (2010). Retrieved 5 May 2020.
• Fenik, B. 1974. Studies in the Odyssey. Hermes: Einzelschriften 30. Wiesbaden, West
Germany: F. Steiner.
• Griffin, J. 1987. Homer: The Odyssey. Landmarks in World Literature. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
• 1999. The Odyssey: Structure, Narration and Meaning. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins
University Press.
References

Symbols& THEMESIN
“THEODYSSEY”BY
HOMER
PRESENTED TO: DR. DURR E NAYAB
PRESENTED BY: ZOYA HASHMI
ROLL NO. 21
MPHIL 2ND SEMESTER
SESSION: 2020-2022

ODYSSEUS' BOW
THE MIGHTY BOW OF ODYSSEUS,
WHICH ONLY HE CAN STRING. IT
IS A SYMBOL OF HIS RIGHTFUL
PLACE AS KING OF ITHACA AND
HUSBAND OF PENELOPE. BY
STRINGING IT AFTER ALL
OTHERS HAVE FAILED, HE
ASSERTS HIS DOMINION AND
PROVES TO THE SUITORS THAT
THEIR EFFORTS TO TAKE HIS
WIFE AND LAND FROM HIM HAVE
BEEN IN VAIN.

ODYSSEUS' DOG, ARGOS
ARGOS CAN BE SEEN AS A
SYMBOL FOR THE FIDELITY OF
ODYSSEUS' HOUSEHOLD IN HIS
ABSENCE. THE IMPLICATION IS
THAT ARGOS COULD NOT DIE
UNTIL HIS MASTER RETURNED,
OUT OF UNPARALLELED LOYALTY
TO HIM; JUST SO, PENELOPE AND
TELEMACHUS STAYED LOYAL TO
ODYSSEUS IN HIS EXTENDED
ABSENCE, DESPITE THE MANY
EFFORTS OF THE SUITORS TO
DISSUADE THEM FROM THIS
LOYALTY.

THE ISLAND OF ITHACA
THE ISLAND OF ITHACA
SYMBOLIZES HOME. IT IS WHERE
ODYSSEUS CAN SHARE HIS LIFE
WITH HIS BELOVED WIFE AND
SON, ENJOY THE WEALTH THAT
HE HAS EARNED, EAT THE FOOD
OF HIS YOUTH, AND EVEN SLEEP
IN THE BED THAT HE BUILT.
ITHACA SYMBOLIZES THE END
OF THE JOURNEY, THE GOAL OF
THE MYTHIC TREK.
NEVERTHELESS, IT IS NOT
GAINED WITHOUT A FIGHT.

PENELOPE’S SHROUD
PENELOPE WEAVES A
SHROUD FOR HER FATHER-
IN-LAW, LAERTES' FUNERAL
WHICH SYMBOLIZES THE
SMART AND CUNNING WAY IN
WHICH SHE CONFRONTS THE
SUITORS SHE LACKS THE
POWER TO FIGHT THEM WITH
PHYSICAL STRENGTH SO
SHE WARDS THEM OFF WITH
HER WITS.

THE SHROUD
STORY .
“This was her latest masterpiece of guile:
she set up a great loom in the royal halls
and she began to weave, and the weaving
finespun,
the yarns endless, and she would lead us on:
‘Young men,
my suitors, now that King Odysseus is no
more,
go slowly, keen as you are to marry me, until
I can finish off this web …
so my weaving won’t all fray and come to
nothing.
This is a shroud for old lord Laertes, for that
day
when the deadly fate that lays us out at last
will take him down.”
(Odyssey,Book 2)

“All just sat there, silent …
no one had the heart to reply with harshness.
Only Antinous, who found it in himself to say:
[…]
“Her very words,
and despite our pride and passion we believed her.
So by day she’d weave at her great and growing web—
by night, by the light of torches set beside her,
she would unravel all she’d done.”
(Odyssey, Book 2)
THE SITUATION OF THE SUITORS

FOOD
ALMOST EVERY FORTUNE AND MISFORTUNE IN THE
ODYSSEY IS A SCENE OF MEN EATING OR BEING
EATEN. EVERY KINDNESS CULMINATES IN A MEAL,
AND NEARLY EVERY TRIAL CULMINATES IN
CANNIBALISM OR POISON. SCYLLA, THE CYCLOPS,
AND THE LAESTRYGONIANS ALL EAT SOME
OF ODYSSEUS'S MEN. THE SUITORS DISHONOR
ODYSSEUS’ HOUSEHOLD BY THEIR INCESSANT
FEASTING, AND VARIOUS PEOPLE HONOR ODYSSEUS
BY GIVING HIM FOOD AND WINE.

FOOD
“BELLY'S A SHAMELESS DOG, THERE'S
NOTHING WORSE.
ALWAYS INSISTING, PRESSING, IT NEVER
LETS US FORGET –
DESTROYED AS I AM, MY HEART RACKED
WITH SADNESS,
SICK WITH ANGUISH, STILL IT KEEPS
DEMANDING,
‘EAT, DRINK!' IT BLOTS OUT ALL THE
MEMORY
OF MY PAIN, COMMANDING, ‘FILL ME
UP!’”
(ODYSSEUS - ODYSSEY, BOOK- 7)

FOOD
ODYSSEUS OFTEN
COMMENTS THAT ALL MEN
ARE BURDENED BY THEIR
BASE PHYSICAL NEEDS;
PERHAPS THE TEDIOUS
HUMAN CYCLE OF
INGESTION AND
EXCRETION REPRESENTS
THE VICISSITUDES OF THE
MORTAL WORLD AS
OPPOSED TO THE CLEAN
PERMANENCE OF THE
DIVINE.

SEA
THE SEA IS SIGNIFICANT AS ODYSSEUS SAILS FROM TROY TO
ITHACA. THE SEA SYMBOLIZES SUFFERINGS, SHORTCOMINGS,
DANGER AND THE HUMAN WEAKNESSES AND HELPLESSNESS
BEFORE GODS.
IT IS ALSO A SYMBOL OF LIFE AS A WHOLE AS ODYSSEUS HAD
TO FACE MANY CHALLENGES ON HIS VOYAGE BUT HE FACED
THEM VALIANTLY TO REACH BACK HOME TO REUNITE WITH
HIS WIFE. HE EVENTUALLY GOT WHAT HE WANTED.
SUCH IS LIFE ITSELF. MAN REACHES HIS DESIRED
DESTINATION IF HE STAYS BRAVE IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY.

“First you will raise the island of the Sirens,
those creatures who spellbind any man alive,
whoever comes their way. Whoever draws too close,
off guard, and catches the Sirens’ voices in the air—
no sailing home for him, no wife rising to meet him,
no happy children beaming up at their father’s face.
The high, thrilling song of the Sirens will transfix him,
lolling there in their meadow, round them heaps of corpses,
rotting away, rags of skin shriveling on their bones …”
(Oddysseus, Book 12)

MARRIAGE BED
PENELOPE’S AND ODYSSEUS’ BED IS ONE OF THE KEY SYMBOLS IN THE
ODYSSEY. IT REPRESENTS THE UNMOVABLE FAMILY TIES AND LOVE
BETWEEN THE MARRIED COUPLE.
THE BED WAS MADE OF THE WOOD OF AN OLIVE TREE BEFORE ODYSSEUS
WENT TO THE TROJAN WAR. THE STORY CONTAINS ONE SECRET THAT
ONLY THE SPOUSES ARE AWARE OF – THE BED IS IMMOVABLE. IN
ODYSSEUS’ PRESENCE, PENELOPE ASKS HER SERVANT TO REMOVE IT
FROM THE BEDROOM. THE KING REACTS WITH DISMAY TO HIS WIFE’S
COMMAND AND PROVES HIS IDENTITY. THAT IS HOW PENELOPE TESTS
ODYSSEUS WHILE HE PRETENDS TO BE A BEGGAR.
THEREFORE, THE BED SYMBOLIZES THE UNMOVABLE LOVE THAT
OVERCAME CRITICAL OBSTACLES. THE MARRIAGE WAS STRONGER THAN
PENELOPE’S SUITORS AND ODYSSEUS’ LONG ABSENCE.

Penelope: “Come, Eurycleia, move
the sturdy bedstead out of our
bridal chamber— that room the
master built with his own hands.
Take it out now, sturdy bed that it is,
and spread it deep with fleece,
blankets and lustrous throws to
keep him warm.”
(Odysseus, Book 23)
Odysseus: “Woman—your words,
they cut me to the core!Who could
move my bed? Impossible task,
even for some skilled craftsman—
unless a god came down in person,
quick to lend a hand,
lifted it out with ease and moved it
elsewhere.
Not a man on earth, not even at
peak strength,
would find it easy to prise it up
and shift it, no,
a great sign, a hallmark lies in its
construction.
I know, I built it myself—no one
else …”
(Odysseus, Book 23)

HUBRIS
“HUBRIS” IS A GREEK WORD WHICH MEANS “EXCESSIVE PRIDE”.
ODYSSEUS TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN HIS TROJAN ADVENTURE FOR
WHICH GODS PUNISH HIM BY KEEPING HIM AWAY FROM HIS
HOME AND PUTTING HIM THROUGH TRIALS DURING HIS
JOURNEYS. IT TAKES HIM A DECADE TO REACH HOME AFTER
LIVING AWAY FROM HIS FAITHFUL WIFE, PENELOPE AND HIS SON,
TELEMACHUS. HE FACES MAGIC OF CIRCE, CALYPSO, AND
WRATH OF THE CYCLOPS ALONG WITH NUMEROUS OTHER
HURDLES. HE ULTIMATELY STANDS VICTORIOUS AGAINST THE
ARROGANT SUITORS AND REUNITES WITH HIS FAMILY. THIS
MEANS THAT HIS HUBRIS WAS FORGIVEN THROUGH HIS LONG-
SUFFERING.

HOSPITALITY
HOSPITALITY WAS A SIGNIFICANT ETHICAL CODE OF
GREECE AND A MAJOR THEMES OF “THE ODYSSEY”. THE
CYCLOPS POLYPHEMUS, KEEPS ODYSSEUS AND HIS
COMRADES HIS CAPTIVES, KILLS AND EATS HIS GUESTS
AND CIRCE SHOW THE BAD SIDE OF HOSPITALITY BY
TRANSFORMING PEOPLE INTO ANIMALS WHEN THEY VISIT
HER GRAND PALACE. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE
PHAEACIANS, CALYPSO, AEOLUS, ALCINOUS, AND
PENELOPE SHOW GOOD HOSPITALITY, WITHOUT WHICH
ODYSSEUS WOULDN’T HAVE REACHED HOME. HENCE,
ODYSSEUS PRAISES THE PHAEACIANS SAYING “THEY
ALWAYS HELP THEIR GUESTS TRAVEL ONWARD.”

TRICKERY AND DECEPTION
TRICKERY AND DECEPTION ARE USED IN THE WORLD AS
A NECESSITY FOR SURVIVAL. WHILE ODYSSEUS FIGHTS
THE CHALLENGES THAT HAD BEEN THROWN HIS WAY
ATHENA OFFERS HELP IN DISGUISES. ODYSSEUS, TOO,
KEEPS HIS IDENTITY A SECRET TO AVOID DETECTION
AND LIKELY REPRISALS FROM HIS ENEMIES. ODYSSEUS
ALSO DECEIVES CYCLOPS BY GIVING HIM A FALSE
NAME, NOMAN. THIS PLAY OF TRICKERY AND IDENTITY
CONTINUES EVEN WHEN ODYSSEUS REACHES HOME. HE
PRETENDS TO BE A BEGGAR AND DISCLOSES HIS
IDENTITY TO HIS SON, TELEMACHUS AND A SOLDIER TO
RESOLVE THE CHAOS CREATED BY THE SUITORS OF HIS
WIFE.

TEMPTATION
THE TEMPTATION WAS AND STILL IS CONSIDERED A SIN, OR
AN EVIL ACT AND A NEGATIVE TRAIT. ON VARIOUS
OCCASIONS, THROUGH ODYSSEUS’S CHARACTER, HOMER
HAS SHOWN THAT TEMPTATIONS, SOMETIMES, ARE
POWERFUL. THESE TEMPTATIONS RANGE FROM SENSUAL
PLEASURES TO THE SATISFACTION OF HUNGER OR PRIDE.
WHEN ODYSSEUS’S SOLDIERS SEE THE LOTUS-EATERS,
THEY IMMEDIATELY FALL TO THAT TEMPTATION. ODYSSEUS
IS ALSO TEMPTED BY CIRCE’S BEAUTY AND SAVES
HIMSELF IN THE NICK OF TIME. THIS IS TO SHOW HOW
DIFFERENT HE IS FROM HIS CREW MEMBERS. ALSO, WHEN
HE HAS TO RESTRAIN HIMSELF IN THE END WHEN HE
REACHES HOME, HE DOES NOT FALL TO THE TEMPTATION
TO FIGHT AGAINST THE SUITORS ON HIS TURF. HE RESISTS
AND WAITS FOR THE RIGHT TIME. THIS DIFFERENCE OF
FALLING TO TEMPTATION AND RESTRAINING ONESELF

JUSTICE AND PUNISHMENT
JUSTICE AND PUNISHMENT ARE TWO CRUCIAL SOCIAL NORMS
AMONG OTHERS WHICH ARE SUPPOSEDLY SUPPORTED BY
GODS LIKE ZEUS AND OTHERS. NO MATTER HOW GREAT A
HERO MAY BECOME, HE MUST BE RIGHTEOUS AND HAVE
INTEGRITY; IF HE FAILS HE MUST FACE THE CONSEQUENCES.
IN OTHER WORDS, IF GODS PUNISH A HERO TO DISPENSE
JUSTICE. AS AN EXAMPLE, POSEIDON CONTINUES TO PUNISH
ODYSSEUS, DELAYING HIS JOURNEY. ATHENA ALSO
CONTINUES TO SUPPORT ODYSSEUS TO KEEP BALANCE AS HE
FACES HIS TRANSGRESSIONS. THIS ALSO HINTS TOWARDS A
MINOR THEME OF DIVINE INTERVENTION.

REFERENCES
• https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-symbols-in-Homers-
Odyssey
• https://www.gradesaver.com/the-odyssey/study-guide/symbols-allegory-motifs
• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/637963103470029439/
• https://mythologyodysseusblog.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/blog-prompt-7-
odysseus-feast/
• https://custom-writing.org/blog/the-odyssey-symbols
• https://literarydevices.net/odyssey-themes/

MARRIAGE BED
PENELOPE’S AND ODYSSEUS’ BED IS ONE OF THE KEY SYMBOLS
IN THE ODYSSEY. IT REPRESENTS THE UNMOVABLE FAMILY TIES AND
LOVE BETWEEN THE MARRIED COUPLE.
THE BED WAS MADE OF THE WOOD OF AN OLIVE TREE BEFORE
ODYSSEUS WENT TO THE TROJAN WAR. THE STORY CONTAINS ONE
SECRET THAT ONLY THE SPOUSES ARE AWARE OF – THE BED IS
IMMOVABLE. IN ODYSSEUS’ PRESENCE, PENELOPE ASKS HER
SERVANT TO REMOVE IT FROM THE BEDROOM. THE KING REACTS
WITH DISMAY TO HIS WIFE’S COMMAND AND PROVES HIS IDENTITY.
THAT IS HOW PENELOPE TESTS ODYSSEUS WHILE HE PRETENDS TO
BE A BEGGAR.
THEREFORE, THE BED SYMBOLIZES THE UNMOVABLE LOVE THAT
OVERCAME CRITICAL OBSTACLES. THE MARRIAGE WAS STRONGER
THAN PENELOPE’S SUITORS AND ODYSSEUS’ LONG ABSENCE.

The Odyssey; An Epic by Homer

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