Carter Gates -- The Odyssey

 December 8, 2022

In high school, I was tasked with reading The Odyssey in my English class. It was different from the books I had read for my English classes before because we were now diving deeper into epics, the meanings of them, and their hidden messages. It was hard for me to understand the text at first because of the way it is worded and written by Homer. But once we started discussing it in class, I understood it better. the story of The Odyssey follows Odysseus, who is a Greek hero and King of Ithaca, and his journey home after the Trojan War. His journey ends up being 10 years long and is quite a struggle, as he has to battle mystical creatures and face the wrath of the gods, all in order to return home to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. With the help of the god Athena, he is able to do so, and he eventually restores order and peace to his home, Ithaca. 

Odysseus is a prime example of the hero's journey. He is called to Troy to fight in the Trojan War, and endures many feats during this time, such as battling Scylla, a sea monster, and being tempted by the deadly sirens. He is tested throughout his journey, and his loyalty to Penelope is tested when he is faced with a love affair with the witch-goddess Circe, and again when Calypso traps him on her island because she loves him, he does not stop fighting or trying to find a way to get off the island. He feels greatly rewarded when he wins the Trojan War, and is rewarded again when he is finally able to leave Calypso's island with the help of Athena. The journey home is not easy though, and he is thrown off course by Poseidon, who harbors a bitter grudge against Odysseus since he blinded his son, the Cyclops Polyphemus. However, Athena saves him, and with the help of the the Phaeacians, he is finally able to make his way back to Ithaca. Odysseus then moves he is still the King through his fighting and archery skills. He demonstrates the journey of a hero, and his actions and his motivation to keep fighting to get back to his family is very inspirational in a way. 

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