Homer Is All Mixed Up Essays - Odyssey, Ancient Greek Religion

Homer Is All Mixed Up Bruns 1 AP English 12 October 23, 2000 Homer is All Mixed Up Homers epic, the Odyssey, is a heroic narrative that follows the adventures of Odysseus, the powerful King of Ithaca. The main story involves Odysseuss return journey to his homeland after the Trojan War. However, Homer skips around in the action periodically to give the reader a better understanding and interest in what is going on in the epic. Homer takes his audience from the present action involving Telemakhos search for news of his fathers return, to the past where Odysseus tells the Phaiakians of his tragic journey home after the war. The events in Homers epic are not in order but still prove more effective at guiding the reader through the narrative. Although the events in the Odyssey are not in chronological order, the story line is enriched by Homers use of the in media res method because it introduces characters that were not involved in Odysseus adventure, because it shows the urgency of Odysseus return to his kingdom, and because it allows the reader to become more intere sted in the opening chapters without having to wait for a climax in the action. In media res is Latin for in the middle of the race which is a style used by Homer in the Odyssey when he begins the story in the middle of the action. In this way Homer is able to introduce major characters that would otherwise not be included in the narrative until the end of the epic. Three major characters introduced by this method are Telemakhos, Bruns 2 Odysseus son; Penelope, Odysseus wife; and the suitors, prominent young men of Ithaca who attempt to marry Penelope. Telemakhos is the first of these characters to be introduced. In lines 1-14 of book II he is introduced as a prominent young man as he enters the assembly spear in hand, with two quick hounds at heel; Athena lavished on him a sunlit grace that held the eye of the multitude. Old men made way for him as he took his fathers chair. Despite Telemakhos prominent figure in the opening lines of this book, it soon becomes obvious that he is not an extremely powerful figure. Telemakhos intends to expel the suitors from his home but he is not strong enough to fight them. It is important that the reader meets Telemakhos in the beginning because he is the main character in the Ithaca plot and also he must overcome obstacles at home foreshadowing the obstacles his father faces later in the epic. In lines 219-234 of book II he decides to go in search of news of his father. If he find s Odysseus is dead then he will give Penelope to another husband. Penelope is also introduced in book II. She is a wise woman who, out of love for Odysseus, procrastinates marrying another man. One instance of her defiance to the suitors occurs in lines 104-106 when she says Young men, my suitors, now my lord is dead, let me finish my weaving before I marry, or else my thread will have spun in vain. She intends to trick the suitors and weave very slowly so she does not have to marry. Finally the suitors are introduced in book II as well. The suitors are the young men who occupy Odysseus home, eat his food, consume his wealth, and attempt to woo Penelope. Homer does an outstanding job by introducing these characters at the beginning of the epic. This opens the readers eyes to a smaller subplot that is occurring Bruns 3 in Ithaca as Odysseus makes his way home. Homer introduces these characters and their concerns first so that the reader is not caught off guard later in the narrative when Odysseus finally does reach his homeland. These specific characters all play vital roles in the climax of the story and they are introduced early so that the reader can relate with their issues better later in the narrative. Homer also leaves the proper order of time in the Odyssey to show Odysseus urgency to return home to his beloved wife and kingdom. Odysseus faces many hardships on his journey home and could have easily given