|
The Odyssey is an epic poem written by the blind Greek poet Homer. It is the tale of Odysseus and his journey home from the Trojan War. It is a tale of courage, cowardice, strength, and weakness.
The Odyssey broken down
The Odyssey is divided into 24 books spanning 11,300 lines. It also contains three major plot strands. The first is this story of what happens to Odysseuss wife, Penelope, and son Telemachus, as they await his arrival. The second is story of Odysseus's travels during his ten year journey. The third is section when Odysseus and Telemachus team up to destroy the suitors and get back Odysseus's rightful position as king. The Odyssey is also considered an epic poem. An epic poem is a long narrative poem about a national or legendary hero, in this case Odysseus. The Odyssey is one of two epics produced by Homer. The first epic, the Iliad, is based on the Trojan War and is centered on its hero Achilles. The Iliad was supposedly written sometime between 900 and 700 B.C. and The Odyssey followed sometime later. The actual cause of the Trojan War was probably an economic one. The country of Troy controlled trade through the Dardanelles. If the Greeks could destroy Troy, they could enlarge their trade routes and strengthen their country.
However, according to legend, the war broke out because of Helen. Helen was the most beautiful woman in the world. She was also the wife of King Menelaus of Sparta. She was kidnapped by Paris, a young Trojan prince. After many years King Menelaus assembled an army of all of Greece. This was a big deal at the time because Greece was not unified. Men from all over Greece, including Achilles and Odysseus, sailed to Troy to retrieve Helen.
After ten long years of fighting Troy was finally defeated. King Odysseus of Ithaca brings about their defeat. The Trojans up to this point were undefeated. No one had ever broken through Troys massive walls. But Odyssey had a plan. While the remaining army hid in a bay out of Troys sight, Odysseus and his men constructed a giant wooden horse, known forever in history as the Trojan Horse. A men stood next to the horse and told the Trojans that the Greeks had left and had given this horse to the Trojans as a gift to the Gods. So, that night the Trojans celebrated and brought the horse into he city gates.
Odysseus and his men hid inside the colossal horse until nightfall when most of the Trojans were drunk and asleep. The snuck out of the horse and signaled for their men hiding at sea to come back to Troy. Then the men from the horse opened the impenetrable gates from the inside and let the rest of the Greeks in. The Greeks slaughtered the Trojans and burned the city.
Odysseuss instrumental scheme that brought about the end of the Trojans turned out to have its bad side too. Gods favoring Troy vowed to make Odysseus journey home long and hard. Among these gods was Poseidon, god of the sea. Odysseuss trip takes ten years. If you add that to the time he was in Troy that means he has been away from home for twenty years. Odysseus faces many perils along the way. By the time he arrives at home he learns that a group of suitors has taken over his palace and are fighting to be the husband of Penelope his wife so one of them may be king of Ithaca. Odysseus goes undercover as a beggar to see who is still loyal to him and who is not. He reveals himself after careful observation and teams up with his son, Telemachus, to kill off the suitors. He succeeds and regains his kingdom. On Odysseus's travel to the country estate of Laertes, his father, the suitors once again attack him. Athena, god of war, commands them to make peace and the tale of Odysseus ends.
|
