加载中…Reading reflection of Homer's Odyssey 奥德赛 读书思考
(2011-02-12 16:52:22)
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odysseystructuretheme文化 |
Contents
1.0 Introduction
1.1 Introduction to the essay
2.0 Homer, the author
2.1Arguments and research on the identity of Homer
2.1.1 The name “Homer” and its meaning
2.1.2 Homer’s occupation
2.2Works attributed to Homer
2.3The concept of Homer’s epic poetries
2.4Homeric dialect
3.0 Synopsis
3.1 Background
3.2 Odysseus, the hero
3.3 Structure
3.4 The hero’s journey
3.4.1 Ordinary world
3.4.2 Call to adventure
3.4.3 Ideological struggle
3.4.4 Mentor
3.4.5 Tribulation
3.4.6 Revenge
3.4.7 Return with the Elixir and reward
4.0 Evaluation and impact of the work
4.1 Evaluation from famous people
4.2 Impact on future literature
5.0 Reading reflections about Odyssey
3.1 Themes of Odyssey
3.2
Concepts that elucidate from the work
3.3 Appealing for reading
1.0 Introduction
1.1
Introduction to the essay
Epic, according wikipedia’s description, is a lengthy narrative poem, ordinarily concerning a serious subject containing details of heroic deeds and events significant to a culture or nation. Based on oral poetry, epics have been written down at least since the works of Virgil, Dante Alighieri, and John Milton, Beowulf is one of the mostly well-known pieces. In this essay, another famous epic will be the center that discussed, and that is Homer’s Odyssey.
2.0 Homer, the author
2.1Arguments and research on the identity of Homer
2.1.1 The name “Homer” and its meaning
Although “Homer” is a Greek name, attested in Aeolic-speaking areas, nothing definite is known of him. The poet's name is homophonous with ὅμηρος (hómēros), meaning, generally, "hostage" (or "surety"), long understood as "he who accompanies; he who is forced to follow", or, in some dialects, "blind".
2.1.2 Homer’s occupation
The Ancient Lives depict Homer as a wandering minstrel, much like Thamyris or Hesiod, who walked as far as Chalkis to sing at the funeral games of Amphidams. We are given the image of a "blind, begging singer who hangs around with little people: shoemakers, fisherman, potters, sailors, elderly men in the gathering places of harbour tolwns". Scholars are divided as to which category, if any, the court singer or the wandering minstrel, the historic "Homer" belonged.
2.2Works attributed to Homer
It is wildly recognized that Odyssey and Iliad are traditionally ascribed to Homer. In spite of Iliad and Odyssey, some epics are said belonging to him. However, this point of view hasn’t been identified. According Aristotle’s own perspective, there’s still two extant works which are created by Homer, meaning a satiric poetry and Batrachomyomachi (Greek, which means the battle between frog and mice).
2.3The concept of Homer’s epic poetries
Homer’s epics include Iliad and Odyssey, which are both said to be Homer’s work. The themes of two epics focus on singing the praise of the heroes in clan society. The keynote of Iliad regards war as a justifiable and glorious event. Simultaneously, the poetry describes the cruelty of war vaguely. In this degree, Iliad denounced the negative effect on which may have to the innocent social class.
2.4Homeric dialect
The language used by Homer is an archaic version of Ionic Greek, with admixtures from certain other dialects, such as Aeolic Greek. It later served as the basis of Epic Greek, the language of epic poetry, typically in dactylic hexameter.
2.5 The historical value of Homer’s epic poetries
In one aspect, the homer’s epic poetries are based on the resounds of the verbal literature. Thus, the original characters have been preserved well, and which are embodied especially in the authenticity of ancient culture. Those two giant works also become strong proofs about the highly prosperous culture around the Mediterranean district.
Homer’s epic poetries are among the best literatures that have in early European history. Iliad and Odyssey have been proved to be the primary sources to study the life that people have in prehistory time.
On the hand of the creative arts that have in both two tremendous work, romanticism and realism have been found used. Though Greek mythology occupies large space in the poetries, the portrayals of crucial war are true reflection of people’s lives. Meantime, the highly general facts are expressed by the vivid characterization as well as the revealing of the inner world of the figures.
Homer’s epic poetries give readers great artistic treats. Furthermore, it is undoubtedly a milestone that will erect forever in the history of the world’s literature.
3.0 Synopsis
3.1 Background
Iliad, as the prelude of Odyssey, starts its story after the ninth year of the Trojan War.
The Odyssey begins ten years after the end of the ten-year Trojan War. For the sake of Odyssey has stabbed Polypheme’s eyes whose farther is Poseidon, the god of the sea, Odysseus has been delayed by Poseidon’s censure and still not returned home from the war. Odysseus' son Telemachus is twenty and is sharing his absent father’s house on the island of Ithaca with his mother Penelope and a crowd of 108 boisterous young men, "the Suitors", whose aim is to persuade Penelope to marry one of them, all the while enjoying the hospitality of Odysseus' household and eating up his wealth.
3.2 Odysseus, the hero
3.2.1 Parentage and name
As to the parentage, according to Odyssey, his father is Laertes and his mother is Anticleia, although there was a non-Homeric tradition that Sisyphus was his true father.
The name Odysseus is derived from the verb oussomai, which means “to be wroth against”. He is also known as Ulysses in Latin.
Odysseus is one of the first Greek mythic heroes renowned for his brain as well as his muscles. Indeed he is a man with inquiring mind, and he is also a man with outstanding prowess and bravery.
In the Iliad, Odysseus was one of the most influential Greek champions during the Trojan war. Odysseus is frequently viewed as a man of the mean, renowned for his self-restraint and diplomatic skills.
3.3 Structure
In the perspective of writing structure, the first 13 volumes focus on the ten years of suffering that Odysseus had had. The story starts from the discussion that gods have on Mount Olympus about his fate. The gods of Olympus decided to set Odysseus free to home. For the sake of their will, Calypso, the sea nymph, released him after having delayed Odysseus for 7 years. In the last 11 volumes, Odysseus returned back to home, and with the help of his son, Telemachus, he killed the suitors.
3.4 The hero’s journey
3.4.1 Ordinary world
To Odysseus in the Odyssey, our hero’s ordinary world could not be equivalent with the world we live in. for this book and the tale of Odysseus, his ordinary world refers to his living on the island of Ogygia. For the delays by goddess calypso, his journey begins from ending his 7-years life in Ogygia.
3.4.2 Call to adventure
Odysseus’ call to adventure takes place while he is still in his ordinary world. Hermes travels from Mt. Olympus with the declaration of Zeus that Odysseus must to be set free from her detainment. Thus, Odysseus is at liberty to finally leave her. So, with this reason, he for a time refuse her statement that he is emancipated from Ogygia.
3.4.3 Ideological struggle
After being told about the fate, Odysseus acted like he didn’t trust calypso’s devious mind and suspected her of hatching some trick against him.
3.4.4 Mentor
Passing through the Odyssey, Pallas Athena is his mentor for the trip. She prompts him to have the courage to be able to act in many situations, she knows all and often uses this omnipotence to aid Odysseus, and she is the one who also aids his son, Telemachus, first by providing the impetus for him to search for news of his father around Achaea. Throughout Odyssey, Athena plays a major role in the events that occur.
3.4.5 Allies and enemies
As he begins his journey, Odysseus travels safely for many days, however the immortal curse bestowed upon him by the relentless and unforgiving Poseidon, god of the seas and earthquakes, is yet to befall him. After dealing with so many sufferings, Odysseus finally escaped from the sea and got to an island. This is the island of the Phaecians, and after meeting the King of these peoples' daughter, Naussica, he is welcomed by King Alcinous and Queen Arete. He finally reaches Ithaca with these great oarsmen rowing him on in their own ship, and finds that hefaces another challenge on coming home, perhaps even more trying than all the previous perils that he has faced outside of Ithaca, sailing around the great and mighty seas.
3.4.6 Revenge
After returning back to Ithaca, Odysseus should first face the suitors. With the help of Telemachus, he kills the suitors and wreaks his ultimate revenge.
3.4.7 Return with the Elixir and reward
Odysseus’ reward is winning back his place of power and being able to be with his wife , his son and his father again. The return with the elixir is when Odysseus and his loyal friends finally defeat his last threat to their survival, and peace is wrought over the entire place of Ithaca by Athena and the rest of the immortal gods up on high.
4.0 Evaluation and impact of the work
4.1 Evaluation from famous people
Aristotle remarks in his Poetics that Homer was unique among the poets of his time, focusing on a single unified theme or action in the epic cycle.
“They still give us aesthetic pleasure and are in certain respects regarded as a standard and unattainable ideal.” By Karl Marx
4.2 Impact on future literature
Published
sometime between 800 and 600 BC, the Odyssey is, along with the
Iliad, one of the best known, and most stupendously awesome, works
of ancient literature. In this category, Virgil’s epic poem the
Aeneid; Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses”; James Joyce’s novel,
Ulysses; countless paintings; Cream’s song “Tales of Brave
Ulysses”; the Cohen Brothers’ movie
5.0 Reading reflections about Odyssey
5.1Concepts that elucidate from the work
5.1.1 Family value
Home, as the purpose for Odysseus’ hard journey, family values were written as the core concepts that people have in Homer’s period. Crucial wars, Penelope’s celibacy, even Poseidon’s revenge were the most direct proofs.
5.1.2 Heroism
In
Odyssey, Odysseus is written as a great hero who resists the
unfortunate fate. From Iliad to Odyssey, heroism is throughout
these two works. In the context of slavery, tangled warfare
happened from one city-state to the other. As a consequence, hero
became a major role in the history of that period. Despite of
numerous respects that was given to the heroes,
5.1.2. Love
Home, as the purpose for Odysseus’ hard journey, family values were written as the core concepts that people have in Homer’s period. Crucial wars, Penelope’s celibacy, even Poseidon’s revenge were the most direct proofs.
5.1.3 Human life
Human life which I would like to sort as the following aspects: Fidelity, in my own perspective, readers can find pure fidelity from Odysseus’ family, meaning Telemachus’ will to find his father and the celibacy Penelope have. With no regard of all the suitors, Penelope lived all by herself undivided loyally. Meanwhile, Telemachus still has the faith about his father’s coming back.
Slavery, based on the moral of salve society, conquest and enslavement would be the theme that always existed. Not only did enslavement appeared during the Trojan war, but also can be proved as all the suitors ended their life by being killed.
5.1.4 Portrayals of women characters
Women in Roman times are considered to have little status and dominated by the man at the time. It is therefore noticeable that Homer’s odyssey has presented us with a different perspective of what we have learnt before, women in the odyssey is not merely presented as meek, humble and therefore blended into the background, but strong, powerful and wise.
For
instance, as a mentor of this journey, Athena showed hers great
intelligence and power which was not only showed by the help she
gave to Odysseus, but more could be seen according to her influence
to the goddesses in Mt. Olympus. In this way, we can infer that in
the book odyssey, small changes about people’s view have been taken
unobtrusively. Odyssey exhibited an entirely different way for the
world to regard females.
5.2 Appealing for reading
Homer’s epic poetry, the odyssey was giant geniuses work that still sparking in the history of literature. As a student majored in English, reading something about the classic Greek culture is of greatly necessity. In modern English, allusions to Greek mythology are generally used during teaching, writing even in daily communication; Homer’s odyssey is a book which combined realism and romanticism perfectly. As a suggestion, Odyssey shows us a way to approach the aim of learning English, and that is getting to know the keynote of western culture.
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