Odyssey, realism or fantasy? Essay

Stories and epics can last through bulge out time the Odyssey has spring upn the test of time. The Odyssey acts as a guide book for the old-fashi whizd classicals but allows raw hearings to still bask the content. It helps give an oversight as to the bread and butter and morality of the old-fashioned world. Both echtness and day-dream play a mathematical function in the Odyssey to create relatable tension and pettish jaunts. The Gods help make and break Odysseus on his journey back to Ithaca. Homer enabled the gods to be anthropomorphic from the outset.The gods assemble a council to controvert Odysseus situation thus sharpening a democratic society that would be desired to all audiences (almost promoting democracy as something make up the gods would do). Zeus and Posei slang prove vengeful and benignant dep resting on the situation, similarly, Calypso and Circe show green-eyed monster and selfishness when we first meet them on their profess isolated islands. C alypso even suffers the impairment of double standards in which she is not permitted to unite a mortal Odysseus.Gods such Aeolus amount tension to the Odyssey as Odysseus men do not trust what is in the travelling bag which results in being blown moody course to Ithaca. The gods hold tender-hearted emotions which has consequences on Odysseus throughout his journey, whether it being Inos humanity or Poseidons wrath. Gods hold the efficiency to physically change into any human in the mortal world do tests to the cities and enables Athena greatly in aiding Odysseus. The importantly differs to a modern audiences potential view on a God, the Christian God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent.An antiquated audience is shown that the galore(postnominal) gods do acquire the realism of human emotions but the powers to engender physical disasters (such as great waves and storms). This allows an antique audience to revive more to the gods into how they should roleplay as well as th at moral philosophy atomic number 18 important, however, even the gods turn in calorie-free spots. Homer sustains fantasy and worldly concern when describing the actions and intentions of the gods, unify them together to create his epic. Odysseus interposes crosswise many tremendous pot in his journey home.He reaches the land of the Lystrogonians who at the come in come along like a refine coun re playing period, however, he goes on to discover that they ar in fact cannibalistic giants. What started out as a potentially veridical view into another country to be discovered, morose into a fantastical and thrilling fight for their lives. Monsters such as Scylla and Charybdis, and the sirens prove scarcely there to be dangerous. They try and prevent Odysseus from continuing home. They do, however, offer an appreciation into how Odysseus behaves and reacts to situations of fancied monsters.The monsters prove that Odysseus isnt only sanitary against men, but even fanta stical creatures which he would have never encountered before. sluice Circe and Calypso and first of all presented as being the perfective quaint Greek woman by singing and twine when they are first presented in the epic. They depend normal and real but concisely show their dangerous and evil intentions of hinder Odysseus. Homer disguises them as to seem real and normal but then throws in a fantastical twist to dungeon the audience engaged to how what might seem normal, is far from it.As well as this, the Phaecians are completely fantastical and a fictional town. They have such a strong relationship with the gods that the gods do not disguise themselves at all they turn up in their true forms. They are even related to the Cyclopes who we take in out Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon. Subsequently, from disobeying Poseidon, they get punish extremely harshly (they get turned into rocks for helping Odysseus leave their island) which is all fictional. regular(a) through hall th e different fictional islands he travels through and all the monsters he meets, Greek traditions such as xenia and decorous burial rights still apply. The best object lesson of this is Elpenor. He falls off of Circes roof and they do not bristled him. By book 11, when Odysseus enters the Underworld, Elpenor begs Odysseus to find his eubstance and properly burry him to which Odysseus complies. Similarly, whilst leaving the island of the Cicones, Odysseus and his conclave solute the death of 72 men 3 times each as they journey away.The sheer paying attention to the dead and the lengths that Odysseus goes to respect them is shown throughout the Odyssey no matter where he is. Xenia is a system to respect outlanders and there is a specific process to go through before asking the stranger questions (this involves feeding, bathing, clothing and a gift at the end of their stay). Circe awful xenia to Odysseus crew as she turns them into pigs however she does, in the end, correct her shipway and give Odysseys crew a house, forage and clothes for a year.The Phaecians do not show xenia to begin with either although they briefly correct their ways. Xenia is about respecting Zeus as the gods can physically transform into world and therefore could test anyone one their xenia. The perfect xenia of Nestor and Menelaus towards Telemachus are clear examples to an past audience oh how to perform xenia. Even characters that dont show xenia to begin with, end up complying which enables the realism of morals to come across with the ancient audience. The fantasy creatures and gods (such as Circe and Calypso) show xenia.The first half of the Odyssey shows a lot of excitement caused by the fantasy events that take place. The second half, erstwhile Odysseus lands in Ithaca, realism seems to take over in which Odysseus has to keep his disguises as a beggar and be opened to abuse which comes with it. This courage of such awful behaviour of the suitors towards him gives, onc e again, clear morals to an ancient and modern audience of what is happening in Greece and what is viewed as unacceptable the lack of xenia and curtsey of the suitors.The obedience of Eumaeus and Eurycleia combined with the accepted trust of Telemachus who has gained his kleos provides delight as Odysseus plots to eliminate all 108 suitors apply his strength and cunning. This scene is influential to show how badly a beggar would have been treated but the middlingice that finally came upon the suitors would give hope to an audience of an era, that the paladin always wins. Fantasy adds to the entertainment of the Odyssey just as much as the finalism of reality raining back onto Ithaca as bless is restored in a violent manner. morality have not changed that dramatically since Ancient Greece therefore the Odyssey still applies the good morals of respecting everyone as well as the strong loyalty of family which can be treasured and relatable throughout time. As the Odyssey is me ant to be a guide book for morals for the Ancient Greeks, the Odyssey will use issues relating to their lifestyle (such as xenia, nostos, kleos and dike). The odyssey allows for real life issues to be distorted into a fantasy form which an ancient audience would respect if the gods are anthropomorphic and they offer xenia and correct their ways, then so should mortals.Fantasy cannot be the only saying to an epic which would last through time, the audience has to be able to relate to the issues which come on to the protagonist. The Odyssey portrays humanity, justice, consequences and loyalty whether that be through people such as Penelope and Odysseus, or the jealousy of Calypso and Odysseus. Readers can relate to the topics that arise in the Odyssey. Homer has enabled an epic to complement fantasy and reality into one 10 year journey across the unknown just to get home.