Preview

What Is The Archetypes In The Odyssey

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
772 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Is The Archetypes In The Odyssey
Miranda E. Remenar
Per. 1 Bickmore
Senior English
2/9/2012
Critical Lens Essay One might be angered that most of their child hood and lifetime stories are all based on archetypes. A simple skeleton of all tales, novels and stories alike. Until Discovering what an archetype was, you may have though that The Odyssey and Harry Potter were completely different tales, however this assumption would be wrong. Odysseus, a true hero destined by society to have the falls and triumphs of a hero, as well as “the chosen one” That was Harry. Both chosen by society, both had ambushed plans as well as successful adventures. Analyzing this story using a thought process based on archetypical example and themes, you can clearly see the naked structure of the ‘Willing Hero’ Archetype.
Harry Potter, being a hero to all of society faces times
…show more content…
He struggles with relying on his natural talents, just as Odysseus relies on praying to the Gods for help. When the Gods finally come through for Odysseus nobody seems to believe him. But Harry, he is the only one that can’t seem to rely on something that everyone else around him can’t live without. Odysseus finally gets his wish when the Gods answer his prayers. He begs to the sky like he had been doing his entire life, then finally, Hermes flies in, talks Calypso into releasing him and he was on his way. This scene seemed like an eye opener for Odysseus, probably because Hermes just flew right in, knew his name and did him a huge favor by releasing him from the wrath of Calypso. Without the God’s help, Odysseus never would have gotten released, he never would’ve been on his way home at all… And he never would’ve been able to take back his hall from the hands of sinners. Odysseus’ faith in the seemingly non-existent God’s paid off in the end when he saved his wife, his city and was reunited with his adoring son, whom he had not seen nearly his entire

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Archetypes In The Odyssey

    • 306 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Have you ever seen the movie E.T? Or read the book The Odyssey? Well in these two texts, apparent archetypes are seen.…

    • 306 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    How Did Odysseus Change

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Now that Odysseus knows what the gods are capable of he starts to pray to them. This making his life take a huge turn because he never really respected the gods, now he knows what they can do. After dedication and help from the gods, Odysseus finally reaches…

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer utilizes plot to develop a major motif, the repercussions of succumbing to temptation. One of the most memorable instances when Odysseus gave into temptation was at the island of the cyclops. He gave into his curiosity and he entered the cyclops's home. The aggressive cyclops came home and ate multiple men. Odysseus’s lust for Kleos is also a temptation. He surrendered to it when he reveals his identity to Polyphemus, bringing the wrath of Poseidon upon him and his crew. Only Odysseus survived. Another example of Odysseus giving into temptation is the Siren ordeal, when he insisted on listening to the Siren's mesmerizing song. The crew were made to plug their ears, so that they could sail safely by the Sirens’…

    • 187 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Telemachus: the Real Hero

    • 1083 Words
    • 5 Pages

    This essay will dissect Joseph Campbell’s Cosmogonic Cycle’s description of a hero. But what is a hero? Joseph Campbell defines a hero as one who takes a journey over land, through the mind, or of memory but one that comes out a changed man at the end of it. This essay will explain how Telemachus meets all of the standards that Joseph Campbell has set and therefore is a hero. He does not quite meet all of Campbell’s set standards, but he is still hero-like because he does all of what he needs to with maturity and finesse that only a hero could possess. Telemachus sees that he needs to go and see where his father has been, so he takes that as his “Call to Adventure,” so he sets of to go find clues about his father’s whereabouts. During this journey he encounters many trials such as tempting offers from kings, if he is ever to achieve hero status he will need to resist temptations and survive the adventures that he will take. Telemachus does not truly fulfill all of the steps of the Cosmogonic Cycle; but, he is still a universal hero.…

    • 1083 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Plenty of things in the world are tangible. It’s the things we can’t touch like love, loyalty, freedom, friendship, and imagination that are concealed within everyone’s lives. These universal ideas can also be motifs; a motif is a dominant idea or distinctive feature in an artistic or literary composition. Motifs are used to teach a lesson to others throughout out dance, art, or literature. Motifs have been around and hidden in literature for a very long time. Almost 3,000 years ago there was a tale told by Homer, his story is now translated into an epic poem called The Odyssey. The story is based around king Odysseus and his 20 year voyage home…

    • 1113 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Odyssey, revered to be one of the great works of ancient Greek tradition has a lot to teach us even in the modern world. Odysseus, his son Telemachus and Penelope all have relationships with the gods, some of these relationships seem strange at first but if we take a deeper look into them we can see that there is often an underlying message being taught. I wish to explore these messages and also the archetypal qualities the aforementioned characters possess to answer one question: what does this make us understand what it means to be human?…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Hero Archetype

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Contemporary Hero’s Quest Presentation Chris Camburn HUM 105 02/23/15 Professor Jones Table of Contents • Introduction • Main Character • The Villain • Archetypes • Steps taken by the hero • Mythological origins • Mythological symbolism • Conflicts between personal desires and community responsibility • Conclusion Introduction * The portrayal of a hero archetype has been a part of society and can be traced back to ancient times and the earliest of myths. The hero is the integral archetype in the collective unconscious of whichever culture the story is based.…

    • 601 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Archetype In The Odyssey

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In Literature there's always gonna be characters that seem like the are similar to characters from another story. For example batman has a sidekick and so does superman or with the Disney princesses they always have a true love waiting at the end of the story. These type of characters are seen in literature 24/7. Who helps Odysseus on his journey? well as any other Disney movie or book The Odyssey has its villains, hero, mentors, and sidekicks.…

    • 485 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Archetypes In The Odyssey

    • 927 Words
    • 4 Pages

    One psychologist, whose views and practices can be pulled out analytically from this piece of work, is Carl Jung. He focused on the idea that humans create archetypes which reveal themselves by powerful images. The types of archetypes Jung discusses can be found throughout the plot of this myth. The first archetype found it by looking at the journey of Odysseus as a whole. A journey is required that includes various trials which sends the main character in search of something greater than himself. This becomes a journey of self-discovery. This idea surrounds this myth being that the entire focus centers on the journey Odysseus embarks on to get home to Ithaca. The next archetype is through the task. In order for this to be found, the main character must undergo a superhuman task in order to complete his/her final goal for the plot. Before both of these archetypes can be found, there needs to be an initiation within the main character. This typically centers on the moment where the main character comes to maturity or receives a calling. This is found in this myth when Odysseus finishes the battle in Troy and believes he is called home to be reunited with Penelope. Many of these archetypes are simply things Jung would pull out based on the plot of the story. There are also certain character that could be pulled out, and symbols. This myth follows a…

    • 927 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    symbolism of the Odyssey

    • 387 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The use of a symbol has the potential message to send a potent message. Symbols take the form of words, sounds, gestures, or visual images and are used to convey ideas and beliefs. Food is a big part and symbol in The Odyssey. Whatever it may be, either poisoned witch-food, Helios’s cattle, or lotus fruit, Everyone is constantly eating. Although throwing a feast for a guest is a common part of hospitality, hunger and the consumption of food often have negative associations in the Odyssey.…

    • 387 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    In Homer’s mythological epic: The Odessey the reader follows what is thought to be a story of a courageous soldier and his battle hardened crew fresh from their victory at the stronghold of Troy. Yet a dark shadow of greed and lust for power hangs over these heroic men. Odysseus is a supposed hero, an icon to all his men who are just as power hungry as he is thought to be heroic. Nevertheless at the time of Greek mythology all men had a level of lust, greed, and power hunger at their side. This ultimately leads to their downfall in suffering or death.…

    • 1909 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Epic of Gilgamesh and Hero

    • 1640 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Hero 's come in many forms, a hero can be someone we look up to (father, mother, teacher). They can be a unique character passed down for thousands of years such as Odysseus, in The Odyssey. They can be someone we 've never interacted with or someone by our side every day. They might be brave, courageous, truthful or dishonest. A hero could be male or female, black or white. A hero may be someone that simply affected a life in a positive way. One thing hero 's all have in common is that they provide drive and purpose for those the believe in them, they help some focus on dreams and they might provide a path when no path exists. In this paper will be defining a hero and the qualities an epic hero has with my definition. I will be using epic hero 's in, The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey to help shape my explanation.…

    • 1640 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Heroes are the game changers in society, who create the misfortune and accomplishment through their efforts. Throughout time, heroes have been represented in a variety of different ways. The Canterbury Tales and the Odyssey both portray their heroes far different than the other. In addition, heroes from the fifteenth century may be considered villains in today’s society. In conclusion, heroes are viewed in different ways because of perspective, the time period, and their self morals.…

    • 542 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Since the beginning, heroic leaders are well recognized in society for their distinctive qualities, but as time progressed, the standards for heroic qualities become more known for one’s knowledge and willpower rather than their strength. Heroic leaders share common interests of wanting to protect, to inspire, and to bring joy to others. However, some leaders share the flaw of excessive bragging, where every encounter for them would be a chance to comment on how great they are. For instance, Harriet Tubman has taken part in the real-life controversy over slavery by taking action in rescuing over seven hundred slaves towards their path of freedom. Whereas, in the epic, The Odyssey, by Homer, the “heroic” protagonist, King Odysseus guides his…

    • 1278 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Archetypes In Othello

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Othello is a tragedy plan written by William Shakespeare. In Othello, the themes such as love and jealousy reflects on the characters motivation and their values. An example, is that they had to overcome a huge obstacle such as love because Othello and Desdemona were in love but her father did not approve of it. Othello has no trust for Desdemona because his lieutenant, Iago, made a fabrication saying that Cassio had an affair with Desdemona. There are different types of archetypes that can be found in Othello. Desdemona is a caregiver because she is generous and she care for others like trying to help Cassio get his position back. Iago is a destroyer because he ruined Othello and Cassio life by trying to get revenge on them.…

    • 816 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays