The Odyssey
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
The Odyssey Book X
In book ten Odysseus tells Alcinous the second part of his journey. There are many instances where the Gods interfere and help/ hurt Odysseus and his crew. Although the Gods have been a big reason that Odysseus has not made it home yet, he continues to trust them and do what they say. Why do you think that Odysseys so readily trusts the Gods and does their bidding? Why do you think that the Gods continue to help him or hurt him? Why does Odysseus sometimes seem go against what he thinks is morally right and do what the Gods want?
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Odysseus has faith, which is why he trusts the gods, the decisions they make, and how they guide him through life. He is usually only hurt by Poseidon, who dislikes him because he blinded Polyphemus, his son. When he is hurt by Zeus, it is almost always to lead him somewhere. Also, Zeus only gives him what he knows Odysseus can handle. He is brave and strong and has made it through every situation he is thrown into. For example, he was put on the island of Circe, but did not fall under her spell. He was also washed up in Phaeacia, looking disheveled, but he still managed to get help. The gods are also testing him to see if he will remain faithful through every troublesome time. Thus, the gods seem to know what they are doing, and Odysseus knows that.
ReplyDeleteOdysseus, like all civilized Acaeans, is a god fearing man who does their biddings. Even when he can tell some gods are against him, he still tries to win them over with sacrifices and obedience. He also knows that not only are some gods against him, but some are with him. There is no way he would be alive if it weren't for a gods help, and he must know this.
ReplyDeleteI think that throughout all of this time, Odysseus has continued to trust the Gods because he will forever be loyal to them. All of the decisions he has made in life are based on the way that the Gods will react and how they will help him. I think that even though they sometimes put bad fortune upon him, he accepts that they cannot be helping everyone every second of the day, and that even though he is going through bad times right now, his time will come where they help him and get him home. The Gods are testing Odysseus, and will continue to help him and then hurt him occasionally to make sure he will always keep his faith in the Gods. Odysseus will go against what he thinks is morally right to prove his faith to the Gods.
ReplyDeleteOdysseus has had help from the gods, and has been put down or had to deal with bad things from the gods. Everything the gods do is for a mostly a good reason. Odysseus trusts the gods i beleive because they are gods and they should be doing the right thing to help him. This is what i think odysseus beleives too. It seems that when ever odysseus is in trouble or one god is trying to distrupt his course or something another god (Athena) will end up helping him. The gods may be good or bad to odysseus, but odysseus still trusts them and beleives that they will end up helping him in the end.
ReplyDeleteThroughout Odysseus' travels it it clear that he is very faithful and reliable towards the Gods. I think Odysseus trusts the Gods and does what they tell him to do only because they have been helping him for so long. The Gods may have lead him into some trouble in the past, but Odysseus knows that he wouldn't get very far if it weren't for them. He does his best, but he still knows that the Gods will be there when he needs it most and even if it is after he is struggling. The Gods, even though they may not help him directly at all times, they are watching him while he is faced with obstacles as he tries to stay alive. Odysseus proves to the Gods that he is loyal towards them by going against what he thinks is morally right, trusting that the Gods will be there to help him.
ReplyDeleteOdysseus, being a man of great wisdom, and having common sense, knows that that the only way he will ever be able to get back home safely is if he pleases the Gods. He is always cautious and most of the time will choose the path that is morally and ethically correct and harder than the lazy, easier path that most men would be tempted or deceived into taking. By not letting temptation or greed take the best of him, and maintaining a level-headed attitude, Odysseus has earned the support of the gods, Athena in particular, who pity him because of the hardships he has faced. Although some gods do not have any pity for him, Odysseus remains virtuos and keeps his will to survive. He does this because he knows that the gods are watching every move he makes, therefore he must do the right thing at all times in order to make it back home.
ReplyDeleteThe gods are the reason Odysseus is still alive, but also the reason he hasn't reached Ithaca. The gods have kept him alive so Odysseus keep trusting them. He has no choice but to trust them because the only way he can get home is with the help of some of the gods. Although Poseidon has prevented him from getting home, he still trusts the other gods. If Odysseus disobeys the gods he will also be punished so he has to do what the gods say and put all his trust in the gods.
ReplyDeleteWithin the books, we can tell that Odysseus trusts the gods. They have been clearly present throughout each book. Athena seems to always be a goddess who is frequently there to help. Odysseus does not even know that Athena is helping him. I think that because Athena has helped him, he thinks he is doing these great things himself. Athena is the only god/goddess who Odysseus has not truly witnessed. In Book X, Odysseus sees Hermes as he is about to walk into the house of Circe. Hermes gives Odysseus the herb to protect him from the poison Circe was going to give him to turn him into a pig. I think the reason Hermes did this was because he, and other gods, see great things in Odysseus. They have never seen a mortal with such godlike characteristics, and this is a factor to why Odysseus is being helped so often
ReplyDeleteI believe the main and biggest reason that Odysseus readily trusts the gods because of his personal, up close relationship and interactions with them, especially Athena. Durning the entirety of the tale, there is more than war between mortals, but one between the gods. different sides have been favored by the gods and continue to be favored such as how Odysseus is favored by Athena. Because of these differing likings, the gods tend to help who they admire and hurt the others. Odysseus seems to go against what he thinks is morally right because of his strong belief.he does the biding of the gods because he trusts and believes in them so much, because of his experiences, especially with Athena.
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ReplyDeleteOdysseus, as with many other people, worships the gods regularly and does what pleases them. He does this because he believes that they control his fate. No matter how he treats himself or others, or even how terrible the gods treat him, the most important thing for Odysseus is to satisfy the gods. They control the success of his trip back to Ithaca and the life after his arrival. The gods continue to help Odysseus because of his extreme suffering, great traits, and the quality of life for the people of Ithaca. They must feel terrible for a man who has lost so much, gone off to war, and is unable to find his way home. Also, he is a man of excellent qualities, he is not the normal man, but some say he is "like a god." The gods also see the life of Penelope, Telemachus, and all of the people of Ithaca. The quality of life for the innocent people of Odysseus' kingdom is awful without their great king. The gods must please all of those people by returning Odysseus back to Ithaca. Throughout all of Odysseus' twists and turns, he tries to please the gods more than staying true to what is morally right because he knows that he gods are the ones that control his destiny, not his moral beliefs.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Odysseus stays loyal to some of the gods out of fear. The wrath of the gods is powerful and to test that wrath is a dangerous thing. He has already experienced Poseidon's anger and his journey home was greatly affected by it. I do believe, however, that there are some gods the Odysseus truly does respect. Athena has done him many favors and I believe he is incredibly grateful for her help. As the book goes on and his journey continues, I believe that Odysseus will stay loyal to the gods, whether it be purely out of fear or a deep respect for them.
ReplyDeleteI think that Odysseus is continuing to trust the gods because if he doesn't, there isn't anyone else to look up to. If he doesn't trust them, things are just going to get worst. Throughout Odysseus' whole journey he has gotten out of everything. It took a long time, but he got out of it. The only person he can thank is the gods. They are the ones who are planning his future and determining his fortune. Odysseus is favored by some of the gods, such as Athena, who is helping him along the way. Overall, I think that Odysseus is continuing to get out of things because the gods favor him. Many people wouldn't get out of the Lotus eaters trap, the Cyclops' island, or Circe island. Odysseus makes it past these obstacles, no madder how long it takes.
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