(855) 4-ESSAYS

Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Odyssey- Divine intervention

             Homer's The Odyssey is a thrilling classic epic about Odysseus and his 10 year return journey from the Trojan War that is aided by many gods and goddesses. Because of a grand mistake that Odysseus made at the beginning of the story that angered the god Poseidon, Odysseus is a hero in search of his home throughout the story. He is faced with adventures and tribulations that become his passageway and right to get home to his loving wife and son. Without the help of goddesses and gods such as Zeus, Hermes, Athena, Ino, and Circe Odysseus would never have reached home at all. These gods" and goddesses" divine intervention becomes a key element of the epic because without these characters" help Odysseus would have been lost forever or even dead. The whole story is intertwined with elements such as the heavenly help Odysseus receives from the gods and goddesses of Olympus. Divine intervention is a prominent theme in The Odyssey because of the help provided to Odysseus through Athena's, Zeus's, and Circe's actions.
             To begin with divine intervention is a main theme of The Odyssey because of the help Athena provides throughout the story. Athena is the obvious main helper of Odysseus continually through the book. Without Athena's help Odysseus would no doubt never have survived his journey home. Without her help he might not have even survived the Trojan War. Athena offers her help in three main ways: shape shifting, idea suggestion, and Athena also will temporarily supplement certain characters with certain important characteristics, such as courage, that that character would normally lack. Athena says to Telemachos, " " find out about your father and why he is so long away. Perhaps some one may tell you, or you may hear some rumor that god will send, which is often the best way for people to get news"" (p.17). This is the comment from Athena that starts Telemachos's journey to see Menelaos and Nestor in search of any information about his father, Odysseus.


Essays Related to Odyssey- Divine intervention

1. Ancient Greeks and the Divine

Both mortals and the divine needed one another; connecting the lives of the Ancient Greeks and the divine. ... Athena functioned in the Odyssey to inspire and educate the main characters through personal intervention as she acts on their behalf, as she took part in the slaughter of the suitors and ended the conflict between Odysseus and the suitors' families. ... This notion was recognized in the role of Athena is The Odyssey. ... The Odyssey also displayed to the Greeks the proposition of balance between the divine and humans when Odysseus became conceited .This concept of balance and ...

  • Word Count: 1605
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Has Bibliography

2. Goddesses In The Odyssey

Goddesses in the Odyssey The appearance of many goddesses in The Odyssey by Homer exemplifies the fact that they are essential to Odysseus" journey. ... The Odyssey mentions many gods and goddesses, all of whom are involved with Odysseus" journey. ... From this we can infer the importance the divine play on mortal lives, namely he protagonist himself. ... Odysseus learns more about himself and his interaction with the world through these three divine interventions. ... Without the goddesses in The Odyssey, there would be no odyssey. ...

  • Word Count: 1294
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

3. Goddesses in the Odyssey

The Odyssey mentions many gods and goddesses, all of whom are involved with Odysseus" journey. ... From this we can infer the importance the divine play on mortal lives, namely he protagonist himself. ... Athena is mentioned in almost every book of The Odyssey, a constant in Odysseus" life. ... Odysseus learns more about himself and his interaction with the world through these three divine interventions. ... Without the goddesses in The Odyssey, there would be no odyssey. ...

  • Word Count: 1304
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

4. The Odyssey: Was the Violence Resolved?

In Homer's epic story The Odyssey, there were many major themes. ... The editors of The Norton Anthology of World Masterpieces states that "The Odyssey was not successful in resolving the problem of violence." ... Whether one considers the human heart to be the resolution, or divine intervention, either way the problem of violence was completely resolved by the end of the story. ... The scene with the Cyclops was one of the most graphic, disgusting, and vivid displays of the violence which was so prevalent in The Odyssey. ... All the violence and death that occurred in The Ody...

  • Word Count: 1363
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

5. A Weaker God:The Iliad,Odyssey&Gilgamesh

However, the Iliad, the Odyssey, and the Epic of Gilgamesh portray gods with limits and weaknesses. ... In the Odyssey, Poseidon developed a grievance against Odysseus. ... Eventually, Zeus, the s trongest god, put a stop to the intervention. ... Homer's Odyssey depicted a god attempting to destroy a specific human. ... Clearly, the Greeks and Sumerians around the time of Homer had an alternate sense of the divine being. ...

  • Word Count: 1397
  • Approx Pages: 6
  • Grade Level: High School

6. The Aeneid

The most dominant epic influence upon Virgil was Homer, the Greek author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. ... Virgil derived from Homer the use of hexameter verse, the duodecimal division into books, the use of epithets, and other epic conventions including the invocation to a muse or divine source of inspiration, "in media res", divine interventions, a great journey including a descent to the underworld, and the active intervention of supernatural beings among others. ... Virgil opens Book I of The Aeneid with a sweeping description- a Trojan prince, a valiant warrior and a national hero of Ro...

  • Word Count: 1294
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography

7. The Oddysey

William Bogard Antiquity and Modernity Of Gods and Men "Divine Subjectivity in "The Odyssey- Throughout the centuries, religion has served human societies as a form of justification to the eventful world around them "a way to bestow meaning upon things that are not quite understood, but are crucial to their existence. ... This belief becomes very apparent in Homer's epic poem "The Odyssey-. ... Rather than a sense of pure justice, Athena's intervention in the human realm is driven by emotion, namely her compassion for Odysseus. ... Contrary to following some sta...

  • Word Count: 1297
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

8. Why The Concept Of Heroes Survives The Centuries

In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods. ... After their deaths, they were given certain hero-like qualities, such as divine parentage, miraculous survival in childhood, trips to exotic places, journeys to the underworld, miracles, philanthropy, association with the divine, and ultimately, deified. ... In "The Odyssey," Odysseus shows that he is a "regular guy" when he "was filled with laughter to see how like a charm the name deceived them." ... In "The Odyssey," the you...

  • Word Count: 1839
  • Approx Pages: 7
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

9. The Progressing Hero

Two heroes that possessed seemingly opposite heroic traits are Odysseus from The Odyssey of Homer and Jesus from The New Testament. ... The Odyssey of Homer, perhaps one of the greatest epic poems of all time, portrays Odysseus" journey home. ... But if your mind were to divine the trials That fate will have you meet before you reach Your country, you would choose to stay, to keep This house with me - and live immortally. ... This topic of divine intervention leads us to the question: Do heroes possess any power within themselves or are they merely human examples of the power of Gods...

  • Word Count: 1327
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: High School

Got a writing question? Ask our professional writer!
Submit My Question