Themes in The Odyssey: Creation of a Classic
Themes in The Odyssey are written intricately well to create a dynamic piece that fully comprehends the culture and nature of those living within those times. Because of this, modern audiences, like us, catch a glimpse of history and their culture through written plays. This can be seen through various points of Homer’s classic. Although these may be lost in translation, most of the playwright’s themes are visible and understandable.
The themes found in the play are a stepping stone for modern-day media, influencing our take on subjects such as hospitality, perseverance, growth, and more. These influences, portrayed in mainstream media, have become plots and subplots for various entertainers and shaped our take on these subjects. To further understand this, let us briefly discuss The Odyssey and the themes found within the play.
The Odyssey
After the Trojan War, The Odyssey begins as Odysseus and his men journey back to Ithaca referring to the nostos theme. They gather into separate ships and head off into the seas. The unfortunate events that unfold from their travels begin with the island of the Cicones. Odysseus, confident of the gods’ and goddesses’ favor, allows his men to raid the towns, taking what they can and driving off the residents from their homes. He urges his men to return to their ships to set sail but fails to convince them as they drank the night away. The following day the Cicones come back with a vengeance and drive them off their lands, killing some of Odysseus’ men. In a rush, Odysseus and his men run back to Odysseus’ ships and set sail once more.
The gods, witnessing the horrific acts of Odysseus and his men, place him on their radars, observing what he’ll do next. Odysseus and his men arrive in the land of the Lotus Eaters and become tempted by the plant. Odysseus drags his illusioned men back to their ship and ties them to prevent them from escaping; they set sail once more and arrive on the island of the Cyclops, where Odysseus garners the ire of Poseidon.
Trying to escape Poseidon’s wrath, the Ithacans meet Aeolus, the god of winds, and ask him for his help. Aeolus gifts Odysseus a bag containing the seven winds and allows them to set sail. They almost reached Ithaca but were hindered when one of Odysseus’ men grabbed the bag of winds and released it, believing that it was gold. The men are brought back to Aeolus, who refuses to help them, sending them on their way. Odysseus and his men then land on the nearby island, the island of the Laistrygonians, where they were hunted like animals. The Laistrygonians destroy 11 of their ships before they can get away.
The next island they travel to is the island of Circe, where his men are turned into swine. Odysseus saves his men and becomes Circe’s lover, living on the island in luxury for a year before our hero heads into the Underworld. There he seeks Tiresias, the blind prophet, to ask for safe travels home. Tiresias instructs him to run toward Helios’ island but never to land, for his cattle are sacred and must not be touched.
Odysseus and his men once again set sail and struggle at sea. Poseidon sends a storm their way, forcing them to dock in the sun god’s island. Odysseus instructs his hungry men to leave the golden cattle while he looks for a temple to pray in. While he is away, his men slaughter the cattle and one up to the gods over the healthiest. This action angers Helios, and the god demands that Zeus punish him lest he shines the sun’s light into the Underworld. As Odysseus and his men leave the island, Zeus sends a thunderbolt to their ship amid a storm, drowning all of Odysseus’ men and forcing him into the island of Calypso. Calypso falls in love with her prisoner and becomes his mistress on this island, spending their days in each other’s arms. After a decade, Athena convinces Zeus to let the Greek hero go, and so Hermes helps Odysseus off the island, where he finally arrives home with the help of the Phaecians.
Major Themes in The Odyssey
Homer’s play illustrates Odysseus’ tumultuous journey home and the events that led to reclaiming his throne. Because the story has various twists and turns, one could forget and even disregard the themes drawn out in the classic. The major themes in the play give us a wide berth in understanding their actions and emotions in the time. And as such, it must be given light to understand the play thoroughly.
Themes are made in order to give direction to a plot and the playwright’s intentions are emphasized in the subtext, making room for lessons and morals within the story.
Hospitality
Now that we’ve recalled The Odyssey and its events, we can finally go through the major themes found in the play, one of which is Greek hospitality. In Odysseus’ journey home, he encounters various islands and their inhabitants. Most notably, he meets Poseidon’s son, Polyphemus. Odysseus and his men find their way to the Cyclops’ home, a cave on the island of Cyclops’. There the Ithacan men help themselves to what is essentially Polyphemus’ and when the giant returns to his home, he finds various strange men treating his home as theirs. Odysseus marches up to Polyphemus and demands the giant give him and his men shelter, food, and protection. Polyphemus, instead, blocks the entrance with a boulder and eats two of Odysseus’ men.
The Greeks are known to be hospitable, giving food, shelter, and more to their guests. This is seen in how Nestor and Menelaus welcomed Telemachus and his men home, offering them a feast upon arrival. In Odysseus’ case, he demanded hospitality from a demigod and not a Greek. His mistake was to selfishly demand these things from a person, not his own. Polyphemus does not share the Greeks’ attribute of hospitality and thus finds Odysseus, his men, and their hubris vile.
Perseverance
Another central theme, or one could say is the principal theme in The Odyssey, is perseverance. Both Odysseus, his son, the gods, and Penelope show determination in their convoluted ways.
In Odysseus’ case, he perseveres in his journey home. He was diligently fighting off numerous obstacles and storms to join his family and land. He goes through hardships and heartaches as he earnestly journeys back to Ithaca, constantly failing and losing his men. He could’ve easily given up and lived the rest of his life in one of the islands. For example, on the Island of the Lotus Eaters, he had every opportunity to ingest the lotus plans, deceiving himself into pleasure and hallucinations. He could’ve also stayed on the island of Circe as the goddesses’ lover, living his life in luxury. Despite these temptations, he persevered and continued his struggle home.
The major theme of The Odyssey doesn’t only stop there; this trait is seen in Telemachus and Penelope, Odysseus’ wife. Penelope exhibits her perseverance in fighting off her suitors, keeping them at bay for as long as she could. Her heart belonged to Odysseus, but she was either to remarry in Ithaca or back in her homeland with his extended absence. Telemachus, Odysseus’ son, shows his perseverance in the quest to find his father.
Athena showed perseverance by continuously supporting our hero’s family as he is away. She guides Telemachus to safety, essentially allowing him to grow, convinced Zeus to free Odysseus from his imprisonment, and convinced Odysseus to disguise himself as a beggar to save his life.
Growth
Growth in The Odyssey is illustrated by our beloved Ithacan prince, who journeys towards Odysseus’ friends to find his father after failing to warn his mother’s suitors. Telemachus is brave and strong; he has the innate ability to lead but lacks confidence and grace. Once the suitors start wishing for Telemachus’ death, Athena disguises herself as Mentor and leads Telemachus on a quest. They first meet Nestor of Pylos, who teaches Telemachus the ways of a King, garners respect, and sows loyalty and devotion.
They then proceed to Menelaus of Sparta, who welcomes them with open arms. He illustrates Greek hospitality as he prepares them luxurious baths and a buffet at their arrival. During their feast, he recounts the tale of capturing Poseidon’s firstborn, Proteus. The old man of the sea holds vast knowledge and loves to disguise himself from those who seek his wisdom. Once captured, Menelaus gains the information he needs to head home and the whereabouts of his dear friend Odysseus. Here, Menelaus teaches Telemachus bravery and belief. He quells Telemachus’ insecurities and gives him hope as he tells Odysseus’ son the Greek hero’s whereabouts.
Disguises
Various characters of the play use a disguise to hide their real identity to help or hide away from people in need. This theme is used thoroughly as we witness our characters’ attempts at influencing fate at hand.
An example of this is Athena disguising herself as Mentor to steer Telemachus away from the dangers of his mother’s suitors. This also brought about the growth of the Ithacan king as he learned the ways of leadership in the hands of his father’s friends. Another notable disguise is Odysseus dressing up as a beggar to compete for his wife’s hand. With this, he has the upper hand as the suitors hold prejudice against him. With this, he safely wields his bow and points it towards the defenseless suitors. If Odysseus had returned as himself, the suitors would have found a way to assassinate him, giving him yet another obstacle to face.
Conclusion
Now that we’ve talked about The Odyssey, its themes, and how they affect the plot of the play, lets us go over the key points to this article:
Themes in The Odyssey give the playwright a narrative and direction in which the plot would head in, giving the author a way to convey underlying intentions— essentially the moral of the story.- The themes found in the play are a stepping stone for modern-day media, influencing our take on subjects such as hospitality, perseverance, growth, and more.
- The Odyssey starts with Odysseus’ tumultuous journey home as he navigates the obstacles brought his way; his journey portrays various themes that encompass the moral of The Odyssey.
- The major themes in the play give us an understanding of our characters’ actions and emotions in the time and must be given light on to understand the play thoroughly.
- The central theme of The Odyssey is perseverance—portrayed by Telemachus as he journeys to find his father, Athena, as she sees her mission to reinstate Odysseus through Penelope in her attempt not to remarry, and of course, Odysseus as he journeys home.
- A significant theme in Homer’s Greek classic is hospitality; Menelaus portrays this as he welcomes Telemachus and his party, going far beyond the customary greeting for guests—he instructs his people to give them luxurious baths and prepare a feast for their arrival.
- Another central theme in the play is Disguise; characters such as Athena, Odysseus, Proteus, and Hermes use disguises to achieve their goals without drawing attention to themselves— these acts either help save someone or save their lives.
- Growth is another central theme seen in the play— Telemachus grows as a man as he journeys to find his father— He is taught how to act like a king and exude leadership and how to be brave and kind.
In conclusion, the moral of The Odyssey is found in one of the various themes portrayed by our Greek playwright. The lessons that can be learned from the classic go far and wide with numerous interpretations. Because of this, the classic has remained one of the most studied pieces of literature, having its themes and morals recycled by modern-day media. Themes play an essential role in the direction of the literary piece, and Homer has made it so intricately that various lessons can be taken from his work.
