Free Essays on Homers Odyssey: Death and Rebirth :: Odyssey essays

Odyssey Death and Rebirth in the Odyssey   The Odyssey, by Homer, is a classical piece of Grecian literature. Throughout The Odyssey, the Blind Bard makes use of many literary techniques in order to lend meaning to the poem beyond its existence as a work of historic fiction and aid his readers in the comprehension of the tale. One of these techniques is the use of topics. A motif is a recurring theme that is used passim the work. In The Odyssey, Homer makes use of many motifs including eating/drinking, Odysseuss anger, bathing, and disguise, just to name a few. However, perhaps the most important of Homers motifs is the symbolic death and rebirth theme. This motif is used throughout The Odyssey to emphasize the growth and enlightenment of the characters. The first example of this motif occurs with Telemachos early in the text. Telemachos, in book I, is visited by the goddess Athena in disguise. In their conversation, Telemachos reveals the pain and suffering that h e is experiencing as a result of living without knowing the status of his father, fearing that he is dead. . . . and he left pain and requiem to me. Nor is it for him alone that I grieve in my pain now (The Odyssey, Latimore, I. 242-3). Symbolically, at this point in the text, Telemachos is dead. He is willing to take no action to remedy his home from the suitors or take any initiative to determine the status of his missing father. However, his symbolic death is not without a rebirth. Athene, disguised as Mentes, brings Telemachos sustain to life. She convinces him that he must take action to preserve his household and determine the fate of his father. This prompts Telemachos to take over his fathers role in the household and journey onwards to gather information about his missing father. His rebirth is further carried out in the story when he is reunited with his father together, the two act to regain checker of their household from the derelict suitors. The next ex ample of the death and rebirth motif occurs with our introduction to the storys main character and hero, Odysseus. Homer introduces Odysseus on the Kalypsos island. On a rigorously literal level, Odysseuss stay with Kalypso