Odysseus and Oedipus Essay Sample free essay sample

Introduction Grecian myths and heroes have ever astounded every individual who is fortunate plenty to be acquainted with such literature. The assorted escapades and tragic turns of their narratives bring us to the border of our pess with exhilaration and sometimes drive us to the extremum of our emotions with their play and heart-wrenching calamities. Two of the most celebrated characters in these Grecian play are the focal point of this paper. Odysseus. the hero of Homer’s Odyssey and Oedipus. the unfortunate King in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex. Their character and personalities will be analyzed and their actions will be interpreted by replying some inquiries. These two figures were known for their intelligence and wise determinations as exemplified by Odysseus’ Trojan Horse and Oedipus’ resolution of the conundrum of the Sphinx. nevertheless. who in the writer’s sentiment. had utilized their intelligence sagely. or suitably? Another issue would be the intervention of Gods. We will write a custom essay sample on Odysseus and Oedipus Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page as it was ever the issue with Greek mythology. Gods ever interfere with human lives. who amongst Odysseus and Oedipus did the Gods favor most? And with this force of positivism brought by the back uping Gods. who exploited this kindness to do his life ( escapade ) better? In add-on to these inquiries. their relationship with their households and those people environing them will besides be examined. every bit good as the effects of their actions in their ain lives. Odysseus Odysseus is known to be one of the wisest and cleverest figures in Greek mythology. He is ever described as a diplomat. a sensible adult male and an facile talker. He would ever happen solutions and ways to acquire out of a certain state of affairs. He does non merely battle with his physical strength but he thinks foremost before making any action. That is why he was known to waver moving on anything without farther idea. As mentioned. Odysseus would â€Å"try† to acquire out of any state of affairs and any future bickers. that’s why he made the suers of Helen ( he was one of the suers of Helen ) to do an curse to esteem Helen’s determination and protect the one she is traveling to take. Therefore. when Helen chose Menelaus and when Helen was carried off by Paris. Menelaus called all the suers to carry through their curse. When Odysseus heard of this. there was a prognostication that if he went to Troy. he would non be back to Ithaca for a long clip. thatâ€℠¢s why he pretended to be insane and put on ragged apparels and sowed salt on the field. However. one of the taking people placed his boy Telemachus along the plough’s manner and Odysseus stopped. demoing his saneness after all. So. Odysseus went to Troy and cutely built the celebrated Trojan Horse. With that artless innovation they were able to occupy Troy and destruct the metropolis. It was besides in this war that Odysseus was said to hold ran away when Diomedes asked for his aid. so subsequently on reasoned that heroes are non expected to contend every conflict to be considered brave. hence running off is preferred by Odysseus instead than confronting certain decease in a conflict. This merely showed that Odysseus would make anything to continue his life. ignoring what others would believe of him. He so suggested the violent death of Hector’s boy Astyanax so that he would non turn up and take retaliation upon the Greeks. However. when Odysseus would sail back place. he had incurred the wrath of Gods for his offenses and was sentenced to digest a 10 twelvemonth ocean trip before he could make Ithaca. â€Å"Unhappy Odysseus. he does non cognize the agonies that await him ; or how these ailments I and my Phrygians endure shall one twenty-four hours look to him cherished as gold. For beyond the 10 long old ages spent at Troy he shall drag out other 10 and so come to his state all alone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [ Cassandra. Euripides.Daughters of Troy431 ] Through out the ocean trip. Odysseus and his work forces met many interesting figures. such that of the stargazers. the land of the Cyclops where Odysseus employed one of his fast ones of presenting himself as Cipher. so that when the Polyphemus ( the Cyclops who captured them ) was blinded by Odysseus and his work forces. called out to the other Cyclops for aid. They asked Polyphemus who had blinded him and he shouted Nobody. so the other Cyclops went back to their home. They met the happy male monarch Aelous who gave them a bag of fast air currents. gone to the island of the man-eaters. and met Circe and she bore him a boy ( Telegonos ) . They besides passed through a sound in which Circe advised him to sail near to Scylla a monster who had six caputs and would eat six of his work forces. than hazard droping the ship in the vortex of Charybdis. Here. Odysseus volitionally sacrificed six of his work forces to salvage the ship. They are so brought to the island where Calypso lived and kept Odysseus for seven old ages. It was so that Athena. the goddess that favored Odysseus begged Zeus to assist Odysseus acquire place. So. Zeus sent the Hermes to state Calypso to let go of Odysseus. which she did and Odysseus. after a batch more problem still from Poseidon. eventually reached Ithaca and warned against the many suers of his married woman Penelope by the goddess Athena disguised as immature male child. Odysseus concealed his individuality and disguised himself as a mendicant. Upon making the palace. he saw the many suers of Penelope and asked permission to execute the undertaking required of the suers so they could get married Penelope. to hit with Odysseus bow a consecutive pointer through the holes of 12 axes in a row. So. Odysseus. disguised as a mendicant. was able to draw his ain bow and successfully hit an pointer through the holes. after which he directed the bow towards the suers and killed them all o ne by 1. He so claimed his Kingdom and his married woman one time more. nevertheless. Odysseus decease was brought about by his boy Telegonus ( boy with Circe ) who erroneously killed him non cognizing he is his male parent. Oedipus Oedipus life was governed with prognostications that literally perplexed his life and those around him. The first prognostication would be Laius. the King of Thebes. and Oedipus’ biological male parent. non to hold a boy for this boy would turn up and kill his male parent. So Lauis sent the baby Oedipus to be exposed on a mountain to decease but the baby was found by equestrians of the adjacent Kingdom and brought Oedipus to the metropolis of Corinth where he was adopted by the Queen. Oedipus grew up and his hunt for truth lead him to the Oracle of Delphi where he heard the same prognostication as Lauis that he would kill his ain male parent. Terrified Oedipus fled Corinth and along the manner met an old adult male and killed him in a squabble. He unwittingly killed Lauis who was on his manner to the Oracle of Delphi to inquire about the pestilence that presently befalls Thebes. A announcement subsequently on was made by Thebes that they would give the Kingdom and the manus of the widowed Queen Jocasta in matrimony to anyone who can work out the conundrum of the sphinx. â€Å"What is that which has one voice and yet becomes quadrupedal and bipedal and three-footed? † [ Apollodorus.Library3. 5. 7 ] Oedipus heard the announcement and successfully solved the sphinx’ conundrum. He so claimed the throne of Thebes and married the queen Jocasta ( who was his existent female parent ) . They had kids. or brothers and sisters to Oedipus. However. this sort of household exogamy was non favored by the Gods that another pestilence befell the metropolis of Thebes and before the people could inquire for the King Oedipus’ aid. he already sent his brother in jurisprudence ( or uncle ) Creon to the Oracle of Delphi to seek replies. The reply was to seek the liquidator of King Lauis and drive him out of the metropolis. Then the truth came when the Queen of Corinth admitted the truth about Oedipus’ existent heritage. and upon hearing that he had killed his ain male parent and married his ain female parent. blinded both his eyes and Jocasta committed self-destruction. He was subsequently on banished by his boies wherein his girl Antigone accompanied him to expatriate. Who Utilized Wisdom Better? Although Oedipus was considered really wise for work outing the conundrum of the sphinx. he is by far defeated by Odysseus when it comes to the intelligence section. As stated above. Odysseus thinks before he does something. He does non waver to waver. even if it means that people around him might believe otherwise of him. He plans. he strategizes. he tricks if needed be. and he runs for his life. Oedipus on the other manus Acts of the Apostless hurriedly without farther thought. He does non analyse the obvious world that is soon in forepart of him. He was excessively proud of his accomplishments and thought that he is the greatest of work forces. â€Å"O citizens of a celebrated state. expression at me ; I am Oedipus. who solved the celebrated conundrum. and was the greatest of work forces. I. who entirely controlled the homicidal Sphinx’s power. am now myself driven from the land in dishonour and wretchedness. † [ Oedipus. Euripides.Phoenician Women1760 ] However. Odysseus had his portion of errors excessively. like his misgiving of people. even with his ain work forces that would be him seven more old ages of ocean trip. when the bag given to him by Aelous that contains the fast air current was thought to be gold by his work forces because Odysseus clung to it of all time so tightly and did non take his eyes off it. but when he fell asleep. his work forces opened it and released the fast air current. Odysseus although involved in many statements and bicker with other people. had managed to acquire off and win over any statement. He has a sweet lingua and serves as an minister plenipotentiary or an embassador to stand for the Greeks demand over Troy. This place means that Odysseus was extremely regarded and respected by the Greeks and they believe in his intelligence and wisdom. That is the ground why they sough his advocate on how to near the Trojan war. Wherein he devised the ill-famed Trojan Horse. Furthermore. when Oedipus learned of the atrociousnesss that he caused. he blinded himself. This means of flight by Oedipus clearly presented that Oedipus. driven by guilt and much choler upon himself had lost his sense of his logical thinking. It was besides stated that through out his desperation. he went into privacy. or was imprisoned by his ain boies ( or brothers ) trusting that the dirt would finally decease away. However. Oedipus invariably curses his boies and through this action he was banished from the metropolis and exiled. Who was most favored by the Gods? Gods’ relationship with adult male varies in a batch of ways. They can be supportive and friendly. and helpful in many ways. but they can besides be barbarous and ruthless and has no respects whatsoever about your predicament. Like in the instance of Odysseus. from the beginning was already favored by the goddess Athena and through her he had achieved the impossible. Athena was the goddess of wisdom. so. therefore. presumptively. Athena had blessed Odysseus with the same wisdom and flight programs and hocus-pocus to acquire his manner. One illustration of this favour was when Athena drove Ajax into perpetrating suicide so as non to take retaliation on Odysseus for acquiring Achilles’ armaments. Another one is Athena imploring Zeus to assist Odysseus flight from Calypso wherein Zeus sent Hermes to state off Calypso ; in add-on. the warning that Odysseus got from a immature male child. who was Athena in camouflage. about the warring suers of his married woman. Penelope. With Odysseus. the Gods demonstrated. through Athena their helpful side. They treated adult male ( Odysseus ) as an of import being and helped him in any manner possible. However. non all Gods are every bit helpful as Athena and Zeus towards Odysseus. Through out the journey of Odysseus he was invariably attacked by Poseidon. because Odysseus blinded the Cyclops Polyphemus. who is besides a God. Poseidon sent twirling tides and strong air currents to turtle Odysseus’ ship. In add-on. the monsters Scylla and Charybdis exist merely to ache adult male. Most of the Gods are frequently depicted as cannibals and Odysseus. through his marbless and extra aid or advice from the other Gods. was able to get away being eaten by Polyphemus and Scylla. On the other manus. Oedipus was cursed by the Gods. At the start of his life. Oedipus was meant for calamities. He tried in vain to evade his destiny but Gods did non assist him with this and finally led him to the fulfilment of the prophet. The Gods so cursed him more when he married his female parent and had kids with her. They sent pestilences and an obvious reply from the prophet for Oedipus’ stoping ; for he was the 1 that killed Laius. the King of Thebes. his ain male parent. The Gods played with Oedipus’ life and made no attempt to assist him with his destiny. Supreme beings in Oedipus’ life had destined him to his day of reckoning. That no affair how wise or strong-minded Oedipus was. his destiny was ever to be the 1 who would kill his male parent and get married his female parent. The Oracle of Delphi was run by Apollo’s priests. therefore the prognostications that were given to Lauis and Oedipus is god’s will. In this case. the god’s demonstrated their detached side and neglect for the lives of work forces. The lone relationship that existed between Oedipus’ and the Gods was that of hatred and neglect. The Gods wholly ignored Oedipus and had left him on his ain. Yet. if there were bad things that were prophesized to go on. like that of Oedipus killing his male parent ; Oedipus’ curses that his boies would split the land with blade ; and farther expletives that no 1 among his boies would derive control over Thebes – these expletives were seen through. It was said that to derive favour from Gods. one should ever do offerings and forfeits. Odysseus often offers forfeits to Athena and to Hades when he went underworld. at such he gained their favour. While Oedipus. there was no reference of offering anything to the Gods to pacify them. There was no reference of him of all time offering or praying even to any God through out the narrative. Decision In general. when it comes to use of cognition and favoring of the Gods. Odysseus got the best of both universes. While Oedipus was left to look out for himself with no aid. merely the turn of destinies that would still take him to his calamities. However. Oedipus’ destiny has in no manner anything to make with his character as a adult male and as a male monarch. He was brave and strong and determined. He ruled Thebes with an expectancy of what the people need. He wanted a simple life. he wanted a household. he wanted peace – but the destinies were against him. He was destined to populate an unfortunate life. As for Odysseus. his wisdom affected his character and although respected. he does non swear his work forces and lone relies upon himself. He was excessively proud to acquire aid and disregarded other people’s sentiment of him. However. Odysseus. though wise and protected by the Gods. was fated to run into decease at the custodies of his ain boy. The destiny of both work forces differs chiefly from the fortunes that they encountered in their journey. Odysseus’ journey place was full of obstructions but he managed to prevail over everything and reached Ithaca. His escapade was literally a journey of approaching place. while in Oedipus’ instance. his was besides a journey towards his existent place. but unwittingly. therein lays his day of reckoning. Upon making Thebes. his wretchedness started to go on and the clockwork taking to the disclosure of the truth began. Through their different state of affairs. their character was shaped and both work forces tried their best to carry through their ends and carry through their fates. or in Oedipus’ portion. hedge his fate. Plants Cited Bagg. Robert A ; Bagg. Mary.The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles: Oedipus the King. Oedipus at Kolonos. and Antigone.University of Massachusetts Press. 2004. 269 pgs. Homer.Odyssey.Trans. By Stanley Lombardo. Hackett Publishing. 2000. Sophocles.Oedipus. King of Thebes.Trans. By Gilbert Murray. Oxford Univeristy Press. 1911. 94pgs.