The character of an odyssey from Homer's poem. Homer's myths and poems

For analysis epic heroes we have compiled two tables: in the image of Odysseus, in the image of Digenis Akritus.

The main criteria for the analysis of the images of Odysseus and Digenis were as follows: facts of biography, character traits and properties of nature, methods and means of creating an image.

The image of Odysseus as an epic hero

Not much is said about Odyssey's pedigree in the text of the Odyssey. Odysseus gains fame thanks to his participation in the Trojan War and thanks to his wanderings, although even before the Trojan War, Odysseus was known as "cunning" and "experienced", which is reflected in the level permanent epithets... Odysseus was known to many and became famous throughout Hellas.

As a child, Odysseus received a scar from a boar, which became his special sign, by which he could always be recognized. This also shows that the hero is vulnerable and is portrayed as a mere mortal man, although the author often calls him “godlike”. This is also indicated by cases when Odysseus was close to death and survived only with the help of divine intervention. The hero's strength is also not so greatly exaggerated: as soon as Odysseus gets tired, he becomes less powerful.

Odysseus is usually cautious and always controls his actions, but there is still an exception: when Odysseus and his companions entered the cave of Polyphemus, ate, his companions suggested, taking the herds, to leave the cave as soon as possible, but Odysseus told them to stay, hoping that he would receive gifts from the owner.

Odysseus was very cunning, which is repeated many times in the text. Before the start of the battle, Odysseus always composed a well thought out, best plan, and only then did he use his power.

Despite his "iron" heart and courage, Odysseus, seeing an insurmountable obstacle on his way, falls into despondency. Odysseus characterizes himself as an unfortunate person who is tired in his wanderings.

Odysseus is mainly going through some kind of external trials, from internal ones - the experience of the death of satellites and a protracted return to his homeland, but the emphasis is still on the hero's wanderings. When describing the feelings of Odysseus, the external symptomatology of the hero is usually used; not much is said about his heartache.

Odysseus takes the position of basileus on Ithaca. He rules over the people and treats them "like a father to sons." That is, despite his position, he remains equally good with everyone, which, as Penelope says, is not typical for ordinary rulers who have loved and unloved subjects. The people respected Odysseus and obeyed him.

Odysseus was also attached to his people and their fates were not indifferent to him: he tried to save his comrades, very bitterly mourned the death of each of them.

Odysseus was hospitable and he himself visited many places, and not only on the occasion of military campaigns, sometimes he just stayed.

In the Odyssey, as mentioned above, the emphasis is on the hero's exploits, love fades into the background, although the text repeatedly mentions Odysseus's affection for his homeland, wife, son.

Odysseus loves Penelope very much and she remains his only beloved, irreplaceable beautiful goddesses... Odysseus believed that love and harmony between spouses is real happiness.

All the gods, except Poseidon, favored Odysseus, because he often honored them and presented them with sacrifices. The gods control the fate of Odysseus, which is already predetermined. A special role In the life of Odysseus, Athena was occupied: she patronized the hero and in every possible way helped him to return to Ithaca.

Odysseus had a beautiful appearance, according to the author and the characters.

Some of the brightest early works anciently Greek literature are the heroic poems The Iliad, which tells about the events of the legendary Trojan War, and The Odyssey, which tells about the difficult return to the homeland of one of its heroes. Their author is considered ancient greek poet Homer, who composed these epics, relying on centuries of experience of the nameless folk singers, who sang at feasts small songs-legends like our epics.

In the Odyssey, the author created interesting image an intelligent, inquisitive hero who uses his innate resourcefulness to explore the world with its wonders. Odysseus in the poem is often awarded the epithet "smart". His cunning has many sides and shades. The hero himself confesses to King Alkino that he is famous for cunning fabrications:

I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, everywhere the invention of many

Glorious tricks and loud rumor ascended to heaven.

The goddess Athena confirms that even the gods cannot compete in dexterity and insidious inventions with Odysseus.

But Odysseus is famous for more than one cunning. In archery, no one can surpass him, he is "famous for the spear", but the main thing is that he is "great in soul", "great in heart". No mortal can also compare with him in oratory, in the wisdom of words, in the goodness of advice.

However, on the way of an intelligent and inquisitive hero, obstacles often arise, which he overcomes thanks to ardent love for his family and home. Violating the order established by the gods, Odysseus more than once arouses the anger of Poseidon, Aeolus, Zeus, Helios. And this brings him a lot of suffering. But in all misadventures, the hero is helped by his courage and cunning. Also, the great gods do not leave the hero, admiring his courage, endurance and determination.

Many adventures awaited Odysseus on his travels. But the most dangerous was a visit to the island where the Cyclops live - evil and cruel one-eyed giants. Finding himself in the cave of one of the cyclops, the hero and his companions were captured by him. The terrible cannibal kills two every time. And, realizing that the giant cannot be overcome by force, Odysseus begins to look for ways of salvation and revenge on the enemy. And he finds: together with his comrades, he made a powerful stake, with which he planned to pierce the eye of the cannibal when he fell asleep. And so they did. Even Odysseus told the Cyclops that his name was Nobody. The blinded giant began with a terrible roar to call for help from the cyclops living around. Those who came to the call began to ask what had happened, who was destroying the giant. But he answered: "Nobody!". And the Cyclops left, saying that if no one was killing him, then there was nothing to call for help, and if he was sick, then “Zeus’s will for this,” and they would not be able to help him. But the travelers still had to leave the cave unharmed, past the enraged giant. And then Odysseus came up with the idea of ​​tying three rams, and tying a person under them. And so everyone successfully left the cave of the Cyclops. Thus, as usual, cunning and ingenuity helped the hero avoid death and defeat the formidable enemy.

Homer portrayed a unique personality in his poem. The image of Odysseus serves as a symbol of the great thirst for knowledge, courage and resourcefulness.

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ODYSSEY - the hero of Homer's poems "Iliad" and "Odyssey" (between X-VIII centuries BC), as well as many tragedies and poems. V Greek mythology- the king of the island of Ithaca. Son of Laertes, husband of Penelope, father of Telemachus. Talking about O., Homer uses the epithets "wise", "godlike", "multi-resistant", "hard in trials." The recently married O. did not want to leave the beautiful Penelope, who had just given birth to her first child, a son. Learning that Menelaus, Agamemnon, the elder Nestor and Palamed, the son of the king of Euboea, came to Ithaca to invite him to participate in the war against Troy, O. pretended to be crazy, began to plow the field, harnessing an ox and a donkey to the plow; he sowed the field not with seeds, but with salt. O.'s trick was solved by Palamed. He put his infant son in the furrow along which Odysseus walked. Having reached the boy, O. stopped. The pretense was solved. But since then O. disliked Palame-da and subsequently took revenge on him. The Greeks were predicted that the first of them to descend on the Trojan coast would perish. When, after a long voyage, the ships reached Troy, O. threw his shield on the shore and jumped on it. Protesilai, who followed him from the ship, died in the first battle. Together with Menelaus, O. participated in negotiations with the Trojans and offered to end the matter peacefully; it is only necessary that Paris, the son of the Trojan king Priam, return the wife of Menelaus, Helen, that he had kidnapped. But the Trojans did not agree with this. A long-term siege of the city began. Myths tell how O. killed Palamed - he threw a sack of gold into his tent and accused him of treason; Palamed was executed. O. took an active part in the battles for Troy. The tragedy of Sophocles "Ajax" tells about the dispute between O. and Ajax for the golden armor forged by the god Hephaestus of Achilles, who died from the arrow of Paris. In another tragedy of Sophocles - "Philoctetes" (409 BC) in question about the trip of O. and the son of Achilles Neoptolemus to the island near Lemnos for the hero Philoctetes, who owned the weapon of Hercules. It was predicted that Troy would be taken only if Philoctetus took part in the battles. The hero took part in the battles and struck Paris, the main culprit of the war, with a poisoned arrow. Troy, however, continued to resist. A decisive role in its capture was played by O.'s cunning, which is described in Virgil's poem "Aeneid" (I "Sw. BC). A huge wooden horse was erected, inside which the most powerful fighters of the Greeks hid. The rest of the warriors boarded the ships and pretended to set sail from the shores of Troy. The Trojans brought the horse into the city. At night, the Greeks got out of the horse and opened the city gates to their returning tribesmen. O.'s return to his homeland, which lasted 10 years, is described in Homer's poem "The Odyssey". The gods patronized the hero. Only the god of the sea, Poseidon, hindered him in every possible way, for O. was destined to blind his son, the one-eyed Cyclops Polyphemus. For seven years, O. was kept on her island by the nymph Calypso, promising immortality to the hero. But O. built a raft and, overcoming the storm sent by Poseidon, got to the island of Scheria. Here he was met by the daughter of the king of Alki-nova Nausicaä. At a feast with the king, O. told about his adventures after sailing from Troy; the story takes the songs IX-XII "Odyssey". First of all, O. falls into the land of the Kikons, destroys their city, captures treasures and women. But the kikons eventually defeat the Achaeans and put them to flight. The ship sticks to the land of lotophages who ate plant food. Having tasted the lotus flowers, O.'s companions forgot about returning to their homeland, but O. forcefully brought them to the ship. The next adventures awaited O. on the island of the Cyclops. The one-eyed giant Polyphemus locks O. and his companions in a cave and gradually devours them. The Greeks were saved by the cunning of O. He made a pointed stake and, when the Cyclops fell asleep, blinded him. In the morning, driving a herd of sheep into the pasture, Polyphemus sat down at the entrance to the cave and began to feel the backs of the animals. But O. tied his companions under the breasts of the rams. So they managed to escape, at the same time taking with them on the ship and fine-fleece herd. The travelers are welcomed on his island by Aeolus, the lord of the winds. To facilitate the further path of O., he ties all the winds into a bag, leaving only a slight favorable breeze. But the companions of O., deciding that there are treasures in the bag, untie it at the moment when the shores of native Ithaca have already appeared in the distance. A hurricane drives ships out to sea. O. falls into the land of the giants-Lestrigones, and then to the island of the sorceress Circe (Kirki). On her advice, O. goes down to kingdom of the dead, in the possession of Hades and his wife Persephone, to meet the shadow of the soothsayer Tiresias of Finland. Tiresias predicts O. that he will lose all his companions, but he will return home safely. In the kingdom of Hades, O. meets the shadows of his friends who died under Troy or died later. Ship O. sails past the island of sirens. O. plugs the ears of his companions with wax so that they do not hear the destructive songs of the sirens, but he orders himself to be tied to the mast in order to listen to the sweet singing. O. safely conducts his ship between the monsters Scylla and Charybdis, but loses all his companions in a storm and ends up on the island to the nymph Calypso, who fell in love with him and kept him for 7 years. V last songs The Odyssey tells how the hero returns to Ithaca, where his son Telemachus and his faithful wife Penelope are waiting for him, stubbornly rejecting the claims of numerous suitors. O. interrupted the suitors and happily reunited with Penelope.

Lit .: Stanford W.B. The Ulysses Theme. Oxford, 1963.

We met in grade 5. In the lesson, we learned not only about the ancient Greek writer, but also about his wonderful works... His poems immerse readers in the world of mythology and adventure, introducing them to their common hero Odysseus. Just the heroes of the Odyssey, or rather the description of its main character, we will make in ours.

Characteristics of Odysseus in brief

As you know, in the Iliad, Odysseus was only minor hero, but in the Odyssey it is main character and his brief description we will present by examining the work. Odysseus was the son of Artemis and Laertes. According to legend, the grandfather of Odysseus was the most important god Zeus... Odysseus married the beautiful Penelope, and this woman became a model marital fidelity... Penelope had been waiting for her beloved from the campaign for more than twenty years.

Speaking directly about Odysseus, it is worth saying that he was a brave warrior who showed himself not only in battles with the enemy, but also resisted monsters and wizards. Odysseus appears to the reader as clever, cunning, proactive and patient. Getting acquainted with Homer's work, we see how the mind of the protagonist is opposed to force. His merits were a bright mind and great-mindedness. Odysseus was curious, adventurous and had a desire to learn new things. But the hero's most dignity was his devotion to his family, relatives and his country. Odysseus is a brave sailor who managed to resist the nymph Calypso. This person, with the help of his ingenuity, overcomes all dangers and returns home.

Homer, in the image of his protagonist Odysseus, manages to show all human nature, its strength and weakness. The very path of Odysseus and his voyage became the road to himself, to the knowledge of his personality and made it possible to discover and know the world.

Homer's Odyssey Characteristics: Odysseus

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An essay on the theme of Homer's Odyssey: what kind of Odysseus is he? Characteristics of the heroes from the work "Song of Roland", Olivier Characteristics of heroes based on Shakespeare's "King Lear" - Lear

As you know, "Odyssey" belongs to the genre epic poetry... It contains more than 12 thousand verses. Scientists claim that several centuries before the start new era philologists from Alexandria divided it into 24 books, according to the number of letters in the Greek alphabet. Thus, an antique book was a fragment of up to 1000 lines that fit on one papyrus scroll. Modern historians have discovered about 250 papyri, and which are captured parts of the "Odyssey".

It is also known that Homer wrote his poems, focusing on the fact that they would be recited by rhapsody singers who usually performed at all kinds of festivities... In general, the "Odyssey" together with the "Iliad" should be considered a monument to the era when society passed from one system to another, outliving the communal-clan and giving rise to a slave-owning one.

Analysis of the work

The Odyssey is dedicated to the story of how the Greek king returns home from the war. Thanks to his skills and efforts, Troy was taken (remember the famous Trojan horse). The return was long - a whole decade, but special attention is paid to the most recent tests on the way of the protagonist to the island of Ithaca, where his wife Penelope and son Telemac are waiting. It is noteworthy that a woman has to confront impudent suitors who are trying to convince her of the death of the king and force her to choose a new husband. Having reached the destination, the husband takes revenge on those who encroached on his wife and the kingdom.

In addition, the Odyssey contains many lyrical digressions- memories of the protagonist of Troy, a story about the adventures that befell the conquerors for all the years spent on campaigns. If you look broadly, then the poem describes the events of two decades. If we compare this work with another Homeric creation - "Iliad" - we can see that the work in question pays more attention to descriptions of everyday life, as well as the adventures of the main characters.

Heroes of the poem

There are many heroes in the "Odyssey": these are gods, mythological creatures, and people. For example, among the patrons of Odysseus, the goddess of wisdom Athena stands out. The antagonist and persecutor of the protagonist is Poseidon, the god of the seas. During his wanderings, the Greek king communicates with Hermes, is captured by Circe, succumbs to the spell of the nymph Calypso, descends into the kingdom of the dead to Hades.

The very image of Odysseus is written out in as much detail as possible. In the poem, he appears as real hero who performs feats. At the same time, his main achievements are visible not on the battlefield, but among the temptations - wizards and fabulous enemies. He is often cunning and cunning, and he needs these qualities no less than honesty or decency.

Penelope is the wife of Odysseus. To maintain her love for her husband and loyalty to him during his long absence, she also withstands a heroic struggle. Homer clearly shows that Penelope, in her feminine way, is as smart and resourceful as her husband.

The Odyssey mixes reality and fiction. Very often mythology interferes with reality. At the same time, the poem is as realistic as possible, there are even social episodes - for example, when Odysseus acts as a master who cares about what belongs to him. Conflicts between private and public, desire and duty come to the fore in the poem.

In conclusion, we can say that the "Odyssey" reflects not only the real journey of the protagonist in space, but also his movement within himself, the solution of various ethical and moral problems.