Epic Elements In The Odyssey
by James Brewer
Plot is centered around a true hero who displays incredible feats
Odysseus is a true hero that can do what not many others can. He risked greatly to get home to his wife and son after his perilous twenty year journey. He triumphed over beasts that are only imaginable to us.
Acts of super human strength and valor
Odysseus had a bow that has so much tension that no one else could string it but him. He watched as his wife's suitors tried and failed to string the bow. He then stringed it in one swift motion. Then he shot an arrow through tiny targets in one quick shot.
Vast setting
The Odyssey displays a massive range in setting. Odysseus makes his way through lands from Troy to distant islands. Odysseus and his fellow soldiers journeyed across seas and the depths of the underworld as well.
Supernatural and other unworldly forces
Odysseus has to face many strange foes in this epic. He and his men face a blood thirsty cyclops; a man eating serpent; lonely goddesses; and are cursed by the god Poseidon. None of these creatures/gods are of this world.
sustained elevation of style
Homer describes every little thing in great detail in the Odyssey. He compares things in amazing similes that go on for many lines. He keeps this level of description the entire epic.
Poet remains omniscient and objective
Homer presents the thoughts and opinions of many characters in the epic. He shows the confusion and anger of the cyclops, as well as the love for Odysseus that his wife Penelope and the goddesses feel. Most characters express strong feelings and opinions.
The hero's journey
Pictures and hero's journey template found on google