I wonder if the world spoke in the poetic language used by homer then there would have been fewer confrontations in this world. Don’t believe me? Lets analyze and see through an example
Homer Version:
Oh Flesh of my heart
The times have turned against us
For the Gods have intervened
In our love for each other
Or it could be the ever wicked
Arrow of Eros, son of the goddess Aphrodite
That made me fall for another soul
And it would be a path carved towards
Halls of Hades
If I turn blind to this new love
So with an aching heart
I am forced to bid adieu
Modern version
Yo Bitch ! get out of my effing house
My new girl friend is moving in
See modern lingo is crisp, short and straight to the point and nothing less of a dagger to the heart, while homer version is sweet, runs in multiple lines, music to ears, even if it is a cyanide pill covered in chocolate
Now do you see the difference between these two languages?
Homer was a blind poet/orator and The Odyssey and Iliad all were actually written by somebody else who must have heard homer’s narration from somewhere or from someone. So historians still debate over the validity and nuisances of the entire script since what we read today is just a hearsay version nevertheless one cannot deny that The Odyssey and Iliad are the first form of literature and carry a great deal of importance.
The odyssey takes place nine years after the war of Troy and basically revolves around our main character Odyssey who is trying to get back home to Ithaca to his wife Penelope and son Telemachus but is kept under the captive of a nymph Calypso who is madly in love with him. Even though he later escapes, trouble keep finding Odyssey. At home front too there is things brewing bad since Penelope is being seek by lots of potential grooms who wants to take the position of Odyssey as the king of Ithaca.
Yes The odyssey is a literary masterpiece but in my opinion is also a cliché for misogynist attitudes. Well of course I will be here all day if I start on the details. Anyways keeping my feminism under control. I can’t help notice the hypocrisy of the character who would attack Cyclopes for reacting towards intruders in his house while odyssey is doing the same thing towards the end. There are lots of things that make you think or scratch your head. I particularly couldn’t understand the thought process of Odyssey who wanted to wait for Cyclopes to return in spite of the fact that they were inside his cave without his permission and even odyssey’s companions wanted to get out of the place before Cyclopes returned. But odyssey was not only stupid and arrogant in wanting to stay and eventually his attitude ended up losing lots of his companions.
Let’s just say that by the end of the book I hated odyssey, Penelope (for she could have avoided everything by telling all the suitors that she was not interested rather than keeping them hanging). Telemachus (even if your father was in disguise as a beggar, how could you give him a bowl and ask him to beg in front of you or leave your father’s side in a battle leaving him alone to defend). I think the only person I found sympathy was with calypso (yeah I did find her tragic enough to forced to leave her love) and circe too.
Above all it seemed like Athena was the one who did all the work.
The odyssey is a long narration of a person’s journey and his ordeals but one has to read it, if you are a fan of Greek mythologies or beautiful language. Plus its part of a culture so why not try it once.