The epic story of Odysseus was originally written by Homer, but has been rewritten several times since then. It was probably written near the end of the eighth century B.C.E., somewhere along the once Greek seaside. This story is extremely important to mankind because of the journey Odysseus faces and the obstacles that stand in his way.

 

This poem was probably written to honor Odysseus’s brave actions and quick-thinking that won the Trojan War. People enjoy the character of Odysseus, which is the reason that this poem has been rewritten and told over and over again. When the Romans and Greeks heard his tale, they had mixed feelings about whether he was a hero or a scoundrel. Most of the Greeks believed that he was a hero to be looked up to, while the Romans thought that he was a villain.  Odysseus’s story has been written countless times. However, it has also inspired people to make plays and films. To this day, people still argue about whether he is a hero or an evil-doer. Some have come to the conclusion that he is a "flawed hero," but the debate goes on about Odysseus.

 

The Odyssey is important to literature because of the question it brings up in the readers’ heads and the image that people picture, a rough, intelligent king that wins a long-lasting war then angers an almighty god. Homer wrote the Odyssey in tribute to Odysseus and his heroic deed of winning the Trojan War. Even with his flaws, Odysseus deserves to be admired for being the main reason that the Trojans fell.

 

Bibliography

 

Skidmore, Joel (1997).  Odyssey: Based on the Odyssey, Homer's epic from Greek mythology. Retrieved January 15, 2009 from the World Wide web < http://www.mythweb.com/odyssey/>

Odyssey. (2009) Retrieved January 15, 2009 from the World Wide web at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey>

History

Odysseus