FREE ESSAY ON HOMER

HOMER

In the selected passage of book five, there are many different themes present. Many of
these themes can only be appreciated once you look deeper into the meaning of the text
and take the whole book into account. These passage from the book five describes
Odysseus' actions once he has washed up on shore after eighteen days at sea from the
island of Kalypso. He exhausted an old tired and broken man and it takes all the energy
he has left to find shelter and sleep. 
Immediately in line 474 a major theme is present. Homer writes In the division of his
heart this last way seemed best, referring to Odysseus' dilemma of which way to go for
refuge. Odysseus is the great thinker. He is constantly being refereed to as the
resourceful Odysseus. Even at a time such as this when any normal man would simply
collapse in exhaustion, Odysseus refuses to stop planning. He is constantly searching for
the best and most clever way through each situation. This theme is most prominent in book
thirteen when he is finally home. Instead of running right up to his palace walls and
proclaiming his arrival he begins to lie and weaves a web of secrets around himself in
order to test those around him and see what kind of situation he is really in. Athene
comes to him disguised and is the first one he lies to . After revealing herself to him
she praises him in line 298 when she says since you are far the best of all mortal men
for counsel and stories, and among all the divinities I am famous for wit and
sharpness;.
Here Athene likens his skill to hers and thereby confirms a major theme in the story:
Odysseus is second only to the gods in his craftiness and foresight and it is this gift
more than any other that has allowed him to become the hero that he is.
In the next few lines Odysseus makes his way for the woods by the water where he finds an
olive bush intertwined with a shrub . It is under these bushes that Odysseus makes his
refuge. So , it is obvious that the olive tree it will use as a theme in the next books..
The olive tree is present in Book Twenty Three, lines 190-204, when Odysseus explains to
his wife, how he made their bed out of an olive tree the was growing where their home now
stands. This is the final proof of his recognition by Penelope. Also, The olive is
important because it is the symbol of Athene, the agricultural staple for the Greeks and
also gave it name to the biggest city of Greece, Athens. Athene is also the patron god of
Odysseus. Therefore, when Odysseus saw the olive bush when he was washed up on shore or
any other time in the epic he knew that he would be safe because he was protected by
Athene. 
Also, a theme that is clearly displayed in the passage is the interaction of gods and
humans. This is so common throughout the story that it is almost taken as a matter of
course. After the Greeks sack, pillage and rape the city of Troy many of the divinities
are displeased with them, not so much because they are destroying the city and its
inhabitants, but rather with the method and brutality with which they do it. As
punishment several of the Greek heroes are delayed during their journey home. This is the
case with Odysseus, he is blown off course and takes nearly twenty years to return to
Ithaca. Along the way several gods try to hinder him, while others try to help him return
to his home. In particular the goddess Athena champions Odysseus' cause with the other
gods while also helping him directly throughout his journey. And in the closing lines of
Book V, Athena grants her mortal protege a moment of peace from his arduous adventure
with the lines  and Athena shed a sleep on his eyes so as most quickly to quit him, by
veiling his eyes, from the exhaustion of his hard labors. 
Finally, an important theme that appears is the meaning of xenia. When Odysseus walks
into the forest he finds two bushes growing so close together that they appear woven
together, providing an excellent shelter for the night. There is ample space, enough for
several men, and prodigious quantities of leaves to provide him warmth throughout the
night as he takes a respite from his trying journey. This is in stark contrast to how
Odysseus and his men are received by many other people. One of the turning points of the
story is when Odysseus lands on the islands of the Cyclopes and goes to the home of
Polyphemos. Instead of being given food and a place to rest as is demanded by xenia,
Polyphemos imprisons Odysseus and his men and starts to devour them one by one, Book IX
lines 287 through 306. This is the antithesis of what xenia represents. Another situation
where xenia is broken is when Odysseus and the last of his crew arrive at the island of
Circe after having a majority of their comrades killed by the Laistygones. Eurylochos and
half of Odysseus' men come upon Circe's house while exploring the island. She then
invites them inside and mixes them a potion to drink which turns them all into bigs, all
except Eurylochos who had suspected treachery, Book X lines 229 through 243. In light of
these two examples, the simple glade in the land of the Phaiakians which we see the true
meaning of hospitality. 
These themes are far and away the most prominent themes in the passage. But like any
other passage in this epic, they are not the only themes apparent. Almost every word that
Homer writes seems to intertwine with other themes. It is this richness of symbolism and
depth of meaning that has enabled this work to outlive almost three millennia of change.
Perhaps it is this change that has strengthened the value and meaning of the work.
Perhaps that was Homer's ultimate point: everything changes and nothing can remain the
same. The Greeks believed strongly in metamorphosis and from Ovid's writing on the
subject to now, from Homer's depiction of Odysseus to our very societal beliefs,
everything has and will continue to change. Perhaps that is why the Odyssey will be as
timeless 3000 years from now as it is today.