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Dipali answered on
Sep 30 2023
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Contents
Introduction 3
The Virtue of Cunning 3
The Vice of Cunning: An Extension of Hu
is 4
Motivations of Odysseus 5
Cele
ation and Critique of Cunning 5
Contemporary Perspective vs. Ancient Audience 6
Conclusion 7
Introduction
The Odyssey, composed almost three thousand years ago, is an epic poem: "epic" both in the sense that it is long, and in the sense that it presents itself as telling an important story, in the traditional, formulaic language used by archaic poets for singing the tales of gods, wars, journeys, and the collective memories and experience of the Greek-speaking world (Book location 49 of 12267). The first phase of The Odyssey, one of the founding pieces of Western literature, is "Tell me about a complicated man. Muse, tell me how he wandered and was lost when he had wrecked the holy town of Troy, and where he went, and who he met, the pain he suffered in the storms at sea, and how he worked to save his life and
ing his men back home" (Book location 1-4, location 1623). The epic's main figure, Odysseus, is portrayed in a variety of ways by Homer. Common adjectives used to describe Odysseus include "deceitful," "strategizing," "wily," and "lying." The issue of cunning and cleverness as it relates to Odysseus is explored in this article, along with his motivations, whether it is a virtue or an extension of hu
is, and how the text both praises and criticizes his cunning. It also examines the various viewpoints that modern readers could have towards these features in contrast to ancient audiences.
The Virtue of Cunning
“Go blame your precious mother! She is cunning” (Book line 90, location 2023) If understood in the perspective of survival, Odysseus' cunning might be seen as a virtue. He uses his humor and knowledge to get past several challenges on his difficult voyage. For instance, Odysseus' wit and ingenuity enable him to escape under the sheep from the Cyclops Polyphemus. This clever move not only demonstrates his
illiance but also guarantees the lives of his troops. This would have been considered admirable by ancient audiences, who would have praised Odysseus for his ingenuity and fast thinking. Additionally, Odysseus' ingenuity is essential to his psychological endurance as well as his physical survival. He uses lies and stories to conceal his identity throughout his protracted absence from home, which enables him to outsmart the suitors in his palace once he returns. His resiliency and constant commitment to finding his family again are demonstrated by his clever abilities to think and adapt. The book also extols Odysseus' wit by highlighting the numerous occasions in which he outwits deities and fantastical beings. He demonstrated his cunning as a heroic characteristic by successfully avoiding Circe's spells and negotiating the perilous waters of Scylla and Charybdis. Odysseus'...