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265.11 English Dr. Courtney October 18, 2004 The Emotional Contention of Odysseus as Presented in Homer's The Odyssey In the Eighth century B.C., a legendary writer named Homer began to write a tale of adventure and destitution named The Odyssey. In this epic the main character, Odysseus, encounters a great deal of danger while, with the help of the Greek gods, he makes his path back to his homeland of Ithaca. Along his way, he relies heavily upon his emotional stability to ensure that he arrives safely. His relationship with the gods can almost completely be credited to his return. Without the help of some of the powerful Greek gods, Odysseus would have been lost as sea forever. Also, his relationship with his family is his driving force that forces him to be so adamant in finding Ithaca. Both of these factors come together to ensure Odysseus's emotional contention during his journey. Odysseus's best tool of emotional contention is his relationship with the gods. From the very beginning of his journey the reader sees and understands Odysseus's respectful connection with the gods. Athena is the god that is the most supportive of Odysseus; she helps him on many different occasions. For example in Book V, Athena defends Odysseus against Zeus by pronouncing, "those that Odysseus ruled cannot remember the fatherhood and mercy of his reign" (Homer 330). She goes on to say that "meanwhile he lives and grieves upon that island in thralldom" (Homer 330). This speech compels Zeus to intervene. This assistance from Athena serves as the only way in which Odysseus was to ever get off the island of Calypso. Even though Calypso did not want Odysseus to part from her island, she helped him construct a new boat and stocked with it provisions from her island. Later on in the story, Poseidon, the only god to despise Odysseus, stirs up a storm in order to deter him. The goddess Ino comes to the rescue giving Odysseus a veil that would not let him drown in the massive, angry seas. So, as the reader can clearly see, the gods play a vital role in Odysseus's trip back home. Without their continued support and willingness to lend a helping hand, Odysseus's quest would have clearly been unfulfilled. In addition, Odysseus's relationship with his family serves as the driving force behind his entire journey. In Book XI, Odysseus makes the trip back to Circe's island to give Elpenor's body a proper burial. He runs into a blind Theban prophet, Tiresias, who foretells Odysseus's fate. He will return home and reclaim his wife. When Tiresias leaves, Odysseus speaks to the spirit of his mother, Anticleia. She tells him that his wife "forlorn her nights and days go by, her life used up in weeping" (Homer, 406). She goes on to tell him "So [she], too, pined away, so doom befell [her]...no true illness wasting the body to undo the spirit; only my loneliness for you, Odysseus" (Homer 407). His family, being the most influential driving force, led to his safe return to Ithaca. The emotional contention of Odysseus is apparent in his relationship with the gods and his family. These connections help Odysseus through his journey and ensure a safe return back to Ithaca. Without the powerful gods helping him, Odysseus would not have landed on Ithaca ever again. Also, without the motivation of his family, his quest would not have been a quest at all. He would have been just as content to stay on the islands and live out the rest of his life.

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