LITERARY ANALYSIS OF THE WORK ODYSSEY

I.-EXTERNAL INFORMATION:
Odyssey
Homer
Author's biography:
(8th century BC) Greek poet attributed with the authorship of the Iliad and the Odyssey, the two great
epic poems of ancient Greece. In Hegel's words, Homer is "the element in which lives the
Greek world as man lives in the air." Admired, imitated, and quoted by all poets, philosophers
and Greek artists who followed him, is the quintessential poet of classical literature, despite which
the biography of Homer is surrounded by the deepest mystery, to the point that his own
historical existence has been called into question.
The earliest news about Homer places his birth in Chios, although already since Antiquity
there were seven cities that vied to be his homeland: Colophon, Cumae, Pylos, Ithaca, Argos, Athens,
Smyrna and the already mentioned Chios. For Simonides of Amorgos and Pindar, only the last two could.
to reclaim the honor of being your cradle.

Although several versions of Homer's life have reached us, their content, including the famous
the blindness of the poet is legendary and novelistic. The oldest, unfoundedly attributed to Herodotus, dates back
from the 5th century BC. In it, Homer is presented as the son of a seduced orphan named
Creteidas, who gave birth to him in Smyrna. Known as Melesígenes, he soon stood out for his qualities.
artistic, starting a bohemian life. An illness left him blind, and since then he came to be called
Homer. Death, according to the pseudo-Herodotus, surprised Homer in Ios, during a
trip to Athens.

The problems posed by Homer crystallized from the 17th century in the so-called 'Homeric question.'
initiated by François Hédelin, abbot of Aubignac, who argued that the two great poems to him
attributed, the Iliad and the Odyssey, were the result of the assembly of works of different origins, which
I would explain the numerous inconsistencies they contain. Their theses were followed by philologists such as
Friedrich August Wolf. The debate between the supporters of the analytical current and the unitarians, which
they defend the Homeric authorship of the poems, it remains open today
1.4.- Works:
Odyssey
Oh the Iliad
1.5.- Literary movement: classicism
Classicism is the style of art that develops according to the precepts and values of the
Classical antiquity: that is, from the period of the peak of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece
It can be said that classicism is a movement that followed the principles of the developed model.
during the mentioned ancient period, which extended from the 5th century BC to the 2nd century AD.
Among its main characteristics is the pursuit of physical and aesthetic perfection.
human intellectual.

Predominant in the 18th and 19th centuries, classicism can be seen in multiple manifestations.
artistic, such as painting, music, literature, and architecture. In addition to the ideas of Antiquity
classical, also takes concepts from the Renaissance, humanism, and other movements
1.6.- Literary genre: Epic
1.7.- Literary genre: heroic epic.

II.- INTERNAL INFORMATION:

Ulysses was a hero protected by the goddess Athena, characterized by his cunning. The Odyssey tells of his return.
home after having fought in the Trojan War. For twenty years he wandered the coasts of the
Mediterranean, knowing a thousand adventures. He was among the Cyclopes, giants with a single eye. One of them,
Polyphemus devoured several of Ulysses' companions, but he intoxicated him and defeated him, leaving him blind. This
this event provoked the anger of Poseidon, god of the sea and father of Polyphemus, who, to avenge his son,
he pursued Ulysses with terrible storms during his journey. After escaping from the sirens,
that with their songs they attracted sailors and caused them to shipwreck, and after having saved themselves from the
sea monsters Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus arrived at the island of Trinacria (now Sicily), where his
companions attacked the sacred animals, dedicated to the sun god, Helios. The supreme god, Zeus,
he punished them by destroying all the ships with his rays. Only Ulysses survived, who reached the island.
of Ogigia, where the nymph Calypso reigned. She kept him by her side for seven years and gave him a son, but Ulysses
who still felt nostalgia for his homeland, abandoned Calypso and decided to return to his island Ithaca. Ulysses
he suffered another shipwreck, but managed to reach the island of the Phaeacians, where he was received by King Alcinous and
his daughter Nausica. The Phaeacians finally brought him to Ithaca. There his faithful wife, for several years, was
sought by numerous suitors. Ulysses, disguised as a beggar, managed to enter his palace, where
Meanwhile, Penelope had promised to marry the one who could string Ulysses' bow.
None of them succeeded, and then Odysseus tightened the bow and killed all the suitors.
2.2.- Main topic:
The adventures of Odysseus in his journeys back to his homeland and home.
2.3.- Subtopic
I. the value
II. predestination
III. the revenge
IV. the love for the homeland
V. the love for family
VI. the ingenuity
VII. intelligence and cunning
III- THE REPRESENTATIVE WORLD:
3.1.- Characters
Zeus: father of the Olympic gods, representative of the universe, strength, and power.
Athena: goddess of war, civilization, wisdom, helps Telemachus and Odysseus
Poseidon: god of the sea and storms
Eolus: god of the wind
Hermes: messenger of the gods
Odysseus: hero of the Trojan war
Penelope: wife of Ulysses, symbolizes fidelity
Telemachus; son of Ulysses
Laertes. Father of Ulysses
Anticlea: mother of Ulysses
Eumaeus: swineherd of Ulysses
Euriclea: loyal servant of the gods
Antinous: suitor of Penelope
Nestor: king of Pylos
Menelaus: king of Sparta
Others
Nausica
Calypso: nymph of the island Ogygia
Polyphemus: cyclops, son of Poseidon
Circe: sorceress who dwells on Aea.

3.2.- Space:
From Troy, in Asia Minor, through the islands of the Mediterranean Sea (near Italy) and back to
Ithaca, Greece, at some point during the Bronze Age
3.4.- Historical cultural context:
The work to be analyzed is the Odyssey, whose author is Homer. This work presents in its plot the genres of
action, drama and narrative epic; epic, its events are set in the time of ancient Greece, the place
The play takes place in Greece, specifically in a village called Ithaca.
The historical context in which the Odyssey takes place takes us to Greece, which is one of the most cultures.
impressive since it provided Western civilization with great contributions in philosophy, sciences, and arts. It is
one of the greatest civilizations according to its development and evolution.
The relief of Greece was formed by valleys of various sizes spaced apart; this caused
that it was not a single city or government, but rather several independent cities called
states. Because they were so far apart, they used the sea as a means of communication, whether navigation and to
commerce. The Aegean civilization was the precursor to Greek civilization. The inhabitants of Greece were
known as Hellenes. During the Mycenaean period, the Achaeans, a warrior people, dominated.
merchant and pirate. But then, another people called the Dorians dominated the Achaeans. This last
stage, is known as the Homeric stage, since the book the Odyssey narrates a bit of
information about life after the Trojan War, relating it to mythological life in which
the Greeks believed at that time. The Mycenaean and Homeric stages are part of the Primitive period, which
This is where the epic tales that are part of lyrical poetry arise, and philosophical prose also emerged.
EVALUATION OF THE WORK:
1. Historical value: the Odyssey takes us to Greece, which is one of the most impressive cultures as it
He made great contributions to Western civilization in philosophy, sciences, and arts. He is one of the greatest.
civilizations according to their development and evolution.
2. Literary value: Epic or lyrical poetry is a genre that arises from societies where the aristocracy
the warrior represented rising values, narrating the feats of noble and heroic characters
3. Political value: the social structure, social classes and the relationship between them, the role of man and the
woman, the division of labor, etc.
message
Homer, in the Odyssey, wants to reflect that human beings always face great dangers that
they stem from their arrogant attitude, and only by recognizing that one is not invincible nor
absolutely independent can be saved.
The Odyssey shows us a spiritual path to find our soul, our capacity to
to love ourselves and reconnect with ourselves. If we learn to transcend our ego,
we can overcome the obstacles and reach our destination in peace
5. Critical Appreciation:
The work ODYSSEY is a great classic epic filled with wisdom, courage, love, suffering, and epic tales.
The adventures and experiences of Odysseus remain timeless. A very worthwhile read to escape.
and forget about the bad times that are happening. It is a book that every reader must read.