Voyage and Psychological Development in Homers Odyssey Essay example -

The Voyage and Psychological Development in Homers Odyssey Homers Odyssey arguably stands out head and shoulders above any other piece of heroic poem literature produced by Western civilization for nearly three millennia. approximately remarkable is the extent to which the Western hero ideal is to this day still a result of the molding that occurred upon the character of Odysseus so long ago. In imagining a police lineup of the most profoundly influencing protagonists of Western epic poetry, surely Odysseus would incite in stature and roguish airs far beyond the others for is non the gray-eyed Athena, daughter of rain-bringing Zeus himself, bound in devotion to this mortal hero? It is she who repeatedly enhances Odysseus appearance so as to impress upon others his god-like qualities And Athene, she who was born from Zeus, made him large to look at and stouter, and on his headMade his hair flow in curls, like the hyacinth flower . . . So she poured grace upon his head and shoul ders. (6.229-35) In anointing Odysseus in similar fashion throughout the tale of his arduous move around homeward, the ancient as well as modern reader cannot protagonist but look to Odysseus as a role stumper. Implicit in this behavioural model is one of Homers many subtexts, namely that having one or much of the gods on ones side is not enough to guarantee even a uncomplete success in ones endeavors. The god Poseidon stands in direct opposition to Odysseus name and address of reaching Ithaca, yet his attacks upon the hero always fall just short of real killing him. Instead, with each calamity that befalls Odysseus at Poseidons hand, the hero is faced with a parallel inward struggle. Surviving the physical realm at first seems to be the test when actually it ... ...side of the woman (the animus) and the passive, feminine side of the man (the anima). Although the devil figures are always tempting the ego to identify itself with them, a real discretion even on the personal level is possible only if the realisation is refused. (Jung 16 469) Perhaps The Odyssey, when seen from the perspective of Jungian and post-Jungian psychology, offers the reader a rich model for their own psychological development and an opportunity to re-examine the hero archetype in Western civilization. Works Cited Cirlot, J.E., A Dictionary of Symbols. New York Barnes & Noble, 1971.Hillman, James. Anima An Anatomy of a Personified Notion. Dallas Spring Publications, 1985.Homer. The Odyssey. Trans., Ed. Albert Cook. New York W.W. Norton, 1993.Jung, C.G. Collected Works. 20 vols. Trans. R.F.C. Hull. Princeton Princeton U P, 1954. Voyage and Psychological Development in Homers Odyssey Essay example -The Voyage and Psychological Development in Homers Odyssey Homers Odyssey arguably stands out head and shoulders above any other piece of epic literature produced by Western civilization for nearly three millennia. Most remarkable is the extent to which the Western h ero archetype is to this day still a result of the molding that occurred upon the character of Odysseus so long ago. In imagining a police lineup of the most profoundly influencing protagonists of Western epic poetry, surely Odysseus would impress in stature and roguish airs far beyond the others for is not the gray-eyed Athena, daughter of rain-bringing Zeus himself, bound in devotion to this mortal hero? It is she who repeatedly enhances Odysseus appearance so as to impress upon others his god-like qualities And Athene, she who was born from Zeus, made himBigger to look at and stouter, and on his headMade his hair flow in curls, like the hyacinth flower . . . So she poured grace upon his head and shoulders. (6.229-35) In anointing Odysseus in similar fashion throughout the tale of his arduous journey homeward, the ancient as well as modern reader cannot help but look to Odysseus as a role model. Implicit in this behavioral model is one of Homers many subtexts, namely that having o ne or more of the gods on ones side is not enough to guarantee even a partial success in ones endeavors. The god Poseidon stands in direct opposition to Odysseus goal of reaching Ithaca, yet his attacks upon the hero always fall just short of actually killing him. Instead, with each calamity that befalls Odysseus at Poseidons hand, the hero is faced with a parallel inward struggle. Surviving the physical realm at first seems to be the test when actually it ... ...side of the woman (the animus) and the passive, feminine side of the man (the anima). Although the two figures are always tempting the ego to identify itself with them, a real understanding even on the personal level is possible only if the identification is refused. (Jung 16 469) Perhaps The Odyssey, when seen from the perspective of Jungian and post-Jungian psychology, offers the reader a rich model for their own psychological development and an opportunity to re-examine the hero archetype in Western civilization. Works Cited Cirlot, J.E., A Dictionary of Symbols. New York Barnes & Noble, 1971.Hillman, James. Anima An Anatomy of a Personified Notion. Dallas Spring Publications, 1985.Homer. The Odyssey. Trans., Ed. Albert Cook. New York W.W. Norton, 1993.Jung, C.G. Collected Works. 20 vols. Trans. R.F.C. Hull. Princeton Princeton U P, 1954.