Question

Would it be possible for someone to read this over? I want to make sure I put forth my best work. Grammar, word choice, anything that will make my essay more effective is definitely appreciated.

•   In the Odyssey Odysseus' crew stands in stark contrast to the hero. How do they compare? What is the crew's function within the epic? What do they lack that Odysseus possesses? Be as specific as you possibly can.

Odysseus is drastically different from the rest of the crew because he represents a combination of a self-disciplined, and self-made man. within book 12 we learn how Odysseus is more disciplined in comparison to his crew. Furthermore, within book 12, The crew and Odysseus were given the test of not harming the sacred cattle of the sun. If they are capable of resisting temptation, they will be able to return home safely. However, if they give in to temptation the ship and the men will be destroyed and Odysseus will return home late. As the story progresses the men began to starve, and the amount of food begins to dwindle. Eventually, the men took it upon themselves to harm the cattle while Odysseus was asleep. Zeus wasn’t appeased by these actions and once the ship sets sail and land isnt visible, he unleashed a mass of thunderbolts. This leads towards the ship catching fire and Eventually “The men all fell into the sea; they were carried about in the water round the ship, looking like so many sea-gulls, but the god presently deprived them of all chance of getting home again”(24).

Another difference between Odysseus and this crew is that Odysseus is favored by the gods and mortals to admire him. Throughout book 12 most of his crew were turned into pigs by Circe. Circe was an immortal goddess who sought to prevent Odysseus from returning home. She contained magical abilities that allowed her to manipulate those around her with potions. When Odysseus hears of this he makes his way to find Circe. However, before he can get there he is interrupted by Hermes and is offered a herb. Hermes is God’s messenger. From there he states “Take this herb, which is one of great virtue, and keep it about you when you go to Circe's house, it will be a talisman to you against every kind of mischief”(10). The herb received allows Circe potions to have no effect, and leads towards Odysseus getting his men back. In addition, Hermes isn’t the only god that helps Odysseus as Athena also mentors him throughout his conquest.

Often mortals admired Odysseus because he contained a strength that was often recognizable. In addition, he was fearless in comparison to his crew. Towards the end of his journey Eurylochus stated “Odysseus,' said he, 'you are cruel; you are very strong yourself and never get worn out; you seem to be made of iron”(22). He wasn’t just recognized for having strength, but also for his loyalty. Throughout the whole conquest, his loyalty sets above all of his other qualities in my opinion. For example, after Odysseus discovered that most of his crew had disappeared he could’ve walked away. However, he chose to avenge them as his loyalty towards his crew was worth more than his fear.

Besides the gods favoring Odysseus and mortals admiring him his crew also plays a significant role. The purpose of Odysseus’s crew was to help him complete his conquest and return home. Ironically they didn’t always help as their inadequate discipline leed to their demise. However, throughout his journey, Odysseus’s crew does play a significant role.

Overall, his crew lacks loyalty which is something that Odysseus has. This is proven towards the end of book 12 as his crew disobeys his orders of not harming the cattle. This scenario also demonstrates that Odysseus contains discipline, which the crew does not.

Answer 1

The essay seems good however if you can write a small conclusion in the end then it will be complete . The conclusion can be written in your perspective what you have perceived from Odyssey Odyssey. In my point of the epic portrays a man who is self made and who is also very self assured .He is the combination of both. He reflects the mores of the culture . You can write what you perceived about the personality of the hero and he managed to handle the crew . With his strong leadership skills and motivation no one was able to stop his homecoming . Even the night Posidien failed to do it .Always end your essays with a positive conclusion .