Use Our Odyssey Essay Topics to Sound Smarter

Homer’s epic poems the “Iliad” and the “Odyssey” are more than just classic literature. These masterpieces were classic already for Renaissance artists, not to mention later generations. The “Iliad” and the “Odyssey” are pyramids of the literary world that have an impact even on modern art.

The uniqueness of these poems is doubtless. The important evidence to support this claim is that Homer’s texts are well maintained up to present. They are of great historical value because such ancient sources are very rare. Homer tells us about the Ancient Greeks’ moral code, traditions, values, and, what is even more important, about their social life.

The “Odyssey” includes more fantastic episodes than the “Iliad.” This fact makes the epic poem more attractive for general readers. Although the reading process may take more than 10 hours, it won’t be boring. You can take the “Odyssey” as a fairy tale (very long and detailed) or try to find the deep meaning and learn more about the Ancient Greek world.

“Odyssey” essay topics about women characters

1. What roles do the women play in the development of Odysseus’ character during his journey?
2. How is Penelope important to the life of her husband Odysseus?
3. Penelope as an ideal wife and mother.
4. Considering Penelope to be an ideal woman, examine how other heroines are portrayed compared to her.
5. The evolution of the women’s plight from “Gilgamesh” to the “Odyssey.”
6. How does the portrayal of Athena in the “Odyssey” exemplify gender roles?
7. How do female characters help and hurt Odysseus’ returning home?
8. Describe how the perception of the female sex has developed since ancient times basing on the “Odyssey.”
9. Why do immortal Circe and Calypso fall in love with mortal Odysseus?
10. Are the female characters more significant for the narrative in the “Odyssey” than male characters?

“Odyssey” essay questions

1. What is the story behind Homer’s “Odyssey”?
2. Imagine that you have to interview Odysseus. What questions will you ask him?
3. Why is the “Odyssey” an epic?
4. What obstacles did Odysseus encounter along the way?
5. How did the expression “between Scylla and Charybdis” come about, and what does it mean? In what cases can it be used now?
6. What was the cunning of Odysseus manifested: in the cave of the Cyclops? When meeting with sirens? In his own home in Ithaca?
7. Why does the language of the “Odyssey” poem seem incomprehensible to us?
8. How does Homer show how Odysseus imagined himself as the master of his destiny?
9. Is the “Odyssey” poem a true revelation of the poetic thought of ancient Hellas?
10. How has the “Odyssey” served as a source of inspiration for poets, artists, and composers?

“Odyssey” topics to write about: Ancient Greek culture

1. Main archetypes in the “Odyssey” and Ancient Greek culture.
2. Reciprocity as the Ancient Greek virtue in the “Odyssey.”
3. How is Greek mentality represented in the “Odyssey”?
4. What are the primary qualities of the hero in Ancient Greece according to the “Odyssey”?
5. World order from the perspective of the Ancient Greeks in the “Odyssey.”
6. Explain the connection between timé, kléos, and nostos in Ancient Greek culture based on the “Odyssey.”
7. The role of traditional Greek folktales in the “Odyssey.”
8. What political and social issues of Ancient Greece does Homer touch on in the “Odyssey”?
9. The social order in Ancient Greece displayed in the “Odyssey.”
10. How does the contrast between mortal and immortal women in the “Odyssey” characterize Ancient Greek culture?

“Odyssey” paper topics about morality

1. Why is temptation crucial for the life journey of Odysseus?
2. How does Homer depict murder and revenge in the “Odyssey”?
3. What character illustrates the importance of loyalty in the “Odyssey” and how?
4. How does greed harm Odysseus’ crew and their mission?
5. What concept is represented as more significant in the “Odyssey”: personal choice or public order?
6. Does violence play an important role in the story of the “Odyssey”?
7. What is Homer’s understanding of justice according to the “Odyssey”?
8. In which episodes of the “Odyssey” is deception represented as a negative and positive phenomenon?
9. What traits of the idealized aristocratic man described in “Genealogy of Morality” by Friedrich Nietzsche does Odysseus embody?
10. What is the importance of fatherhood in the “Odyssey” considering the examples of Odysseus and Telemachus and Polyphemus and Poseidon?
11. How does Circe violate the rules of hospitality and moral code?
12. The problem of choice between honor and family in Homer’s “Odyssey.”
13. What is the interconnection between eating and morality in the “Odyssey”?
14. How does the ancient moral code differ from the modern according to the “Odyssey”?
15. Why is perseverance significant for the heroes in the “Odyssey”?

“Odyssey” and other artworks

1. How are the elements of the mythological world of the “Odyssey” interpreted in “Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters” (2013)?
2. How is hell described in Homer’s “Odyssey” and Dante’s “Inferno”?
3. What is the impact of Homer’s epic “Odyssey” on modern writers?
4. How is the theme of homecoming displayed in the “Odyssey” by Homer and “Oedipus the King” by Sophocles?
5. The painting of Odysseus in the Cave of Polyphemus created by Jacob Jordaens as the reflection of Homer’s writing style.
6. The power of storytelling in the “Odyssey” and “Arabian Nights.”
7. The theme of immortality and its depiction in the “Odyssey” and the “Song of Roland.”
8. Discuss the concept of the ideal ruler in “Oedipus the King,” “The Odyssey,” Ovid, and “The Iliad.”
9. How does Homer develop the heroic code of the “Iliad” in the “Odyssey”?
10. The interpretation of Odysseus’ character in the science fiction novel “Ilium” by Dan Simmons.

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“Odyssey” essay topics about the main hero

1. Why do the decisions made by Odysseus frequently complicate his way to Ithaca?
2. What are similar traits of Odysseus and Telemachus? Are these characters identic?
3. Why is Odysseus the only one of his crew who lives through all struggles of the journey?
4. What psychological weaknesses does Odysseus show during his journey?
5. Is Odysseus’ revenge on the men of Ithaca who occupied his home justified? Does every man deserve severe punishment?
6. Prove that Odysseus is a typical epic hero keeping in mind the canon of Ancient Greek mythology.
7. Why are Odysseus’ affairs with Circe or Calypso represented as the behavioral norm while Penelope remains faithful to her husband?
8. What is Odysseus’ worst mistake during his voyages and why?
9. During the journey, is Odysseus always eager to return home? What makes him forget about his home island?
10. Does Odysseus remain the same after his 20-year journey (including the Trojan War)?
11. How does Odysseus’ behavior towards mortal women differ from that toward immortal heroines?
12. In what episodes does Odysseus’ wisdom surrender to his warrior mentality? Does it harm his crew and himself?
13. What lesson does Odysseus learn on his journey?
14. Who is Odysseus’ antagonist and why?
15. What epithets does Homer constantly use to describe Odysseus? How do they characterize the main hero of the “Odyssey”?

“Odyssey” argumentative essay topics

1. Why must Odysseus go to the Underworld? What does he have to find?
2. Choose one episode from the “Odyssey” and prove its significance for the epic poem.
3. Why is the “Odyssey” a great example of an itinerary?
4. Does Penelope recognize Odysseus in disguise when he returns home or not?
5. The character or the scene from the “Odyssey” that is worth becoming the subject of a painting.
6. Why is the “Odyssey” the best representation of the 12-stage hero’s journey?
7. What factors allow us to see Odysseus as an independent man? As a puppet of higher forces?
8. Why is Odysseus not a hero?
9. Why is the “Odyssey” still popular nowadays?
10. What makes the “Odyssey” a unique piece of writing?

“Odyssey” analytical essay topics

1. Examine how the character of Telemachus develops throughout Homer’s epic poem “Odyssey.”
2. Analyze the divine intervention in the lives of the heroes of the “Odyssey.”
3. The interrelationship between Poseidon, Athena, and Odysseus.
4. How does non-chronological order change the overall comprehension of the “Odyssey”?
5. What role does the depiction of the banquets play in the “Odyssey”?
6. Why is the theme of disguise important in Ancient Greek literature (based on the “Odyssey”)?
7. What are the motivations of the gods to help or harm Odysseus’ journey?
8. How does Homer portray the relationship between gods and men in the “Odyssey”?
9. Provide an analytical comparison of Homer’s Penelope and Euripides’ Medea.
10. Why do the gods interfere in the lives of heroes in the “Odyssey”?

“Odyssey” compare and contrast essay topics

1. The similarities and the differences between Homer’s “Iliad” and “Odyssey.”
2. Compare and contrast the comedy “O Brother Where Art Thou” and the “Odyssey.”
3. Compare and contrast two different film versions of Homer’s epic “The Odyssey: Ulysses” (1955) by Mario Camerini and “The Odyssey” (1997) by Andrei Konchalovsky.
4. Compare and contrast Aeneas with Odysseus keeping in mind their cultural differences.
5. Compare and contrast the concept of justice created by Homer in the “Odyssey” and by Dostoevsky in “Crime and Punishment.”
6. Compare and contrast the historical novel “Cold Mountain” by Charles Frazier and the “Odyssey.”
7. Compare how the positive theogony functions in the “Odyssey” and Genesis.
8. Compare and contrast Agamemnon with Odysseus. Who is represented as a better leader?
9. What similar traits does Telemachus’ journey have in comparison to the one of his father?
10. Compare the cultural values of the Ancient Romans and Greeks represented in the “Aeneid” by Virgil and the “Odyssey” by Homer.
11. Compare and contrast the role of Jesus in the Bible and Athena in the “Odyssey.”
12. Compare and contrast the role of friendship in the “Odyssey” and “Hamlet.”
13. How is the leadership depicted by the characters of Odysseus in the “Odyssey” and Henry V in the same-named Shakespeare play?
14. Compare and contrast Maximus from “Gladiator” and Odysseus from the “Odyssey” and the ways they display the general Greek virtues: self-respect, excellence, and glory.
15. Compare and contrast Achilles from the “Iliad” and Odysseus from the “Odyssey.” What are their motivations and behavioral patterns?

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“Odyssey” paper writing help from expert writers

Students often look for the “Odyssey” paper topics on the internet, and there is nothing weird about it. The essays about the “Odyssey,” its heroes, genre, structure, and author are frequently assigned for homework. It is meaningless to surf the internet for hours and still have no clue what to write about. That is why we are glad to offer you some amazing essay topics for the “Odyssey” listed below. We have also divided them into eight categories for your comfort. The first five categories are dedicated to different themes: women characters, Ancient Greek culture, morality, other artworks, and Odysseus. Later in the article, you’ll find the topics for three different essay types: argumentative, analytical, and compare and contrast essays.

Choosing the topic is only the first step of the long journey to a well-structured and informative essay. We don’t want you to become a modern Odysseus and sail to the shore of academic success only after 10 years!

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