{"id":19263182,"date":"2019-03-26T15:54:13","date_gmt":"2019-03-26T12:54:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/blog\/?p=19263182"},"modified":"2023-10-18T13:30:04","modified_gmt":"2023-10-18T13:30:04","slug":"the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/","title":{"rendered":"The Iliad and The Odyssey Analysis Essay"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n\n

Examine the Similarities and the Differences Between Homer\u2019s \u201cIliad\u201d and \u201cOdyssey\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Iliad<\/em> and The Odyssey<\/em> are ancient Greek epic poems, traditionally ascribed to Homer. The Iliad describes the events of the Trojan War, namely a few weeks of the last year of the war. The Odyssey<\/em> focuses on Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and his homecoming after the victory of the Achaeans. Although these poems have a few similar traits, their themes, timeline, and characters differ a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Similarities in Structures and Literary Devices<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The structure and the shape of both Homer\u2019s poems are much alike. Both Iliad<\/em> and Odyssey<\/em> consist of 24 books and concentrate on one moment within a complete epic cycle. The epic poems are written in dactylic hexameter and include similar literary devices. For example, Homer uses stock epithets in both his poems: \u201csensible Telemachus\u201d and \u201cwise Penelope\u201d (from The Odyssey<\/em>), and \u201cbeauteous Helen\u201d and \u201cgodlike Hector\u201d (from The Iliad<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the development of the plot, the poems have two things in common. The first element is a ring composition. The Iliad<\/em> \u201cbegins with a ransom and an argument (Book I), a ceremonial aggregation of forces (Book II), and a duel (Book III), and ends with a comparable sequence in reverse\u201d (Silk 34). The Odyssey<\/em> also shows a ring-composition in the Books IX-XII when Odysseus tells the story of his journey to the Phaeacians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second element which is common for both plots is divine interventions. Olympian gods help mortals according to their own preferences and ambitions. For example, Athena is Odysseus\u2019s patroness, while Poseidon wants to thwart his homecoming. In the Iliad<\/em>, the Olympian gods are divided into three camps: some of them fight for the Achaeans or Trojans, and others remain neutral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Differences in Themes, Timelines, and Main Heroes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most significant difference between the two poems, which entails other dissimilarities, is their overall theme and idea. While the Iliad<\/em> is focused on the war, battles, and fights, the Odyssey is a tale about adventures, trials, and mythological creatures. When it comes to the nature of the poem, it can be said that \u201cthe Iliad<\/em> is tragic, \u2026 the Odyssey is comic\u201d (Morris and Powell 115). The latter has little to do with humor, but it ends in \u201charmony and acceptance\u201d (Morris and Powell 115), while the Iliad<\/em> ends with the destruction of Troy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Different themes require different main heroes. Achilles, the main hero of the Iliad<\/em>, is constantly called \u201cswift-footed,\u201d \u201clion-hearted,\u201d or \u201clike to the gods.\u201d Such characteristics refer to his athletic physique, personal qualities, and origin. Silk states that \u201cthe outsider Achilles is rootless. He has no family near him and no friends, except for one close friend\u201d (79). He knows that his faith is determined:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Here, if I stay, before the Trojan town,
\nShort is my date, but deathless my renown:
\nIf I return, I quit immortal praise
\nFor years on years, and long-extended days. (Iliad<\/em>, 9)<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Achilles chooses eternal glory instead of a happy and long life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast to the hero of the Iliad<\/em>, Odysseus does everything possible to stay alive and return home. Homer calls him \u201cmuch-enduring\u201d for a good reason. He goes through the most dangerous trials on his arduous way to Ithaca. But the hero manages to overcome all the challenges thanks to his wisdom and trickery. In contrast to Achilles, who uses violence and strength to solve his problems, Odysseus prefers to act rationally and wisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One more essential dissimilarity between Homer\u2019s poems lies in their timelines. Although the author sometimes describes the parallel events (on Mount Olympus and in Troy), in general, the plot of the Iliad<\/em> develops in a linear chronology. As for the second poem, \u201cthe Odyssey<\/em> does not follow a linear chronology. The reader begins in the middle of the tale, learning about previous events only through Odysseus\u2019s retelling\u201d (Blumberg).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Iliad<\/em> and The Odyssey<\/em> have the same elements in their structure and shape: each epic poem consists of 24 books and is written in dactylic hexameter with the use of the same literary devices. Their plots also have similar traits: a ring-form composition and numerous divine interventions. As the poems are dedicated to different events and develop different ideas, they have a wide range of dissimilarities: comic and tragic endings, antipodal main heroes, and linear and non-linear timelines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Works Cited<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blumberg, Naomi. \u201cOdyssey.\u201d Encyclop\u00e6dia Britannica,<\/em> Encyclop\u00e6dia Britannica, Inc., 22 Oct. 2018, www.britannica.com\/topic\/Odyssey-epic-by-Homer.
\nHomer. The Iliad.<\/em> Translated by Robert Fagles, Viking Press, 1990.
\nHomer. The Odyssey.<\/em> Translated by Peter Green, University of California Press, 2018.
\nMorris, Ian, and Barry B. Powell. The Greeks: History, Culture, and Society.<\/em> Pearson, 2014.
\nSilk, M. S. Homer: The Iliad.<\/em> Cambridge University Press, 1987.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

How to Get Literature Essay Writing Help<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is not surprising for us that the \u201cOdyssey\u201d<\/em> <\/strong>analysis essay presented above can be helpful for students. However, you need to remember that all samples presented on our blog can\u2019t be copied \u2013 it\u2019s plagiarism. If you need the \u201cOdyssey\u201d<\/em> analysis essay written on a similar topic, our writers can write an essay<\/a> for you. Or you can use our prompt generator writing<\/a> tool to get more fresh ideas for your papers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the fact that you don\u2019t know how to write your paper, you can still get a good grade for it. Typically, students leave their writing assignments to us and spend their time on more interesting and important things. Those students know that their papers will be written exactly as they expect. Our writers pay attention to all customer instructions and academic standards for writing the particular paper. They know what professors want to see in students\u2019 papers \u2013 that\u2019s why papers written by our writers get good grades. So, if you get a writing assignment you don\u2019t know how to deal with, don\u2019t be afraid \u2013 we will take care of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Become a successful student by getting our professional writing help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo by TeeFarm from Pixabay<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Examine the Similarities and the Differences Between Homer\u2019s \u201cIliad\u201d and \u201cOdyssey\u201d Introduction The Iliad and The Odyssey are ancient Greek epic poems, traditionally ascribed to Homer. The Iliad describes the events of the Trojan War, namely a few weeks of the last year of the war. The Odyssey focuses on Odysseus, king of Ithaca, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19263270,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19263182","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-essay-samples","category-samples"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Iliad and The Odyssey Analysis Essay<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Don\u2019t panic if you don\u2019t know how to write your The Odyssey essay. Check out our sample to get interesting and helpful ideas for your writing.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Iliad and The Odyssey Analysis Essay\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Don\u2019t panic if you don\u2019t know how to write your The Odyssey essay. Check out our sample to get interesting and helpful ideas for your writing.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Free Essay Examples from EssayShark\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-03-26T12:54:13+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-18T13:30:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/The-Iliad-and-The-Odyssey-Analysis-Essay.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"540\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/\",\"name\":\"The Iliad and The Odyssey Analysis Essay\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/The-Iliad-and-The-Odyssey-Analysis-Essay.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-26T12:54:13+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-18T13:30:04+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/#\/schema\/person\/0a8625f9c64489784b6e8afa8a3af28c\"},\"description\":\"Don\u2019t panic if you don\u2019t know how to write your The Odyssey essay. Check out our sample to get interesting and helpful ideas for your writing.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/The-Iliad-and-The-Odyssey-Analysis-Essay.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/The-Iliad-and-The-Odyssey-Analysis-Essay.jpg\",\"width\":960,\"height\":540,\"caption\":\"The Iliad and The Odyssey Analysis Essay\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Examples\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"EssayShark Samples\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/samples\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"The Iliad and The Odyssey Analysis Essay\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/\",\"name\":\"Free Essay Examples from EssayShark\",\"description\":\"Find free college essay examples and other paper examples on any topic on our blog. Use them as ideas for your own writing and as a source for citations.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/#\/schema\/person\/0a8625f9c64489784b6e8afa8a3af28c\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80057fa7257386dff3eb465ecb76567923c51ec2e025860f821fed23394ae846?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80057fa7257386dff3eb465ecb76567923c51ec2e025860f821fed23394ae846?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/examples.essayshark.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/author\/admin\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Iliad and The Odyssey Analysis Essay","description":"Don\u2019t panic if you don\u2019t know how to write your The Odyssey essay. Check out our sample to get interesting and helpful ideas for your writing.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Iliad and The Odyssey Analysis Essay","og_description":"Don\u2019t panic if you don\u2019t know how to write your The Odyssey essay. Check out our sample to get interesting and helpful ideas for your writing.","og_url":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/","og_site_name":"Free Essay Examples from EssayShark","article_published_time":"2019-03-26T12:54:13+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-10-18T13:30:04+00:00","og_image":[{"width":960,"height":540,"url":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/The-Iliad-and-The-Odyssey-Analysis-Essay.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/","url":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/","name":"The Iliad and The Odyssey Analysis Essay","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/The-Iliad-and-The-Odyssey-Analysis-Essay.jpg","datePublished":"2019-03-26T12:54:13+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-18T13:30:04+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/#\/schema\/person\/0a8625f9c64489784b6e8afa8a3af28c"},"description":"Don\u2019t panic if you don\u2019t know how to write your The Odyssey essay. Check out our sample to get interesting and helpful ideas for your writing.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/The-Iliad-and-The-Odyssey-Analysis-Essay.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/The-Iliad-and-The-Odyssey-Analysis-Essay.jpg","width":960,"height":540,"caption":"The Iliad and The Odyssey Analysis Essay"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/the-iliad-and-the-odyssey-analysis-essay\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Examples","item":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"EssayShark Samples","item":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/samples\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"The Iliad and The Odyssey Analysis Essay"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/#website","url":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/","name":"Free Essay Examples from EssayShark","description":"Find free college essay examples and other paper examples on any topic on our blog. Use them as ideas for your own writing and as a source for citations.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/#\/schema\/person\/0a8625f9c64489784b6e8afa8a3af28c","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80057fa7257386dff3eb465ecb76567923c51ec2e025860f821fed23394ae846?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/80057fa7257386dff3eb465ecb76567923c51ec2e025860f821fed23394ae846?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/examples.essayshark.com"],"url":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/author\/admin\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19263182","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19263182"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19263182\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19295098,"href":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19263182\/revisions\/19295098"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19263270"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19263182"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19263182"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/essayshark.com\/examples\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19263182"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}