The Odyssey And Trojan Women - 1684 Words

HOMER AND EURIPIDES DEAL WITH THE SAME THEMES BUT IN DIFFERENT WAYS INTRO: Despite difference of around 400 years between them Greek poet Homer and tragedian playwright Euripides explore many of the same themes in their works the Odyssey and Trojan Women (written by each respectively). Both works are inspired by the events of 12th Century BCE Trojan War that Homer previously explored in the Iliad. The two examine the worth of cunning over brute strength, the dangers of temptation and the role of women in their respective time periods. Despite having extremely similar central ideas, the techniques employed by each are markedly different. These differences arise as the result of changes in socio-historical contexts and format of each work’s presentation, for example the critical shift of the 5th century which saw the rise of sophistry and a certain scepticism in regard to Athenian leadership and the very existence of the gods. PARA ONE: Socio-Historical Context Homer’s the Odyssey is an Epic poem written in the 8th Century BCE (the ‘dark ages’ of Greece / the geometric period). Euripides’ Trojan Women was written in 415 BCE, after the great plague of Athens and the rise of sophistry. Both were written in Mycenaean Greece, and inspired by events of the fabled 12th Century Trojan War. Homer’s purpose was to record the events, and provide entertainment for audiences in an oratory form. Euripides wrote a play, intended to be performed for Athenian men, in a competition.Show MoreRelated Comparing the Deceitful Women of Homers Odyssey and the Bible1184 Words   |  5 PagesThe Deceitful Women of Homers Odyssey and the Bible Across all barriers, women have always brought pain, suffering, and aguish to the men as demonstrated in both Homers Odyssey and the Bible. With their beauty and grace, temptresses like the Sirens and Delilah lure men into their grasps, only to later steer them to their ruin. Other times, they use their cunning abilities and deception, as Circe and Jezebel did, in order to entice men into doing things that they normally would neverRead MoreA Comparison of Helen in the Iliad and the Odyssey809 Words   |  4 Pagesand The Odyssey are tales written by Homer centered on the drama of the Trojan War. First poem deals with the time during the end of the war, while the latter, which occurs roughly ten years later, explains the disastrous journey of Odysseus fighting his way back home. The character of women in the Odyssey is to exhibit the many and diverse roles that women play in the lives of men. These functions vary from characters such as the goddess that help them to the nymp hs who trick them. Women in theRead MoreWomen in the Illiad and the Odyssey1331 Words   |  6 Pages March 21, 2013 Roles of Women in The Iliad and The Odyssey Homer wrote two epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey. The Iliad is a tragedy that tells about the battles of the Trojan War. 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Greek poetry before Homer was all composed orally; therefore it is assumed that Homer’s works are the first written works of art (Joachim Latacz, page 15). Scholars who have spent extensive time researching the origin of Homer’s work cannot verify a specificRead MoreVirgil s Aeneid And Homer s Odyssey1436 Words   |  6 PagesIn Virgil’s Aeneid and Homer’s Odyssey we observe two opposing views, the defeat of the Trojans and the victorious Greeks. Nevertheless, we get parallel plots in the form of the hero’s journey. Each hero faces many obstacles to reach their fate. With both heroes having the ultimate goal of reaching their homeland or in Aeneas’ case finding a new home. 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The Greek Myths also show how women, though not as powerful as men, have been able to cause great changes to the course of events. The Trojan of war is one glorified example of it where because of one woman thousands of soldiers died. I would like to talk about such women from the readings that we have done in this course. I shall be talking aboutRead MoreSimilarities Between The Odyssey and The Aeneid824 Words   |  3 PagesThe Odyssey and Aeneid Long ago, there were two powerful nations located in southern Europe. First there were the Greeks, this nation was known for the first practice of democracy. Other than democracy, during the Greeks era there was a man by the name Homer who wrote a story called The Odyssey about a great legendary hero named Odysseus. After the Greeks, then came the Romans who ruled Greece for centuries. The Romans during their time were known to have practiced and used many of the Greeks cultures