The Odyssey
Homer · -800 · Philosophical Text
It establishes the archetype of the long, arduous heroic journey filled with trials, divine intervention, and the protagonist's struggle to return home and find meaning and identity.
What it is
The epic poem recounts the ten-year journey of the hero Odysseus as he struggles to return home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, facing mythical creatures, divine intervention, and numerous perils. He eventually reclaims his kingdom and family from suitors who have invaded his palace.
Craft in this work
↓Passed on to(5)
Milton consciously drew upon classical epic traditions, including Homer's Odyssey, to craft a narrative of immense scope involving a journey (Satan's fall and subsequent journey through Chaos) and a struggle against divine power.
Bunyan's work, like The Odyssey, presents a protagonist on a long, arduous journey, encountering a series of challenges and symbolic figures that test his resolve and character, ultimately leading to a transformative destination.
Like Odysseus, Crusoe undergoes an extended, perilous journey and period of exile, facing numerous trials and adapting to a harsh world, before finally achieving a return to his original home and society, albeit one he is now alienated from.
Candide's extensive travels and trials across the globe, enduring immense suffering and disillusionment, culminate in a deliberate choice to return to a simple, un-heroic life, mirroring Odysseus's ultimate desire for his home and family after his epic adventures.
Coleridge's epic poem features a protagonist undertaking a long, perilous sea voyage, encountering supernatural forces and enduring severe trials, much like Odysseus, leading to a profound, life-altering experience and a return to the mundane world forever changed.