The Odyssey Essays - Mythology, Greek Mythology, Religion

The Odyssey Essays - Mythology, Greek Mythology, Religion The Odyssey The Odyssey The great muses are called upon by Homer to tell the great adventure of Odysseus in his travel back to his home. Prayers are given to the Greek Gods and muses by Homer in order to proceed this story. The Greeks life revolved around the gods in a matter of fashion as we presently revolve around Christianity. The depiction of the roles the gods played in the Odyssey is both presented in good and evil. The Greeks portrayed their gods as powerful and merciful. However in the Odyssey the gods play a role in a savior like Jesus Christ and the tormentor like Satan. With the present role in the story of Odyssey the gods can be seen as a key role in Odysseus life. Odysseus alone cannot have escaped the treacherous Trojan War without the aid of the gods. However can it be reconcile that the gods were truly the ones who controlled our lives? In Odysseuss case the gods played a vital role. Throughout the entire story Athena was the crutch Odysseus and his family leaned on in the time of aid. Through the treacherous paths Odysseus traveled it was hope of seeing Penelope and his son Telemachus that brought him strength and wisdom. With the loves one left behind Odysseus fearlessly face the gods and tramples over their challenges. Without the help of Athena and her wisdom and devotion to Odysseus his challenges would be help with no boundaries. With Athena on Odysseus side, he was able to return home without any harms done to him or his family. With the gods in favor of Odysseus return all he had to fight was the challenges Poseidon threw at him. With the water being the only road back to his home this challenge was fare more difficult then the Troj an War itself. With the guidance of Athena Odysseus was safely returned to Ithica. Even though Athena played a key role in Odysseus life she was still unable to protect him from the challenges he faced with Poseidon, Calypso, and Helios. The gods can be seen as Odysseuss sub-conscience. Athena being Odysseuss wisdom, Helios the jealousy hidden in our curiosity, Calypso the temptation we face, and Poseidon the challenges in life we face everyday. These main Gods played a key role in Odysseuss life. Poseidon tormented blinded Polyphemus. Poseidon would have never tormented Odysseus if only he kept his boastful self-quiet. A lesson in life learned by Odysseus to keep him self- humble at all times. Odysseus faced other challenges that slowed his journey towards home seem longer. Calypso who kept Odysseus on her island for seven years offered him the impossible. Odysseus with his wife in mind declined the gift for a passage towards home. With temptation and challenges that blockaded Odysseus journey hom e. However Odysseus and his deceased crew could of made it home safely if it wasnt for the curiosity and jealousy of the crew to open the bag of wind and their evil temptation to kill and eat Helios cows. The gods playing minor roles it was human nature that brought the crewmembers to their doom and slowed Odysseus down from returning home. Homer portrayed human nature with the gods and goddesses. We are our own enemy. We are the ones who lay the path in our life and destination. However there are bumps in the word that slow us down and break us down. With hope we resist temptation and fight evil off. The gods in the Odyssey portrayed the good and evil in human nature. Odysseus being the hero of the Odyssey resisted and learned valuable lessons in life on his adventure back home.

Reflection Paper About the Speech of Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream Delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. Essays

Reflection Paper About the Speech of Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream Delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. Essays Reflection Paper About the Speech of Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream Delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. Paper Reflection Paper About the Speech of Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream Delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. Paper Reflection Paper about the speech of Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D. C. I Have a Dream is extremely emotional, a hopeful vision of the future of race in this country. King recognized that the March, with an attending crowd of over 200,000 as well as a national television audience, would be the perfect opportunity to gain support for the civil rights movement. He intended to persuade his audience of the justice of the cause, encourage them to not abandon hope, and warn them that in the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of illegal deeds, declaring his belief that nothing positive is accomplished through violence King. He designed his speech with those goals in mind. Kings understanding of the size and composition of his audience determined the rhetorical choices he made while composing his speech. It is important to understand that while hoping to influence the attitudes of an entire nation, King was primarily addressing a black audience. He spoke of generations of injustice, and referring to the recent increase in violence, stressed the importance of remaining non-violent. He warned against an attitude of distrust toward our white brothers who have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom as evidenced by their presence here today. He is obviously speaking directly to black Americans. Because of this focus, King made rhetorical choices he knew would be familiar to a black audience with a shared cultural background. Those choices have proven powerful to people of all races, but they were selected with a black American audience in mind. The reasons for Kings rhetorical choices are frequently attributed to their special impact on black Americans, but it should be worried that the effectiveness of these choices crossed all racial boundaries. King knew an emotional speech would have greater impact upon a large, outdoor crowd. He presented a beautiful and compelling vision of equality that inspired the crowd, expanded his national audience and ensured their attention to future messages. He wanted to reach the masses and did so. To inspire the crowd, to instill his speech with an emotional and spiritual quality, King utilized the delivery style of the black folk pulpit of which he was master. King, a master stylist, used a variety of rhetorical techniques in his speech. I Have a Dream needed to touch a wide range of people: people from different geographical locations, with different education backgrounds, of different color. King anticipated the importance of the March, knew he had a real opportunity to be heard by millions. He recognized the difficult demographics of the situation. The audience would be enormous and distractions would be inevitable in the wide open outdoor location. He also understood that the patience of black Americans was too sorely tried: black Americans would no longer be pacified with mere promises. And while understanding their frustration, King passionately wanted to convince the crowd to pursue their cause without violence. Because he understood of all of this, King chose not to focus on detail, not to focus on strategy. He appealed to the crowds higher emotions of spirituality and patriotism. God was on their side, their struggle would be rewarded. Currently, â€Å"I Have a Dream† is still considered a deep work studied in both literature and speech classes. â€Å"I Have a Dream† is a masterpiece which describes, with wisdom and compassion, a peoples long struggle for equality.