Odyssey Essays - Odysseus, Odyssey, Trojan War, Odyssean Gods

Odyssey The Odyssey is an epic poem, which shows the maturation of Odysseus throughout his long journey home from the war at Troy. Odysseus grows from an arrogant, self-centered warrior to a more humble man. This mental odyssey is seen as the young Odysseus matures, learns values of and respect for nature and higher power to return home to Ithaka as a more humble and honorable man. The first side of Odysseus seen in this poem is the young arrogant Odysseus. After the Trojan war Odysseus shows no thanks to the god Poseidon. Offending the god did not make an easy voyage home. Odysseus and his men eventually end up at the island of the Kyklopes. They go in cave that belongs to Kyklopes and take what they need. When Kyklopes catches them, Odysseus give him wine in hopes that he will pass out. Then Odysseus tells the Cyclopes that his name is "Nohbdy". While Cyclopes is unconscious on the ground Odysseus stabs him in the eye and runs to the ship with his men. The Cyclopes tries to get help from his brothers but he is not successful because he yells, "Nohbdy has hurt me!" Odysseus shows his hubris after he has safely left the shores by saying, "Puny, am I, in a Caveman's hands? How so you like the beating that we gave you, you damn cannibal?" (Ody IX 520) Since the Cyclopes is Poseidon's son and Odysseus shows hubris about hurting him, Poseidon hate for Odysseus grows. This provokes Poseidon to not let Odysseus and his crew from returning home at all. Odysseus then, begins to learn that hubris only gets him disliked by the gods even more when his companions dies from Poseidon's curse. Odysseus begins to mature to be more humble and thankful for the leadership and luck that the gods have given him, after he realizes why he lost his companions. When he arrives at an unknown island he meets the god of the wind. The god seems to like Odysseus and helps him by giving him a bag of wind that is not to be opened until he and his men have reached their home, Ithaka. Odysseus shows that he is maturing by listening to the god. He also shows that he is maturing by taking it upon himself to take care of the wind the whole voyage home. "I had worked the sheet nine days alone, and give it to no one, wishing to spill no wind on the homeward run,"(Ody X 36). On the ninth day, the shore of Ithaka could be seen, Odysseus thinks he is safe and sleeps until he is waken up by the screaming of the wind that his men had released from the bag. Odysseus and his ship are blow back to the island where Father Aiolos refuses to help him. Odysseus sails away to the island of Aiaia. After many adventures with Kirke and Odysseus' men, Kirke promises to keep Odysseus for harm by telling him with path to take on the way home. Then Kirke adds that he must prevent the men from eating the cattle on the island called the sun. This time his men show hubris by eating the cattle that they were warned not to eat. The next day when they leave the island, Zeus strike the ship with a lightning bolt. All of Odysseus' men die and he is forced to swim days to the island of Alkinoos. Throughout this journey Odysseus' hubris slowly wears away to completely. This is show when he says, " O hear me, lord of the stream: how sorely I depend upon your mercy! Derelict as I am by the sea's anger... Here is your servant; lord, have mercy on me," (Ody V 467) Finally when Odysseus returns home he is changed to be more humble and has learned many lessons along his journey home. The change in Odysseus is seen when he returns home and the disguised Athena asks him who he is. Odysseus lies to her; instead of bragging about whom he is. Odysseus also shows he has changed when he finds out that the suitors have taken over his house. He knows he must kill them, but does it with different values than he had in the beginning of the story. Instead of killing the suitors quickly and aggressively like he might have before he is calm and interested because he does not find enjoyment in killing any more. The change is even seen by

Tips For Writing an Essay For The SAT Subject Test

Tips For Writing an Essay For The SAT Subject TestOn what I believe to be a very rare occasion, a student actually finds the time to practice and get an SSC (SAT Subject Test Sample Essay) ready for reading, but, unfortunately for them, most of us are either too busy, too busy with work, school, etc, that we forget about doing so. An SSC, more appropriately called an SSAC, would greatly help in making certain that your essays are as objective as possible. Although there are students who are skilled writers, they might not have an idea of how to write an essay in a manner which is well-written. In case you are one of those students, just try to pay attention to the following tips.The first and most important tip to remember when writing an essay for the SSC is to avoid using slang and complicated words. Remember that this is the sole purpose of an SSC and should be concise. If you choose to use slang or complicated words, you are essentially narrowing down the scope of the essay and w ill only become more difficult to read and rewrite.In addition, when it comes to spelling errors, try to make sure that you only make a single typo in the entire essay. Unfortunately, grammar errors are often the most overlooked errors in writing essays. Make sure that you do not let your second one slip by. In many cases, these mistakes can be more of a hassle than anything else.It is a good idea to try and compose the essay on paper first. This would help you realize the types of sentences that you are having difficulties with and would also help you determine which points you may need to go back and rework. This is especially important if you are encountering difficulty in coming up with your logic, an aspect of the essay which is of critical importance to your overall ability to determine what to say about the essay topic.As you begin writing your essay, remember to keep the style of the essay to a minimum. Just be sure that you are staying within the general tone and format. It would be foolish to come in and throw away everything that you have done in the previous paragraphs. The essay will not develop as well if you do so.Another important tip in composing the SSC sample essay is to make certain that you keep to a strict deadline. When writing an essay, deadlines are not always met. It would be best if you used a time-clock or just keep a watchful eye on how long it takes you to complete the essay. This way, you will be able to avoid writing more than necessary, which can only hurt your chances of passing the exam.Lastly, you may want to use a separate word processor or an Internet editor program to get the most out of your SSC sample essay. This will ensure that you get the most out of the essay and will save you time. Internet editors are not the same as word processors; however, they are a great help. For example, they can automatically insert a glossary, which can save you time on your next revision.Try to focus on these points and you will see that your time spent reading and rewriting your SSC sample essay will be much more worthwhile. Get started now and get as much practice as you can.