The Odyssey Criticism
The Odyssey, attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer, is a cornerstone of Western literature, believed to have been composed in the eighth century B.C. The epic poem, consisting of twenty-four books, narrates the adventures of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, as he attempts to return home after the Trojan War. Unlike its counterpart, the Iliad, the Odyssey has often been praised for its intricate structure and thematic depth, despite being considered by some as less cohesive. Themes of disguise and recognition are central, with Odysseus's identity concealed and revealed to key characters, marking narrative transitions that reflect his complex persona and the transformation of characters like Telemachos and Laertes, as noted by Sheila Murnaghan.
W. B. Stanford highlights Odysseus as a multifaceted symbol of human traits, while Nancy Felson-Rubin considers Penelope's resourcefulness as vital to her character arc. The text's authorship has sparked extensive debate, with theories ranging from a singular genius to multiple contributors over time. Samuel Butler's unconventional theory positing a female author has been largely dismissed. The poem's oral origins and subsequent transcription point to its complex textual history, including significant editorial efforts like those of Peisistratus.
Critically, the Odyssey is both lauded and critiqued. It is recognized for its engaging narrative and thematic richness, as argued by G. S. Kirk and Albert B. Lord, despite comparison to the Iliad often highlighting perceived repetitiveness and narrative extension. Differences between the two epics are underscored by Alexander Pope, who notes their distinct moral and stylistic dimensions. The work's merit, however, remains undisputed, with few narratives matching its enduring appeal and depth.
Contents
- Principal English Translations
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Essays
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A dedication to the Odyssey
(summary)
A successful English dramatist and poet, Chapman is chiefly remembered as a scholar and translator of Homer's works. While his merits as a translator are often debated by scholars, his Iliad and Odyssey remain landmarks in Homer studies. In his 1614 dedication of the Odyssey to Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset, Chapman deems Homer 'the most wise and most divine Poet.'
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Selections from Treatise of the Epick Poem
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Le Bossu was a French critic best known for his Treatise on Epic Poetry, written in 1675. Much discussed in England even before it was translated into English, the Treatise was severely criticized by Samuel Johnson and, in France, by Voltaire for its rigid rules concerning epic poetry. In the following excerpt from that work, Le Bossu analyzes Homer's crafting of the hero of the Odyssey, Ulysses.
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Preface to Homer
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In his 1675 preface to the Odyssey, Hobbes examines the seven virtues of a heroic poem.
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A postscript to The 'Iliad' and the 'Odyssey' of Homer
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Pope argues that the Odyssey should be analyzed separately from the Iliad, contending that "the Odyssey is the reverse of the Iliad, in moral, subject, manner and style."
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Homer and the Homeridae
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In the following excerpt from an article first published in Blackwood's Magazine in 1841, De Quincey studies the historical background of Homeric texts.
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Who Was the Writer?
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An English novelist, satirist, essayist, and translator, Butler is best known for his The Way of All Flesh (1903), an autobiographical novel that satirizes Victorian church and family life. As a Homeric scholar, Butler achieved notoriety for his The Authoress of the Odyssey, in which he propounded the theory that the Odyssey was written by a woman. In the following excerpt from that work, he contends that the Odyssey was written by Nausicaa, a young woman from Trapani and a member of King Alcinous's household, rather than by Homer.
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Notes of Change in the Odyssey
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Lang contends that there are few societal differences between the Iliad and the Odyssey, arguing that "all these so-called differences between Iliad and Odyssey do not point to the fact that the Odyssey belongs to a late and changed period of culture, of belief and customs."
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The Silence of the Sirens
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In the following essay, originally written in German and for which the exact date of composition is unknown, Kafka examines Ulysses's escape from the Sirens, providing proof that inadequate, even childish measures, may serve to rescue one from peril.
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Nobility and Areté
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In the following excerpt from the latter work, originally published in German in 1934 under the title Paideia: Die Formung des Griechischen Menschen, Jaeger examines the Iliad and the Odyssey as examples of the early Greek aristocratic culture, noting the embodiment of those ideals in the poems' heroes.
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The Epic Illusion (Continued)
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Bassett was an influential Greek scholar and one of the foremost Homeric specialists of his time. In this excerpt from a posthumously published collection of lectures, he analyzes Homer's use of dialogue to create the illusion of personality in the characters of the Odyssey and the Iliad.
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Odysseus' Scar
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Auerbach compares the discourse, perspective, detail, and historical development of the Odyssey with that of several Old Testament stories.
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The Odyssey
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In this essay, Van Doren praises the Odyssey's "relaxed and spacious" spirit, deeming it "still the finest tale in print."
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Homer: The Odyssey
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Tillyard details similarities between the Iliad and the Odyssey, maintaining that they are different but equally brilliant poems.
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The Untypical Hero
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In this essay, first published in 1954, Stanford explores Odysseus's unconventionality as a hero, noting that Homer "skilfully succeeded in distinguishing Odysseus by slight deviations from the norm in almost every heroic feature."
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The Odyssey and Change
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An American classics scholar specializing in Greek literature, Whitman is highly esteemed as a Homer critic. In the following essay, he explores some societal and artistic changes that took place between the time of the Iliad and that of the Odyssey, and notes how these changes are reflected in the latter work.
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The Odyssey
(summary)
A specialist in Slavic studies and contemporary literature, Lord has written extensively on folklore and folk epics. In this essay, he analyzes the structure of the Odyssey as oral epic, emphasizing its place within the context of other narrative oral poetry.
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The Odyssey
(summary)
An English professor of Greek, Kirk is the author of numerous critical works on classical authors, including several books on Homer. In this essay, Kirk assesses the flaws of the Odyssey, contending that while "the poem is a marvellous accomplishment" it "fails to achieve the profound monumental effect of the Iliad."
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Telemachus and the Telemacheia
(summary)
In the following essay, first published in the American Journal of Philology in 1963, Clarke discusses the first four books of the Odyssey, known collectively as the Telemacheia, which deal with Telemachus' journey and his gradual coming of age.
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The Odyssey
(summary)
A British critic, translator, and specialist on Hellenic drama, Kitto has written extensively on ancient Greek literature, theater, and history. In this excerpt, he defends the structure and theme of the Odyssey.
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The Odyssey: Its Shape and Character
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In this post-humously published essay, Bowra examines the characters, structure, and sources of the Odyssey. Textual references to the Iliad have been rendered in roman numerals, while references to the Odyssey are in arabic numerals.
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The Lotus-Eaters
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In the following excerpt from a lecture delivered in 1972, he speculates on the historical basis of the tale of the Lotus-Eaters.
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Characterization
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In the following essay, Griffin addresses the issue of inconsistent characterization in the Odyssey, contending that the complexity of the characters gives them "depth and significance."
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Recognition and the Return of Odysseus
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Here, Murnaghan explores the theme of disclosure and recognition as it relates to Odysseus and Laertes, Telemachos, Eumaeus, and Penelope, as well as discussing Odysseus's need to re-establish his past relationships with these characters.
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Wife
(summary)
In the essay below, Felson-Rubin examines the husband-wife relationship of Odysseus and Penelope and details "the formal pattern of their second courtship."
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A dedication to the Odyssey
(summary)
- Further Reading