Odyssey and Oedipus Essays

Odyssey and Oedipus Essays Odyssey and Oedipus Essay Odyssey and Oedipus Essay Essay Topic: The Odyssey Imagery is used throughout the Odyssey and the story of Oedipus.In the Odyssey, Odysseus is compared to objects, other people and animals.In the story of Oedipus, Oedipus is compared to riddles and objects. In the Odyssey, Odysseuss adventure brings him through many tragedies and hard time. His name is revealed in the story as being one who suffers.Toward the end of the story he is compared to a lion when he emerges victorious against the suitors and the maids are described as small animals scurrying away from him.He is described missing his wife as a shipwrecked swimmer misses the shore.His wife Penelope is described grappling Odysseus as a swimmer that has finally reached land.Throughout the Odyssey Sleep is used to convince the reader that Odysseus is mortal.When he sleeps something bad happens. Sleep means he is not like the Gods peppered through the story.He is mortal and Gods dont have to sleep. In the story of Oedipus his name is swollen feet.This i magery of swollen feet is the key to his identity.The image of the foot in the riddle of the sphinx is used to describe man and Oedipus.He has 4 feet when he is a young child he has 3 feet when he is old and blind and needs the assistance of a cane and he has two feet when he is at the height of his power.There is curse over Thebes, making the land and women infertile.The image of fertility is given with the Goddess of the earth giving the curse upon the land and women. Throughout both the Odyssey and Oedipus the image of family is used.In the Odyssey lineage is used with Odysseuss father son and himself bringing a sense of family values to the story.In Oedipus the link between him being Husband and son to his wife and mother and father and son to his children also relates to his multiple identities.