How Does Odysseus Identity Change

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The Odyssey is a story about coming home. It shows Odysseus, a warrior, who is trying to get back home ten years after the war in Troy. At the beginning of the story, Odysseus is left stranded on the island of Ogygia, home to the sea nymph Calypso. He washed up there after he angered Poseidon, god of the sea, when he blinded Poseidon’s son. Calypso, who has fallen in love with Odysseus, refuses to let him leave, and wants Odysseus to become her husband. However, because he is already married to Penelope, he rejects her offer. This alone shows his faithfulness towards his wife. Over the course of the story, Odysseus’ identity changes drastically during his journey. Odysseus goes from wanting the honor and glory gained from war to simply wanting to find his way back home, however his thirst for glory never dies. Books 1-4 of The Odyssey give readers a glimpse as to how bad situations are in Ithaca without Odysseus. First of all, suitors try to marry…show more content…
This shows his determination to get home, as well as his craftiness. After he leaves on his raft, Poseidon becomes angry when he finds out what the gods had done without him knowing. Poseidon creates a storm to try and destroy Odysseus, however Ino, another sea nymph, comes to his aid. She gives Odysseus a veil to protect him. After he washes ashore once again, he throws the veil back into the ocean as Ino had told him. This is literally Odysseus’ “unveiling” of his new identity. When Odysseus is found washed ashore, his nose and mouth are crusty, and he is in the fetal position, just like that of a newborn baby. It is as if Odysseus is being “reborn” from the sea. Before the events in The Odyssey, Odysseus was a warrior in the Greek army. In the story, war is a metaphor for death. So, Odysseus came from death, and from the ocean he has been given a new life, and a new

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