There are many legendary heroic poem narratives have been passed on from coevals to coevals in the Grecian civilization. Even though each narrative has different results. every heroic poem character has certain characteristics in common. Odysseus in The Odyssesy and Oedipus in Oedipus the King are great illustrations of heroic poem heroes with a assortment of similarities. Odysseus and Oedipus are similar in which they both god-like work forces who are considered heroes because of their cautious ways and relentless doggedness. On the other manus. Odysseus and Oedipus besides demonstrate their petroleum wonts with their hubris behaviour throughout their ain prognostication. In add-on to the similarities. the powerful Gods play a important function which drastically affects Odysseus and Oedipus’s destiny. The Gods play a important function in the result of Odysseus and Oedipus’ fate. In the verse form The Odyssey. Odysseus is an heroic male monarch who is seeking to return to Ithaca from the Trojan War. Throughout Odysseus’ journey. Poseidon. the God of the Sea. is seeking to do it impractical for him to return to Ithaca.
Despite Poseidon’s attempts. Oedipus eventually reaches Ithaca with the aid of the goddess Athena. Athea’s function was important because without her aid. Odysseus may hold ne’er finished off the suers despite being outnumbered. In the verse form Oedipus the King. Oedipus is the King of Thebes who is urgently seeking to happen the liquidator of Laius to stop a pestilence to his people of Thebes. From the beginning. Oedipus was destined for failure by the prognostication even before his birth. The prognostication was to kill his male parent and get married his ain female parent. Oedipus receives this prophet that he urgently tries to hide. Oedipus blames Apollo. the God. for his scandalous actions by saying. “It was Apollo. friends. Apollo that brought this acrimonious bitterness” ( Line 1329 ) . Apollo clearly destroys Oedipus’ life by commanding his destiny and allowing people the power of prognostication. Apollo’s function was important because Oedipus would non hold killed his male parent and married his female parent if he had known his parents.
Oedipus and Odysseus are highly similar in their actions every bit good as their personalities. For case. Oedipus and Odysseus are both highly leery of others in fright of their ain lives. Their leery nature is non motiveless. When Odysseus visits Hades. Agamemnon tells him. “Never be excessively trusting even of your married woman. nor demo her all that is in your mind” ( Homer 172 ) . Agamemnon had lost his life by the manus of his ain married woman. Clytemnestra. Clytemnestra was happy that her premeditated slaying of her hubby succeeded. Agamemnon does non desire Odysseus to confront the same effects he faced. Odysseus is following this advice even before Agamemnon gave it to him. Odysseus ne’er told a alien who he truly was. He ever made up a narrative of where he was from and who is. Then he would convey up the name Odysseus to see what they truly thought of him. He did non desire to set himself in danger if the individual did non like him. When he returns to Ithaca he besides did this to his married woman. Penelope. Athena turned him into a mendicant. Penelope approached him in this signifier and asked about her distant hubby. When Odysseus said. “He is still alive. ” a tear fell down Penelope’s cheek ( Homer 213 ) .
This was Odysseus’s mark that it was safe to state his married woman he was place. Oedipus is besides enormously leery of his close friend’s motivations. When he is told that he has to happen out who murdered the late King Laius. he inquires the information from Teiresias. Oedipus calls upon Teiresias the blind prophesier. Oedipus says. “… ( You are ) sent to reply our inquiry that the lone elimination from this plague which could come was if we should larn aright the killers of Laius. and murder them or direct them into expatriate of out great land” ( Sophocles 118 ) . After much opposition. Teiresias relies. “You are the accurst polluter of this land” ( Sophocles 121 ) .
Oedipus so goes on to fault Creon for doing Teiresias to sully his good name. Even though Teiresias ne’er mentioned a word about Creon. Oedipus remains leery of Creon’s purposes. Oedipus assumes that Creon desires to hold him killed so that he could be King of Thebes. Oedipus besides does non desire to believe what Teiresias said because that would bespeak that the prognostication has came true ; he will be the one killed or thrown into expatriate. He does non believe the truth until he hears from a courier and a herder. When Oedipus asks where the kid came from the herder replies. “It was a kid. them. of the house of Laius” ( Sophocles 141 ) . He is eventually no longer leery of Creon. Without intuition these characters would hold failed awful in their chase to populate.
Another trait Oedipus and Odysseus have in common is their grim continuity. Continuity is the key for both characters to happen outimperative information from other characters. For illustration. Oedipus inquiries Teiresias about his cognition of the late King Laius’s slaying. Fearing that the information he possesses will upset the new male monarch. Teiresias refuses to state what he knows. Teiresias besides recognizes that even if he does give Oedipus the information that he longs to hear it will non alter the concluding consequence. Teiresias says. “The hereafter will come of itself though I shroud it in silence. ” ( Homer 120 ) . Oedipus persists by stating. “Then seeing that it must come. you on your portion state me of it. ” ( Homer 120 ) . Teiresias eventually gives in and says. “Your are the accurst polluter of this land…I say you are the killer of the adult male whose killer you seek. ” ( Homer 121 ) .
Without Oedipus persistently inquiring Teiresias to talk. Teiresias would hold kept soundless. Odysseus is besides exceptionally relentless in happening out the information he needs to cognize to return place. It took him 20 old ages to eventually return back to his fatherland of Ithaca. and in those 20 old ages he persistently went from land to set down to happen a manner to return place. For illustration. on his journey place he visits the island of the evil Cyclopes. the islands of Circe and Calypso. and Hades. Never one time did Odysseus give up and resignation. Calypso notices this continuity when after four old ages Odysseus still wants to go back place. Calypso says. “So you are determined. boy of Laertes. favourite of Zeus. clever Odysseus. to go forth at one time for place and your darling Ithaca. ” ( Homer 76 ) . He persistently fought to return to his place in Ithaca. Without their dogged continuity. neither Oedipus nor Odysseus would hold gained the imperative information they urgently needed to accomplish their ends.
Oedipus and Odysseus portion many positive traits that help them in their journey. but they besides portion one negative trait that hinders both of them ; the trait of hubris. Hubris is haughtiness and overbearing pride. This trait causes both heroic characters to lose sight of their ends. which delays their advancement. An illustration of hubris is when Oedipus the King is seeking to happen out who murdered the late King Laius. During his address Oedipus says that he will badly penalize the liquidator. non cognizing that he. himself. is the slaying. Oedipus declares: And I pray solemnly that the killer. whoever he be. whether his hidden guilt is lonely or has spouses. may he have on his unblessed life out wickedly. as he is evil. And for myself I pray…he should go an inmate of my house. I may endure the same things which I have merely called down upon the others. ( Sophocles 118 ) Oedipus causes his expletive to be worse because he damns himself. Oedipus subsequently has to pay for his hubris. He can non take back his words. so when it is confirmed that he is the killer. Oedipus needs to be extra punished because of his statements. made against the unknown liquidator. After it is revealed that he is the slayer Oedipus tears out his eyes and is exiled from the state.
Furthermore. Odysseus shows many illustrations of hubris throughout his ocean trip. For illustration. Odysseus and his work forces were held in the Cyclops’s den for nutrient. Odysseus and some of his work forces were able to blind the Cyclops and safely get away this rage. After they were on the boat Odysseus suffered from a signifier of hubris by bawling: Cyclops! So he was non such a doormat after all. the adult male whose friends you meant to overmaster and eat in your hollow cave! And your offenses were bound to catch up with you. you brute. who did non shrivel from devouring your invitee. Now Zeus and all the other Gods have paid you. ( Homer 138 ) Hearing this made the blinded Cyclops really angry. The Cyclops so rupture off a piece of the mountain and threw it in the way of the ocean. The big bolder about struck the boat. but alternatively it forced the boat to drift back toward the island of the Cyclops. Even Odysseus’s work forces noticed his hubris and said to him: Why do you arouse the barbarian in this stubborn manner?
The stone he threw into the sea merely now drove the ship back to the land. and we thought it was all up with us. Had he heard a call. or so much as a word from a individual adult male. he’s have smashed in our caputs and the ship’s lumbers with another jagged bowlder from his manus. We’re within easy scope for him. ( Homer 139 ) Odysseus’s hubris about costs him and his work forces their lives. It besides about permitted the Cyclops to recapture them. which would hold made their flight meaningless. Hubris in both instances had a negative consequence on Odysseus and Oedipus. By them demoing hubris it caused them to endure more than they would hold.
The characters of Odysseus and Oedipus have many facets of their personalities in common. They both possess the qualities of heroic poem heroes throughout their narratives. The characters are made to look larger than life in their capablenesss of get the better ofing major obstructions. they are suspicion and relentless. and they have hubris. Just like Odysseus and Oedipus portion these positive traits of continuity and intuition. which helped them all the manner through their journey. they besides portion hubris. a negative trait that holds them back from rapidly accomplishing their ends. Without these traits. Odysseus would hold ne’er returned place to Ithaca. and Oedipus would hold ne’er found out that he was the liquidator of King Laius.
