There was a man who was willing to risk his life through many difficult obstacles just to return to his family and home. The man who is willing to risk his life only to return home, a mogul, and a hard worker is Odysseus. During this long heroic journey, Odysseus travels for a long time and faces many common archetypes including monsters and temptresses. One archetype in this novel is the hero’s journey Odysseus is in because it includes all the ups and downs the main character faces. An archetype is a common pattern we view in movies and books. This novel takes place during the Greek era where they idolized Xenia because they thought it was respectful to take care of their house guests. The Greeks admired Xenia because the Greek gods sometimes dressed up as paupers to visit people. Then, the Greeks had many fears and theories about the world, so they believed everything revolved around the gods. Throughout the Odyssey, many of the archetypes related to Greek cultures such as Hero’s journey, monsters, and temptresses.
The tasks it takes to be a hero are saving, leading, and conquering. Not only was that, but Odysseus’s journey home, another example of the Hero archetype. During the Odyssey, the “tale of Odysseus and his decade of wandering as he tries to return home” (from Monster Archetypes in the Odyssey) has many obstacles, hence, the fighting off monsters and temptresses. Odysseus would not have done anything without the help from Athena, who guided him throughout the journey. The goddess Athena is the “spirit that urges him or her to act against evil and defend the greater good at all costs” (from The Hero’s Journey) The hero will do anything for the greater good, such as fighting off monsters who get in their way to halt them.
The ancient Greeks had many fears such as monsters. One major fear the Greeks had is Cyclops because they put humans at risk of harm. A theory Greeks had about monsters was that they were usually the enemy. The general stereotype of a monster is in movies nowadays such as action movies or horror movies. In most horror films, the monsters are usually “enormous, ugly, and scary” (from The Hero’s Journey) who wants to dominate the hero. These creatures are not the only people that can distract Odysseus, such as temptresses.
With these archetypes, they help the reader categorize the character of a story, such as their personalities. Not only that but in the Odyssey, there is a different Greek culture. All the points of the thesis connect because one character of the story deals with most of the archetypes. The several types of archetypes Odysseus faces are monsters, temptresses, and he goes on a heroic journey. Helping readers understand the novel is what archetypes do. Without these different archetypes, the plot would not have been as interesting. There would not be a monster who wants to dominate or trick Odysseus.
