A Comparative Recollection of The Odyssey and The Inferno

The Canterbury Tales and Sir Gawain do not stress the importance of the journey itself. The Odyssey begins with Odysseus having recently finished fighting and winning the Trojan War, and The Inferno opens its story with Dante lost in a dark wood. Both characters are in need of something more in their life, but neither of the characters are searching for the fulfillment needed for their attainment of contentment. The journey that Odysseus made was necessary to his life because after fighting a long war in Troy, Odysseus needed a clear picture of newly formed enemies within his kingdom who did not respect his rule or his family. The time he spent on his journey revealed these threats to him. Dante, on the other hand, was lacking the morals of a good Catholic and had "wandered off from the straight path. (Inferno 67)" The travel through Hell, along with Purgatory and Heaven, are meant to show Dante that human life has consequences and rewards. The authors, Homer and Dante, choose the journey as the pivotal factor for delivering the epiphany that both characters require. The intrusion of the supernatural into the lives of Homer and Dante is the most remarkable aspect of homogeneity in the two texts and is what sets them apart from the plethora of other literature involving large journeys. Both Odysseus and Dante would not have undertaken their extraordinary travels without the will of the gods. Odysseus was set on his journey because Poseidon wanted revenge taken upon him for blinding the son of the powerful god; he was also released from Calypso's island, and continued his journey, because Athena admired him so greatly. During a conversation between Zeus and Athena, Zeus, speaking about Poseidon's hatred for Odysseus, says, "He does not kill
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A Comparative Recollection of The Odyssey and The Inferno. (1969, December 31). In MegaEssays.com. Retrieved 06:02, March 29, 2024, from https://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/7383.html