Essay about Deception and Disguise in Homer’s Odyssey

Homer’s Odyssey challenges the common view on deception as employed only maliciously. Both a mortal, Odysseus, and one of the most revered goddesses, Athena, have the common noble goal of bringing Odysseus back home to his family after nearly two decades of absence. To achieve that goal, they mainly use deception and disguise in various forms that their physical and mental powers allow. Odysseus is famous for wittily deceiving others through verbal means, fact noted by Menelaus and Helen of Troy (Book 4). He even doubts Athena, as his own skills have made him doubt other’s honesty. Athena states after realizing Odysseus’s disbelief, â€Å"Would not another wandering man, in joy, make haste home to his wife and children? Not you, not yet† (8.†¦show more content†¦Thus, even physical disguise has at its heart critical thinking and mental deception, as Athena knows that the Mentor is a trustworthy person that Telemkahos will be receptive to. At the end of the Odyssey, Athena resumes the Mentor disguise again to persuade Odysseus to refrain from entering a big conflict: â€Å"though still she kept the form and voice of Mentor† (24. 614). Therefore, she uses Mentor’s appearance in both crucial instances, initiation and resolution, to accomplish her noble goal of bringing Odysseus home and ensuring a good aftermath. Further, Athena does not only use these disguising and deception skills to appear as someone else; she also uses these skills to disguise Odysseus as a beggar to help figure out who he can trust and avoid being killed by the suitors (16. 558-560). After all, it would have been fruitless to overcome so many trials, some of his own making, to fail the last milestone of revenging on the suitors intelligently. Through the beggar disguise, he is able to discern who are his loyal and disloyal servants, Penelope’s loyalty and enduring love, and plan his revenge against the suitors methodically. Nevertheless, as seen above, Athena does have to make one ultimate effort at the end to stop Odysseus from entering an unnecessary and perilous conflict. As intelligent and deceptive as Odysseus is, he is after all a man with his own temper and flaws. Regarding gathering intelligence on theShow MoreRelatedHomer s Odyssey : Power Of Cunning Over Strength910 Words   |  4 Pagessurroundings i n order to craft an overall message or theme as a takeaway for their audience. Homer’s epic The Odyssey demonstrates this well. While Homer’s epic depicts Odysseus as a strong and powerful king who has won many wars, it is not his strength that propels him to be able to return to his home. If one were to read between the lines, they would realize that one of Homer’s major themes in The Odyssey compares the power of cunning over strength. The theme unfolds throughout the narrative whenRead More Use of Disguise in Homer’s Odyssey Essay2154 Words   |  9 PagesUse of Disguise in Homer’s Odyssey   Ã‚  Ã‚   The difference between a wise and a foolish decision is often found in discerning when to conceal and when to reveal. This discretion in concealing and revealing is a major theme within The Odyssey. There is a proper time to deceive and a proper time to tell the truth; thus, it is crucial that one act accordingly. This importance is exemplified in Odysseus life. When he is discreet in his timing, he achieves his goal. One example of this is the TrojanRead MoreEssay on The Importance of Identity in Homers Odyssey1433 Words   |  6 PagesThe Importance of Identity in Homers Odyssey Within the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer presents the story of Odysseuss quest to find his home and his identity. 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