Essay Dramatic Irony in the Odyssey - 1376 Words

Authors use many literary devices in order to heighten and enhance their works. Dramatic irony, expressions to complementary attitudes understood by the audience but not the characters, can make the emotions stronger in literature. Homer is one of many authors who used this technique well. In The Odyssey, Homer uses dramatic irony in order to enhance the emotional effect of crucial moments in the storyline, especially during the journey of Telemachus, the initial return of Odysseus, and the restoration of Odysseus to his rightful place in the kingdom. During Telemachus’ journey to find his father, Homer includes dramatic irony through Athena’s relationship to the situation which creates a confused mood. After being prompted by Athena,†¦show more content†¦Dramatic irony also emphasizes a dolent mood during the return of Telemachus from his journey. When Odysseus returns home to Ithaca, Athena goes to Telemachus to retrieve him from Sparta. Athena says, â€Å"Y ou must take leave of Menelaos, if you want to find your dear mother still in your house; for her father and brothers are urging her to marry Eurymachos† (169). Athena tells Telemachus that his mother is going to marry Eurymachos. Athena does this as if she is fishing and the story about Telemachus’ mother is the bait; Telemachus is very intrigued by the bait and goes after it, falling into Athena’s well-thought out trap. The reader knows that the reason Athena wants Telemachus to come back is because Odysseus is soon arriving in Ithaca; therefore, dramatic irony is created when Telemachus is never let in on this information that the reader now knows. Homer uses Athena to create dramatic irony to get Telemachus to rush home to stop the marriage, because if Telemachus was told the truth he might not be a eager to get home, since his father had been away for so much of his life. Homer wanted the audience to know more so that they were not confused about Telemachusà ¢â‚¬â„¢ mother getting married for it was a lie. This created a dolent mood because the reader realizes the absence of truth in Athena’s message. The lack of truths make the reader feel sorrowful that Telemachus does not know the truthShow MoreRelatedThe Odyssey literary elements823 Words   |  4 PagesMullick Mr.Finken Honors English I April 3, 2014 Irony creating elements of surprise Irony is often used by authors to create an element of surprise or humor and to increase and enhance their work. Homer, author of The Odyssey, is one of the many authors who use this literary technique well. In The Odyssey, Homer has presented irony to create an element of surprise to the character and to the audience. There a lot of instances throughout The Odyssey where Odysseus is present but the people aroundRead MoreTheme Of Dramatic Irony In Oedipus The King1057 Words   |  5 PagesTragic Throughout the entire play, Oedipus the king by Sophocles dramatic irony. Dramatic irony is when audience is aware what is happening but the character is not. Sophocles uses dramatic irony to show us Oedipus’s character and what is expected to occur. The intention of using irony also allows us to sustain our interest in the play and keep us intrigued by what’s happening. Ironically, the play begins with dramatic irony. Suddenly after the death of King Laius, A plague has hit the city ofRead More Destiny, Fate and Free Will in Homers Odyssey - Guidance and Loyalty1355 Words   |  6 PagesGuidance, Fate, and Loyalty in The Odyssey nbsp; The Odyssey is an epic poem about a journey. After the Trojan War is won Odysseus leaves Troy for his home in Ithaca. However, the gods decide to test his courage and resolve and send him on a twenty-year odyssey. Odysseus courage is constantly tested as he struggles with the many obstacles the gods place before him. Although Homer depicted The Odyssey as a self-reliant journey, in reality the gods and other mortals guide Odysseus. It is hisRead MoreEssay about Irony in Guests of the Nation813 Words   |  4 PagesIrony in Guests of the Nation      Ã‚   In the short story, Guests of the Nation, Frank OConnor uses irony to illustrate the conflict which men face when their roles as combatants force them to disregard the humanity of their enemies. In both life and literature, irony exists when there is a contrast between expectation and reality. Verbal irony is defined as a figure of speech in which the actual intent is expressed in words which carry the opposite meaning (Thrall 248). In dramaticRead MoreOdysseus And Siren Song Analysis706 Words   |  3 PagesAlthough having pride in yourself may be a positive in moderation, being too proud of oneself will lead to nothing. Many who look down on others will never learn from their peers, and will only boast of their own achievements. In the poems from â€Å"The Odyssey Book 12† by Homer and â€Å"Siren Song† by Margaret Atwood, both authors write of Odysseus’ struggle regarding the Sirens. Sirens are half-woman, half-bird creatures who use their musi c to tempt sailors to shipwreck on islands or to jump off the boat toRead More Destiny, Fate and Free Will in Homers Odyssey - Odysseus’s Fulfills His Destiny1472 Words   |  6 Pages Odysseus’s Fulfills his Destiny in The Odyssey During Odysseus’s journey in The Odyssey, his own guile, the gods’ obstacles and their assistance for him affected his destiny. Odysseus uses his crafty sense of trickery and guile to get out of situations, which allow him to reach his destiny of returning home. Many times in The Odyssey the gods who dislike Odysseus set obstacles to try to stop him from returning home. However, there are gods who favor him and give him assistance to reach his homelandRead More Reflective essays1316 Words   |  6 Pagestogether. Incongruity is an integral part of comedy and has been making people laugh for centuries. 8.nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;The â€Å"Odyssey† is considered to be the â€Å"first comedy† if classical literature. This is believed because it involves a homecoming and has a happy ending, which was the original understanding of ancient Greek comedy. The â€Å"Odyssey† encompasses several other aspects of comedy such as a comic hero as well as the use of mistaken identity and deliberate deception. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;TheRead MoreAppropriation Of A Key Text From The Past1364 Words   |  6 Pagesclass lifestyle through the character of Mr Alfred Doolittle. The intertextuality of â€Å"...it’s a choice between Skilly of the workhouse and Char Bydis of the middle class,† a reference to the mythological monsters confronted by Odysseus in Homer’s Odyssey, conveys that lower class and middle class lifestyles are both arduous, suggesting that the middle class lifestyle is no better than that of the lower class. Thus Shaw challenges the validity of class as a social construct in Victorian England andRead MoreEssay about Allen Ginsbergs A Supermarket in California1722 Words   |  7 PagesThe irony of the scene becomes clear: an idealized vision of Whitman contrasted with the urban reality of a lonely supermarket. The motifs of loneliness and hunger are closely aligned in the poem. This close connection between the sense of isolation and the sense of hunger is meant to reinforce the notion of emotional, psychic, and spiritual nourishment. The second stanza of the poem begins: In my hungry fatigue, and shopping for images (Ginsberg, 4) which indicates another layer of irony in theRead MorePenelopes Early Recognition of Odysseus2006 Words   |  9 Pagesquestion whether Odysseus was recognized by Penelope and if this helped to build up the intensity of the story. Joseph Russo mentioned this topic in Interview and Aftermath: Dream, Fantasy and Intuition in Odyssey 19 20. The lies told by Odysseus also increased the excitement of The Odyssey. Russo believed that Penelope, in her subconscious, did recognize Odysseus disguised as a beggar. For example, in Book 19, Penelope revealed her innermost thoughts to Odysseus, who was disguised as the beggar