The Odyssey

The theme of books 11,12,13,16,19,21 and 22 of The Odyssey is that things can be different that they may seem or appear. This theme is a huge part in the Hero's Path in the book and also the storyline. If everything important was exactly how it seemed it would be, the story would not be exciting and also the storyline would not work as well. The main theme of The Odyssey is that things can be different that they may seem or appear.

One example of the theme is when the suitors try to string Odysseus' bow and they all fail in book twenty-one. Odysseus looks like an old beggar so when he says he wants to try, they all think he is crazy. But when he starts to succeed one of the suitors says "The clever tramp means trouble-" (pg. 437, line 448). All of the suitors think that the old beggar will just hurt himself but when he actually appears to be doing it, the suitors start to realize that the old beggar seems to be different than he appears who he is. Even though he looked like an old stranger, he really turned out to be the King of Ithaca.

Another example of this is in book nineteen when Eurykleia washes Odysseus' feet. When Penelope sees that there is a poor, dirty old man, shes orders one of the maids to wash the old beggar's feet. Eurykleia starts to wash the old beggars feet when she sees a scar on his foot and she realizes her master, Odysseus, had the exact same scar in the exact same place. When she feels the scar on his foot she realizes it is Odysseus and she says "Yes, yes! you are Odysseus-oh dear boy- I couldn't know you before... not until I touched the body of my king!" (pg. 405, lines 536-538). Odysseus thinks that her excitement and eagerness will give him away, so Odysseus takes Eurykleia by the neck and threatened to kill her unless she kept quiet and didn't tell anybody. She cooperated and left to refill her water basin when Penelope came in. Eurykleia was just doing as she ordered, to clean an old beggar's feet, but it seems to be her Master Odysseus and the King of Ithaca.

A final example of the theme that things may seem to be different that they appear is shown in book sixteen when Telemachus returns home. Telemachus says hello to Eumaios and from inside the house Odysseus says "Telemachus!" and Telemachus does not know who it is. Eumaios says it is his father and when he comes out he thinks it is a trick being played on him so he threatens to kill him. Only when Odysseus says "No, I am not a god, Why confuse me with one who never dies? No, I am your father- the Odysseus you wept for all your days, you bore a world of pain, the cruel abuse of men." (pg. 344, lines 209-214). The explanation for Telemachus not believing that it is his father is because he hasn't seen his father in over ten years and everybody on Ithaca thinks he is dead. So in the end, Telemachus is not expecting to see his father again and it seems to be a trick, but it appears to really be him.

The theme of the Odyssey is that things can be different that they may seem or appear. There are multiple examples of this throughout the story and it shows how it can be related to things in real life. It is important to remember this and keep it in mind.