Great Works of Literature, Fall 2016 (hybrid)

Is Aeneas a hero? In what ways yes and no? Why might Virgil have chosen to depict him in this way? How might he compare with Odysseus?

Is Aeneas a hero? In what ways yes and no? Why might Virgil have chosen to depict him in this way? How might he compare with Odysseus?
Throughout the book you can understand that he is a hero whom does not like to use aggressive “violence”. War is not really the first thought that comes into his mind and he tries out the “best” options before death. Clearly a man that does not contain any kind of balderdash talk and cares for his family. Or so Virgil says, right? This is what she sees through her eyes and a misconception of what a hero might really be to Virgil. He is basically a hero as default as he is half god. Our last thoughts of both characters Odysseus and Aeneas might have influenced our thoughts based on the endings; Odysseus has like a joyful ending as if it was some sort of present movie but Aeneas ends the story very dry as if we were to understand his life was not really nothing meaningful but just simply a concept because he was following prophecy.

The Odyssey A Rap Without Rhymes?

What is the genre of The Odyssey? Is it simply an epic poem? The first novel? A collection of myths? A fable or allegory? Or a composite genre, some combination of these?

Does everything we read have to have a genre? Can this piece of artwork just be a genre of its own. Brilliant content and here we are trying to categorize it. Can this book just have a genre of its own; can we just create a new genre only for this book? Maybe I’m going to extreme but there really is not one fit genre for this book.
I’d like to start off by saying this book has full of myths but to just say they are only a collection of myths is very basic. I’d even describe it as a rap without rhymes; think about it, The Odyssey contains a variety of themes in which everything is read with a specific tone in your mind. In my opinion I believe The Odyssey can just be thought of as an epic poem. Poems can tell stories right? How about fables/myths? Sure! Poems can be written as long as one wants it to be.