How important is Book 11 to the overall meaning of The Odyssey? Essay

How important is Book 11 to the overall meaning of The Odyssey?The overall significance of Book 11 to the epic is that it shows howthings revision over time (Anticleias death, the suitors at his home),which can be missed if someone is not around. It also shows us thatthe Ancient Greeks believe in destiny and discourse from the gods.The sacrifices and prayers from Odysseus and the attention he pays toTeiresias about returning to Ithaca show this. If he did not payattention to Teiresias he may welcome done something to displease thegods (such as killing the Sun-gods cattle and sheep). This couldhave lead to intervention from the gods to prevent Odysseus and hismen from returning to their home. Book 11 also shows that theybelieved greatly in the afterlife, scarcely different modern religions theybelieved that everyone went to pit (Hell), with the exception ofthose souls who were left to wander the earth for all eternity. Theafterlife was always thought to be a lot darker and bleak er thanpeople now seem to think.It is Circe who tells Odysseus of the trip which he and his men musttake. He then has to tell all of his men. All of them be verydistraught when they first let on out that they must travel to the remnantsof the earth. They know it is going to be a journey of many perils.This is why Homer describes the men as heart-broken telling us Theysat down where they were and wept and tore their hair. But theirlamentations achieved nothing. (Book 10, lines 566-568.) This showsthat they are greatly disheartened by the news, having thought thattheir next voyage would take them back to their homeland. They knowthat there is nothing that they can do to avoid this risk filledjourney, which makes it an even more arduous a task for them.It is probable that the men were aware that their end was fastapproaching. Any journey to Hades do by a living mortal is going tobe dangerous. It would only usually be made by the souls of the dead,who would not need to sail, as Od ysseus and his men did. This wouldhave most likely made the men think that they would not complete theirtrip to Hades or would not return from it. At this point of the voyageI dont think that anyone, with the probable exception of Odysseus,expects to see Ithaca or their family again. It is more likely that intentional they are heading for Hades, t... ...tors and cheats whom this dark world brings forth in suchprofusion to spin their lying yarns which nobody can test. (Lines,364-366.) This too is a possibility, as Odysseus has no proof of whathe is saying, and that could be another reason he has offered to stayup to a year. Alcinous then asks Odysseus to continue, as he has theartistry of a bard. (Line 369.), asking more of his friends, theirexpedition to Ilium and their deaths, saying We have endless timeahead of us tonight, its early for us to go to our beds. (Lines373-374.) Odysseus agrees to continue the tale, unless does imply he istired, saying that there is also time for sle ep.I think that Homer sees humankind as chess pieces, which the gods ordestiny are playing with. From the prophecies made, and what we knowto happen after them, it seems that occurrences in the poem have beenpre-destined. I think in The Odyssey Homer sees humans asinsignificant overall. The have little influence over their lives thegods decide what will happen with them. The lives of mortals seem tobe a game for the gods, where they all want their character to win.Athene wants Odysseus to win, but Poseidon does not.