Blog Post 2

Of all of themes in the Iliad and the Odyssey , I believe the main theme found in both is bravery. In the Iliad , Achilles shows bravery in his determination to return to the battlefield despite not having protection in armor. "How can i go to war, the Trojans have my gear. "(The Iliad, Book 18, Line 218) In the story from the Odyssey, Telemachus is unsure about whether or not his father is alive, but mainly believes his father will not return. He is persuaded into taking a journey to Pyros by an old friend of Odysseus, but really it was just Athena in disguise. She convinces him that the journey would be beneficial. Before the this adventure, he only speaks to his nurse about it, who convinces him that he shouldn't take risks like that. " His loving Nurse Eurykleia gave a cry, and tears sprang to her eyes as she wailed softly : ' Dear Child, whatever put this in your head? Why do you want to go so far in this world ? "(The Odyssey, Book 2, Lines 383-386) However, the theme of bravery shows, when Telemachus puts those fears aside, trusts in god and decides to pursue the journey anyways.

Sources I used:
Homer. “The Iliad [Book 18]”. The Bedford Anthology of World Literature, edited by Paul Davis and Gary Harrison and David M. Johnson and John F. Crawford, translated by Robert Fagles, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009, pp. 537-544.

Homer. ”The Odyssey [Book 2]”. The Bedford Anthology of World Literature, edited by Paul Davis and Gary Harrison and David M. Johnson and John F. Crawford, translated by Robert Fitzgerald, Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009, pp. 185-209.