"The Odyssey"

Part I: 1. Circe is important because when she turned Eurylochus' exploring party into pigs, Odysseus had to go save them, which reveals some more of the good leadership qualities he has. It shows his amazing courage because he had to go down the Land of the Dead by himself. 2. Odysseus' encounter with Calypso was important because it shows him using his metis to talk her into letting him go. It also shows that near the …

…is transformative and how a hero is emblematic of his/her culture's values. This was a great story with a lot of action and good writing. It is interesting and could be read by people of all ages. If it hadn't shown these enduring understandings, however, it would have been a lot duller and harder to understand. The fact that Homer did show these enduring understandings so effectively must have contributed to The Odyssey's popularity.