Ulysses, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, is now oppressed not by external forces that keep him away from home but for his own mind that suggests him the life of sorrow and excitement instead of the peaceful and lovely environment of home. This is a change in literature because characters are taken into account from a psychological view. The analysis that Alfred provides move forward the supernatural intervention of entities and Gods. Ulysses plays a crucial role in Greek mythology and in the identification of Greeks with their nation. Usually a hero is expected to be “almost perfect,” an example for common people. In this poem, the hero is placed in the same level as common people, unsecure and contradicting his own previews desires, “for my purpose holds / To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths / Of all the western stars, until I die.” Alfred seems to be aware of the contradictory nature of humans that once they achieve their goal they are never satisfied and they need to seek for a new inspiration of life. Someone may argue that why to change the peaceful happiness obtained after several hardships and the answer would be that human nature takes people away to create and find new ways of excitement. Today’s idea of happiness through a “peaceful” life is only a marketing strategy. Humans like to problematize life in order to create and produce movement in life and the assumption would be: if a hero contradicts himself in the search for his destiny, why a common person do not?...
Ulysses, the legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem, is now oppressed not by external forces that keep him away from home but for his own mind that suggests him the life of sorrow and excitement instead of the peaceful and lovely environment of home. This is a change in literature because characters are taken into account from a psychological view. The analysis that Alfred provides move forward the supernatural intervention of entities and Gods. Ulysses plays a crucial role in Greek mythology and in the identification of Greeks with their nation. Usually a hero is expected to be “almost perfect,” an example for common people. In this poem, the hero is placed in the same level as common people, unsecure and contradicting his own previews desires, “for my purpose holds / To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths / Of all the western stars, until I die.” Alfred seems to be aware of the contradictory nature of humans that once they achieve their goal they are never satisfied and they need to seek for a new inspiration of life. Someone may argue that why to change the peaceful happiness obtained after several hardships and the answer would be that human nature takes people away to create and find new ways of excitement. Today’s idea of happiness through a “peaceful” life is only a marketing strategy. Humans like to problematize life in order to create and produce movement in life and the assumption would be: if a hero contradicts himself in the search for his destiny, why a common person do not?...
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