The Art of Manipulation in Homers Odyssey Essay -- Homer Odyssey

The Art of Manipulation in Homers Odyssey They sit, entranced in the whoremaster of his wrangle. He pauses. On the edge of their seats, they await in silence his bordering utterance. The one spoken of is not a bard or art object refined in the art of song, but rather a warrior blemish and hardened through intense conflict. He has a special domination of the spoken language that enraptures his audience and a donation that endows him to command and acquit them without physical force. This man is a manipulator of words, a subtle combatant. The proverbial He represents Odysseus in Homers epic adventure The Odyssey. Youthful Athenian manpower gained wisdom and admonitions about the machination of words by studying Odysseuss acuate intellect, and in contrast the use of persuasion by Eurylochus whose ignorance brought about the destruction of their comrades. The art of manipulation is vital to the survival and prosperity of men and women passim The Odyssey. Odysseus exemplifie s this distinctive quality, learning through his adventures how to better meet his needs through cleverly chosen words rather than vehement combat. Odysseus first reveals this gift of the gods, when he used trivial flattery and an appearance of humble petition in approaching the Princess Nausicaa on the isle of the Phaecians. At her knees, he make outs ahead Princess Nausicaa cleverly appealing to her with questioning disbelief of whether she was some goddess or a mortal woman. He then proceeds to draw upon her desire to link with words that left questioning his own marital status, and sounded as though he were envious of the most blessed among the Phaecians who with his wedding gifts would win her, the bewilderment inspiring Nausicaa (89). At this moment in his life, Odysseu... ...e, the ability to manipulate words for the means of persuasion do not always have corroborative results. In the hands of the ignorant and irrational, persuasion becomes an evil that plagues all tho se who come in contact with and conform to it, but when used by the cozy and thoughtful, manipulation tin provide for the betterment of a society, such as the peace that ensues Odysseuss vengeance when Athena persuades them to stop the futility. Homer teaches young Athenians to be aware of the dangers of manipulation, rhetoric, and persuasion, but he also shows that a man who can do such effectively is deemed a leader, and that those who cannot are mere followers. industrial plant Cited and Consulted Crane, Gregory. Calypso Backgrounds and Conventions of the Odyssey, Frankfurt, Athenaeum 1988 Homer. The Odyssey. trans. Robert Fagles. Penguin Books. New York. 1996.