However, the gods being the main part of creating and moving the plot along means it is very predictable. We are told right at the very beginning of the odyssey of Odysseus’ fate that he will return home safety so we lose the sense of anticipation when Odysseus is in a life threatening situation because we know he will come out alive, making the plot slightly less exciting.
The gods cause problems for Odysseus, even the ones that are not against him. Such as when he is offered immortality by Calypso, but he still choose to leave the island of Ogygia to begin his quest home. The decline of the offer shows that Odysseus has strong heroic code as he doesn’t want to become all powerful. This is shown again when Odysseus and his men are welcomed to stay with Circe, where they had “a rich supply of meat and wine” and where having a great time, but decides to continue (even though they prolonged their departure for a year). It grows our idea of Odysseus being a wonderful hero and the suspense of what he will encounter next. Without the gods, there would be no temptation for him to reject. The men’s encounter with Circe also introduces another form of excitement; in magic. Circe changes the men into pugs adding a comical factor to their treacherous journey and a similar affect is created when Athene changes Odysseus into an old beggar as a disguise, the complete opposite of his true identity.
The whole of the wanderings were down to the god’s intervention. Zeus punished Odysseus for raiding temples in troy by ensuring he didn’t return home for over ten years. On his wanderings, Odysseus’ encounters create a huge amount of excitement, with monsters, giant, gods and other perils that hinder his return. Even when Odysseus does return finally, Poseidon is angered by the Phaeacians for helping Odysseus and so fulfils their own prophecy that one day, their kindness will be punished. This shows the power of the gods making their involvement in the poem a lot more excitement because they are unpredictable and all powerful, able to change anything in a mortal’s life.
Even though Odysseus’ fate of returning home safety is set, what happens in between Troy and Ithaca is unknown by the audience and so each of the wanderings will create more suspense, waiting to find out what tricky situation Odysseus will get out of next and how he will manage to. What is unknown is what builds up excitement in the Odyssey until his return and the participation of the gods in this way, to a reasonably large extent, is what makes the Odyssey exciting.
by
OliviaC (student)
