Lecture Notes in Education Psychology and Public Media
- The Open Access Proceedings Series for Conferences
Vol. 52, 24 June 2024
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Odysseus, one of the most complex and multifaceted characters in "The Odyssey," is vividly portrayed in his dual nature. He is both a hero and an ordinary man; both a brave and cunning adventurer, a far-sighted leader, and a deeply loving husband and father, as well as a ruthless warrior towards his enemies. This unconventional heroic image is typical of the late Greek culture and reflects Homer's profound contemplation on human nature. Corresponding to Odysseus' dual nature is the duality of his homecoming journey. On one hand, it is a rich and tortuous adventure, full of destined twists, trials, and unforeseen predicaments. On the other hand, it is also a journey of returning home, exploring self, and rediscovering humanity. The tension between adventure and return, perseverance and abandonment, revenge and reconciliation, self and fate, infuses this fantastical life journey with philosophical reflections.
Odysseus, Homecoming Journey, Dual Nature, Duality
1. Vidal-Naquet, P. (2015). The enigma of Homer (Y. Wang, Trans.). Beijing: Renmin University of China Press. (Original work published in French)
2. Segal, C. (2019). Singers, heroes, and gods in the Odyssey (J. Du & Z. M. Cheng, Trans.). Beijing: SDX Joint Publishing Company. (Original work published in English)
3. Liu, X. F. (2007). The reputation of Odysseus. China Book Review, (09), 94-96.
4. Homer. (2014). The Odyssey (H. S. Wang, Trans.). Beijing: People's Literature Publishing House. (Original work published in Ancient Greek)
5. Homer. (2014). The Iliad (H. S. Wang, Trans.). Beijing: People's Literature Publishing House. (Original work published in Ancient Greek)
6. Ma, R. (2008). Odysseus: A "man" emerging from the world of heroic mythology. Science, Education, and Culture (Upper Edition), (04), 157.
7. Wang, Q., & Cui, W. J. (2021). The king of Western epic: Homer. Wuhan: Huazhong University of Science and Technology Press, 141-154.
8. Leeming, D. (1992). Mythology (P. R. Li et al., Trans.). Shanghai: Shanghai People's Publishing House. (Original work published in English)
9. Yang, L. T. (2023). The evolution of the image of Odysseus: A soul wandering between the sacred and the secular. Journal of Nanning Normal University, 44(05), 83.
10. Tyson, T. (2021). Under the sunlight of Zeus: Homer (H. Huang, Trans.). Shanghai: Shanghai Culture Publishing House. (Original work published in English)
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Authors who publish this series agree to the following terms:
1. Authors retain copyright and grant the series right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this series.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the series's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this series.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See Open Access Instruction).