The gods and goddesses are the rulers of the Cosmos and represent the civilization of the world. The Olympian gods are majestically and democratically dwelling on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece, built by the Cyclops. They are obliged to take the full responsibility of their actions. The leader of the Olympian gods is Zeus, King of the gods and the ruler of mankind. The Odyssey written by Homer uses characters of Greek mythology to make the story more like a fantasy and use of imagination. “The gods are presented in a more restrained fashion as the regulators of human destiny and as an element of co-ordination in the development of the story.” (Rowe, 1998). The Gods are interested in helping Odysseus return home and punishing the suitors who have taken advantage of Penelope and Odysseus’ kingdom except for one, Poseidon.
Poseidon is god of the sea and the father of Polyphemus; he seeks revenge on Odysseus for blinding his son. The gods use their power to get what they want done but they revolve around ultimate justice. Poseidon uses his powers to make it difficult for Odysseus to get home, for example in book 5, Poseidon was returning from a visit to Ethiopia and spots Odysseus on the open sea, he raises his trident and sends a swamping storm that nearly drown him. Poseidon is not only known in The Odyssey for throwing Odysseus off course, he shows a lot of power and authority. In Book 3, Telemachus and Athena come upon a huge ceremony in which around 4,500 people are offering 81 bulls in sacrifice to Poseidon. Giving offering illustrates human loyalty; this shows the importance of devotion to gods. To the Greeks, such displays of devotion were important because the Greeks thought of the gods as being functioning parts of their daily lives in matters both great and small. Pleasing gods is a practical, as well as a spiritual endeavor.
The goddess of wisdom and art, Athena, plays a big part in this novel. She frequently intervenes on...