Disguise and Deception in the Odyssey

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I think both disguise and deception are a very important theme throughout the Odyssey. This theme is seen a lot during the story and it truly helps Odysseus on his journey and without it; he might not have made it home to Ithaca. Homer explains that his story is about a “man of twists and turns”. Odysseus is a natural master of disguise, and the plot of the Odyssey often turns on his deception and withholding his true identity. Each disguise in the Odyssey has its own individual purpose, for example in Book 1 when Athene visits Telemachus she disguises herself as Mentes in order to get close to Telemachus and to gain his trust. She then tells Telemachus word of his father’s whereabouts and he trusts her because of her disguise, who is a close family friend, if she had gone to him in her true form then he might have had further questions or not have fully trusted Athene as they have never met. Telemachus then goes to try and find his father and therefore doesn’t get ambushed by The Suitors. The use of disguise was important as Athene managed to convince Telemachus to go and try to find his father, saving his life. This is important as Telemachus has an important role in the plot for example when he helps Odysseus kill The Suitors at the end of the story, but that wouldn’t have happened if Athene hadn’t disguised herself as a close family friend and convinced him to leave. The fact that she used the disguise is vital as Mentes is a close family friend and if she had chosen someone else to disguise herself as, he may not have been fully convinced and therefore would have stayed and been ambushed. Athene is very fond of using disguises and deception throughout the Odyssey to help Odysseus. At the start of Book 6 Odysseus is in a difficult situation, he is stranded on Phaeacian land and completely naked. Luckily for Odysseus the night before Athene had visited Nausicaa

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