The Odyssey literary elements - 823 Words

Vanshika Mullick Mr.Finken Honors English I April 3, 2014 Irony creating elements of surprise Irony is often used by authors to create an element of surprise or humor and to increase and enhance their work. Homer, author of The Odyssey, is one of the many authors who use this literary technique well. In The Odyssey, Homer has presented irony to create an element of surprise to the character and to the audience. There a lot of instances throughout The Odyssey where Odysseus is present but the people around him do not quite know it is him, but when they do get to know, they are absolutely shocked-creating dramatic irony. There are also instances where the way the characters act or respond to several situations leaves the audience†¦show more content†¦Odysseus is very surprised and he says that Penelope’s heart is â€Å"iron in her breast† (23.194)! In The Odyssey, Homer has presented irony to create an element of surprise to the character and to the audience. There are a lot of situations in The Odyssey where the presence of Odysseus is unknown to the characters but is known to the audience and when the characters get to know about this, they are left utterly surprised. Also, when Athena sends Telemakhos away even though she knows where Odysseus is, the audience has more information than the characters. Both of these examples create dramatic irony. Situational irony has also been used, but rather than creating an element of surprise to the characters, it creates an element of surprise to the audience because what really happens is not what the audience would expect. Homer has clearly and effectively used the literary technique of irony-it has enhanced his work, created humor, and has certainly made The Odyssey more exciting to read. Works Cited Homer. The Odyssey. Ed. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 1998.Show MoreRelatedCritical Lens Layout Essay804 Words   |  4 PagesCritical Lens Essay Format. 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