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Literary Devices
Definition of Allusion
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals, historical events, or philosophical ideas... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to other literary works, famous individuals... read full definition
In literature, an allusion is an unexplained reference to someone or something outside of the text. Writers commonly allude to... read full definition
Book 1
Explanation and Analysis—Orestes:
The poem alludes extensively to other mythological stories not directly depicted in The Odyssey, including the actions of Orestes, son of King Agamemnon and Clytemnestra. Athena refers to Orestes when attempting to encourage Telemachus to behave like an adult and assist his long-absent father, Odysseus:
You must not cling to your boyhood any longer —
it’s time you were a man. Haven’t you heard
what glory Prince Orestes won throughout the world
when he killed that cunning, murderous Aegisthus,
who’d killed his famous father?
And you, my friend —
how tall and handsome I see you now—be brave, you too,
so men to come will sing your praises down the years [...]
It all rests with you.
Take my words to heart.
Though Telemachus bitterly resents the suitors who compete to take his father's place and marry Penelope, he assumes that his father is dead and that he cannot do anything to restore his family's dignity and peace. Athena, however, uses both magic and manipulation to convince Telemachus to take on a more active role. Here, she alludes to Orestes, a Mycenaean prince whose actions are alluded to at several points in The Odyssey. When Agamemnon returns from the Trojan War, as depicted in The Illiad, he is murdered by his mother and her lover, Aegisthus. Orestes's revenge, including his murder of both Clytemnestra and Aegisthus, is the subject of a number of Greek myths and plays. Here, Athena alludes to Orestes in order to present a positive role model for Telemachus, who must similarly take drastic action to seek revenge on behalf of his father.
Related Themes:
Book 11
Explanation and Analysis—The Underworld:
After Odysseus speaks to the shades of Tiresias and his own mother, Anticleia, he sees a crowd composed of notable figures from Greek mythology and history, all of whom have found themselves in the underworld. Narrating his journey to Hades, Odysseus notes that:
And I saw Alcmena next, Amphitryon’s wife,
who slept in the clasp of Zeus and merged in love
and brought forth Heracles, rugged will and lion heart.
And I saw Megara too, magnanimous Creon’s daughter
wed to the stalwart Heracles, the hero never daunted.
And I saw the mother of Oedipus, beautiful Epicaste.
What a monstrous thing she did, in all innocence —
she married her own son . . .
who’d killed his father, then he married her! [...]
And I saw magnificent Chloris, the one whom Neleus
wooed and won with a hoard of splendid gifts.
Here, the poem presents a long list of tragic figures from Greek myth in a quick succession of allusions. Odysseus sees Alcmena, mother of Heracles by Zeus, as well as Megara, wife of Heracles and daughter of Creon, the King of Thebes. Odysseus, then, is impressed to see the mother and wife of Heracles, a major hero in Greek mythology, known for his incredible strength. Next, Odysseus spots Epicaste, the mother and unwitting lover of Oedipus. Odysseus describes Epicaste in sympathetic terms despite acknowledging the shocking nature of her story. Next, he spots Chloris, wife of Neleus, queen of Pylos, and mother of Nestor, who appears directly in The Odyssey, hosting Telemachus in Pylos. Through this long list of allusions, which extends beyond the segment discussed here, the poem presents the underworld as a space in which figures from disparate myths and stories rub shoulders.
Related Themes:
