Joseph from the Bible, and Homer from the Odyssey

There are two great heroes from history, one from the bible, and one from Homer’s book The Odyssey. They both relied on a higher power to give them the abilities to do many things. More specifically they relied on the higher powers to confront family members that they have been separated from for many years. They also had to do something for the good of their families. Both men had a point in their lives that they had to reveal their true identity to their family, but each situation is very different. Both men were considered heroes, but for two very different things.

When it came time for Joseph to reveal himself to his brothers while they were in Egypt it was not any physical strength that enabled him to do so, but instead God was able to give Joseph the inner strength to let his brothers know who he really was. Odysseus also had to reveal himself to a family member, his son Telemakhos. He was given his ability to show himself with a transformation of his physical body. He first met up with his son after about nineteen years in the form of an old beggar. This made it so that Odysseus could wait until the time was right to show himself to his son.

Both Odysseus and Joseph had to show themselves to their family members after many years, but there was one big difference in the situations. Joseph had to show himself to his brothers whom he had seen before in his adult years, and they had seen him. So when it came time for him to show himself it was not as hard for the brothers to believe. They had an idea of what he looked like. Joseph had taken on more of an Egyptian look to himself with the tanned skin, and clothing, but the facial features that made him who he was had not changed. Odysseus had to show himself to his son who he had left as a baby to go to the war. Telemakhos had never seen his father at an age where he would be able to recognize him again. This meant that Telemakhos only had faith to rely on to believe that it really was his father that was in front of him. Both of them acted very well about their situations even though they were very difficult in their own ways.

Each man had to reveal themselves to their family to help out the family situation, and each man was also considered a hero. Joseph had to reveal himself to his family so that they could benefit from his high position in the time of famine. He was able to get them extra help in a time of need. Odysseus had to show himself to his son so that they could get the suitors out of his house, and then he could be reunited with is wife. Odysseus was a hero in war and fighting. He fought in the Trojan War, fought his way home, and defeated the suitors. Joseph was a hero for saving lives by giving them food in a time of need.

Both men were considered heroes, and both had to reveal themselves to their families after many years apart. Their situations were different in many ways even though they had so much in common.