The Odyssey: Second Coming of Odysseus

[Priya Soundranayagam]

Sincere apologies for any mistakes I’ve made concerning the Second
Coming of Jesus. I wish to offend no one.

The term “second coming” commonly refers to the second coming of
Jesus, a belief held by Christians. This moment is when Jesus will
fulfill the remaining prophecies of the Messiah which were left
incomplete in his first coming. The exact date is unknown, but it is
generally believed that the moment will come when the world needs him
the most. At this time, the world will be devastated, millions of
innocents will have perished, and the citizens will be ruled by the
evilest of all men. The second coming of Jesus, when it occurs, will
be a long-awaited relief to many, as he will most assuredly obliterate
all sin in the world, and only his faithful servants will be exempt of
his wrath.

This concept, if seen as independent of the Bible, is in fact an
archetype that the literary world has used, both in the past and in
the present. The idea of the return of the protagonist may be seen as
a distant beacon of hope, which, when fulfilled, may preface a
climax.

The return of Odysseus to his homeland is a second coming in many
ways. In his absence, Ithaca has spiralled into destitution. The
suitors have wreaked havoc in his home, wasting his precious resources
on themselves, and terrorizing the inhabitants. In all of Ithaca’s
history, this is truly when they need a liberator the most.

“He would have looked after me properly and given me possessions, a
cottage and a bit of land, and a wife that any man would be glad to
have, as a kind master does for a servant who has worked hard for him
and whose work heaven has prospered, as it prospers the job I toil at
here (Book XIV, Line 64, pg. 182).” This is an excerpt of Eumaeus’
conversation with Odysseus, where he laments the absence of his good
master.

As seen above, Odysseus’ family and servants think mournfully of the
time when Odysseus had once ruled, well and justly, similar to how
Christians may look at Jesus’ first coming as a better time. Most
despair of Odysseus ever returning but they all believe that if
Odysseus returns in all his glory, he will resolve everything.

However, the actual moment of Odysseus’ second coming differs from
that of Jesus. Whereas Jesus is prophesied to gloriously descend from
heaven on a cloud, Odysseus returns to his palace a diminished hero,
weakened and old, dressed as a beggar. Few recognize him, and his home
has been reduced from its original glory. In order to win back his
heroic stature, as well as his palace, Odysseus must prove himself to
his people.

“You dogs! You never thought to see me back from Troy. So you fleeced
my household; you raped my maids; you courted my wife behind my back
though I was alive – with no more fear of the gods in heaven that of
the human vengeance that might come. One and all, your fate is sealed
(Book XXII, Line 34, pg. 289).” This is the warning Odysseus utters to
the suitors before the final battle commences. It symbolizes the
fulfillment of the hopes of Ithaca’s citizens.

Odysseus kills the unruly suitors one by one, and rids his home of all
problems. This includes the dispatching of any servants who had
misbehaved in his absence. This aspect of Odysseus’ second coming
bears particular resemblance to the prophesied one of Jesus, where all
his unfaithful servants will face his wrath. Odysseus’ son and wife
however, who’ve loyally waited for him, and even helped bring his
return about, are in his good graces, as will be the devoted servants
of Jesus.

The idea of a second coming, being an archetype, can transcend all
limitations of culture and language. We’ve seen this with both the
Bible and the Odyssey. Yet another story where we find a second coming
is Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. There are strong parallels to
be found between Odysseus’ second coming and that of Harry, Hermoine
and Ron’s to Hogwarts. If we look at the trio as not three distinct
characters, but one entity, they can indeed be considered the Odysseus
of their particular story.

In their one year absence from Hogwarts, chaos has settled in their
beloved castle. The Death Eater Severus Snape is headmaster, and the
Carrow twins terrorize the students. They are the equivalent of the
suitors in the Odyssey. The unfaithful servants of Odysseus are like
the Slytherins in the castle, who aid in the torture of the other
students. Most students have lost any faith they had in Harry Potter
ever defeating Voldemort. However, a select few have reinstated
Dumbledore’s Army. They, like Telemachus, rebel against the evil in
their school, hoping that their saviour, the Golden Trio, their
Odysseus, will return.

However, one could argue that snatching authority of one school is not
equivalent to the world at its worst. Well, if we view Hogwarts as a
microcosm of the world of Harry Potter, which it is in many respects,
we can say then, that Voldemort’s seizing of it can be considered as
“mere anarchy loosed upon the world” (Yeats), because as far as anyone
knows, this is the most evil the school has witnessed.

When Voldemort seizes Hogwarts, the Golden trio return to face the
final battle. They are helped in their return by Aberforth Dumbledore,
who, in this role, bears strong likeness to Eumaeus. They then make
their way over to the castle and the battle ensues.

That last example is only one of many second comings to be found in
modern and classic literature. In fact, there may even be more than a
single second coming in one book alone. It is an archetype that
authors have used and will continue to use, and it all stems, so it
seems, from The Odyssey.