Death is commonly reflected in Greek mythology. Many epics, myths, and tales include death in the plot or theme. For example, the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe conveys the idea that when one dies, it doesn't mean the other does too. However, the most notable Greek literary work that addresses death is Homer's Odyssey. In Book XI of the epic, Odysseus travels to the Land of the Dead to acquire important advice that would protect him and his men on their journey home. But along the way Ulysses meets numerous souls of the deceased. As he converses with the souls of his loved ones, Ulysses is slowly overcome by pain and misery. Consequently, the internal conflict that Odysseus faces in the Land of the Dead is dealing with the deaths of his friends and family. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay To begin, Odysseus had to deal with Elpenor, the death of his former soldier. Before Odysseus left Kirke's island with the rest of his crew, they had not noticed Elpenor's disappearance. As a result, when Odysseus noticed the soldier's soul approaching him in the Land of the Dead, he was shocked and heartbroken. The text states: “A shadow came first: Eplenor, of our company, who lay unburied on the wide earth, as we had left him, dead in Kirke's hall, untouched, without weeping, when other cares compelled us. Now when I saw him there I cried for pity and called him." In this quote, the author describes how other tasks caused Odysseus and his men to turn a blind eye to Elpenor's absence. Instead of making sure everyone was present, Odysseus and his crew were too busy preparing to set sail for the Land of the Dead. As a result, the former soldier was left there dying, with no one to help him, grieve or give him adequate assistance. burial to him. Despite the tragic loss, Ulysses managed to accept his death in a short time; Elpenor only wished for his corpse to be burned and buried. However, Odysseus did not accept the deaths of two others so quickly. Second, Odysseus must accept the death of his mother, Antikleia. When Odysseus went to the Land of the Dead, he did not expect to see his soul there; the last time Odysseus saw his mother she was healthy and living in Ithaca. But after chatting with her, Ulysses discovers that she has died because of her loneliness for him, "...only my loneliness for you, Odysseus, for your kind heart and your advice, gentle Ulysses, has taken away my life". Odysseus was full of pain and agony. The text quotes: “I bit my lip, rising perplexed, longing to embrace her, and tried three times to put my arms around her, but she sifted through my hands, impalpable as shadows are, and wavering as a dream. Now this embittered all the pain I endured, and I cried in the darkness.” Here, the quote demonstrates how difficult it was for Odysseus to accept his mother's death; he was the reason for his disappearance. Then, the huge soldier wanted to hug her, but no matter how hard he tried, Antikleia's shadow floated in his hands. Suffering, Ulysses burst into tears; he couldn't bear all the pain. Overall, Odysseus has to deal with the death of his mother, but there is another that he struggles with. Finally, Odysseus must deal with the death of Agamemnon. Similar to Antikleia and Elpenor, she was unaware of her former companion's death. The first time Odysseus saw Agamemnon's soul, tears began to fall down his sorrowful face. Not surprisingly, after conversing about what had happened to them while they were.