Various Texts and the Idea of Travel
Various texts have various ways of expressing the idea of travel. While some texts emphasize the element of metaphysical travel, others only make passing references to physical travel. Metaphysical travel is the movement of the soul or the intellect from one location to another without the movement of the body, whereas physical travel is the movement of the body from one location to another. Both The Odyssey and The First Voyage of Sinbad examine the subject of travel.
Actual Travel in The First Voyage of Sinbad and The Odyssey
First of all, both tales entail actual travel. The First trip of Sinbad essentially depicts Sinbad's first sea trip. He seeks fortunes in far off lands to replace the inherited wealth that he had squandered. Of his travel, Sinbad explains that he "joined a company of merchants who traded by sea, embarking with them at Balsora in a ship we had fitted out between us" (Lang 126). Similarly, The Odyssey captures the epic journey of Odysseus. It took Odysseus 10 years to return to his home after the war in Trojan. On his journey back, Odysseus encounters several struggles with mythical creatures and gods who are disinclined against his return to Ithaca. The narrator documents define Odysseus as "one who had suffered twenty years of torment, sick at heart, cleaving his way through wars of men and pounding waves at sea but now he slept in peace, the memory of his struggles laid to rest" (Homer 105).
Mystical Travel in The Odyssey
Nonetheless, there is more than one form of travel in The Odyssey. Odysseus is shown to have travelled onto mystical land. In these places he fought with mystical creatures who were against his desires and won. This constitutes metaphysical travel because it did not involve the movement of the body but that of the mind. To fight the gods, it is expected that Odysseus would have assumed a new mystical body. On the other hand, the First Voyage of Sinbad documents only the physical travels of the main character. His struggles are humanly and his movements involve the change of physical location. Furthermore, the locations that are documented in the story, such as Baghdad, exist in life.
The Lessons Learned from the Journeys
From their journey's, both the characters become wiser and even more prudent. Sinbad, after his physical struggles in the sea, learns to be gracious and not wasteful. He becomes wealthy again and reclaims his position in the society. After the end of his narration, he extends the poor Sinbad a purse containing one hundred sequins. Similarly, Odysseus reclaims his throne on his return to Ithaca. From his conflicts with the mystical creatures he becomes wiser and intelligent and engages these metrics in administrating over his people. He bravely faces Antonius and reclaims his wife and child.
Conclusion: The Essence of Travel
Conclusively, the two texts majorly explore physical and metaphysical travel. The Odyssey captures both the physical and metaphysical travels of Odysseus while The First Voyage of Sinbad explores solely the physical travels of the rich Sinbad. Furthermore, the texts reinforce the essence of travel by documenting the lessons that the characters learned in their journeys. Through their struggles and through their journeys, the characters become stronger and more resilient. Essentially, the change of environment may serve to enhance one's potential. Travels expose individuals to new ways of accomplishing goals. Furthermore, they provide an opportunity for re-birth. Both Sinbad and Odysseus emerge victorious after their journeys.
Works Cited
Homer. The Odyssey . Wordsworth Editions , 2002.
Lang, Andrew, ed. The Arabian Nights Entertainments. Kessinger Publishing, LLC, 1898.
