Analysis Of Homer 's ' The Odyssey '

Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus has the tendency to be a narcissistic, selfish and inconsiderate leader towards his men. When Odysseus and his men finally escaped certain death from the giant cyclops, Polyphemus, the not-so-heroic king of Ithaca shouted a taunt above the pleas of his aghast crew, towards the blinded cyclops. He yelled to the enraged cyclops,”If any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shame you so--say Odysseus(Homer IV. 558-560).” With this reproachful act of arrogance, Polyphemus, son of the wrathful Poseidon, cried out to his father, praying that Odysseus' travels be cursed and that he would return home a “broken man” and with “all shipmates lost(IV. 593).” This event shows how he is too unworthy

Resulting in angering Polyphemus’ father, Poseidon, who has curse Odysseus to never return home with years of bad luck. Indicating that Odysseus cockiness has lead Odysseus to try too hard to be heroic in unnecessary situation. Though, a point could be made that the Polyphemus does do bad things to people on the island, but nobody really ask for help from Odysseus. He kind of just take self liberty to bring justice to the people by defeating the Polyphemus. Not to mention, that the Polyphemus offer him a chance to forget all about the incident and be friend, but instead of accepting that offer, Odysseus provoke him even more by saying, “If I could take your life I would and take your time away, and hurl you down to hell!” (line 480, pg. 997). To put in simpler term, Odysseus indicate that he will never befriend the Cyclops for he is horrible creature that should be annihilated. Showing the reader how rashly Odysseus made his decision, as he could have make friend with Polyphemus, and continue on to his voyage home instead of putting himself in a bad position by insulting the Cyclop. Lastly, another quality that is bad about Odysseus is that he is selfish. For once, when he has come across an island on his way from Troy, he had decided to raid the village and take women as hostages for sexual pleasure. Showing how he is only doing this for his own need and not caring about the people that live in that village. He

In the Epic, “The Odyssey", spoken by Homer, conveys a heroic tale of an epic hero named, Odysseus, who faces many challenges as he sails to get home. One of the tasks Odysseus faces is, "The Sirens", who challenge Odysseus 's will power. Another challenge Odysseus encounters is, “The Cyclops", who torments and slaughters some of Odysseus 's men due to his curiosity. One of the hardest threats he had to confront was, “The Land of Dead" which tested his self-restraint, and revealed his human weaknesses of sorrow. The Epic Hero, Odysseus, struggles with many challenges such as, the taunting Sirens, the brutish and cruel Cyclops, and one of the arduous territories Odysseus has ever crossed, The Land of the Dead.

In the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplified strong leadership and outstanding noble qualities. Like Achilles, Odysseus carried some flaws at the beginning of the story. A strong case can be made that his biggest flaw as a character was pride as it caused him unnecessary risks that only delayed his journey and possibly endangered his men. This is evidently shown when Odysseus and his crew wander around in Polyphemos ' cave. After the confrontation with the Polyphemos, Odysseus and his men escaped by stabbing Polyphemos’ in the eye while he was asleep. Once Odysseus and his men were safe on board on their ship, Odysseus took it upon himself to reveal his true identity and proceeded to taunt Polyphemos. At

Odysseus describes this incident himself “I called back with another burst of anger, ‘Cyclops--if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so--say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca!” (Homer 227). This is a clear representation about how his overconfidence in himself has gotten the better of him. This causes Polyphemus to bellow out what Odysseus did to his father, Poseidon, “Hear me -- Poseidon, god of the sea-blue mane who rocks the earth! If I really am your son and you claim to be my father-- come, grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca never reaches home. Or if he’s fated to see his people once again and reach his well-built house and his own native country, let him come home late and come a broken man-- all shipmates lose, alone in a stranger’s ship-- and let him find a world of pain at home!”(Homer 228). This is the reason that Odysseus came home late, the reason why he was alone, and the reason why he had such a rough, terrible, journey back to his homeland

In the “Odyssey”, Odysseus goes through obstacles throughout the book that a normal man couldn’t subside. One example is in book 9, his main obstacle that he is trying to face is to escape from being held hostage in a cave by a Cyclops better known as Polyphemus. Odysseus is a archetypal hero, he is also a role model, with an ambition to get to his homeland Ithaca. He goes through resisting temptation and using his intellect and physical strength to get him there, no matter the obstacle nor the negative flaws that he faces. Odysseus put himself and his men in that situation by being curious and wanting to know what kind of land his ship and the winds led him to. This was selfish of him because it cost him some of his men, but a leader and hero has to play that role and some lives will be dealt with on the way. Odysseus says, “The rest of you will stay here while I go with my ship and crew on reconnaissance. I want to find out what those men are like, Wild savages with no sense of right or wrong Or hospitable folk who fear the gods” (Homer 429). Saying this quote alone makes Odysseus a humble man due to the fact that not even a piece of land is going to slow him down on his journey back home.

As soon as Odysseus and his remaining men have left the island he quickly discloses himself as the great Odysseus (9. 561-3). Yet again the temptation to declare himself as the almighty Odysseus has become apparent. This would prove to be one of the worst ideas that Odysseus ever had. For if he had never revealed himself, Polyphemus’ father, Poseidon, would not know who to take revenge on for his blind son. Therefore stopping the majority of Odysseus’ trials from ever having to happen.

Odysseus tends to make rash decisions and does not take the full brunt of the aftermath. His men gave up their lives to protect each other and the captain. Odysseus has not used their sacrifices to preserve the rest alive. He only uses his crew for his own agenda. While Odysseus is good at fabricating solutions to get out of a pinch, he is too headstrong and that cost lives. He often confers with himself on plans and heeds no warning or advice. Since Odysseus has authority over his crew, it causes his men to be caught in the “crossfire”. At the island of Polyphemus, his search party came to him. He says, “My men came pressing round me pleading, ‘Why not take these cheeses, and make a run for it? We’ll drive the kids and lambs aboard. We say put out again on good saltwater’“ (Butler 9).

The character Ulysses Everett McGill from “O Brother, Where art thou?” is a worthy representation of Odysseus from the “Odyssey”. Ulysses Everett McGill, or Everett, was the main character of the movie who was trying to get back home. Odysseus was a king and warrior who spent 20 years away from home due to obstacles and distractions. Both characters share many personality traits and events that make the movie a modern adaption of the epic poem

Odysseus’ hubris played a negative role when Odysseus revealed his identity to Polyphemus. Odysseus and his crew had just managed to escape from the Cyclops, Polyphemus, after driving a stake into his eye. But then, Odysseus told the blinded Cyclops his identity by shouting, “Cyclops – if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so- say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out you eye, Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca” (9, 558-562). Odysseus managed to tell Polyphemus his name, father, and home. Polyphemus then prayed to Poseidon, his father, to get revenge on Odysseus. Poseidon ended up killing Odysseus’ entire crew and delaying Odysseus for 10 years. None of those terrible consequences would have happened if Odysseus had suppressed his enormous pride. Odysseus’ hubris resulted in a lot of suffering for many people. Odysseus’ hubris prevents Odysseus and his crew from getting back to Ithaca again when Odysseus did

“Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns ... start from where you will—sing for our time too” (I, 1, 12). From the very beginning, Homer shows his intention for themes of The Odyssey to be applicable in the modern age and essentially “sing for our time” (I, 12). Homer’s epic provides the ideal reflection upon the very definition of heroism because it details the strenuous journey of Odysseus, a crafty hero whose key priority is to return home to his family. As one of the most prominent themes, The Odyssey carries forth the idea of heroism through the portrayal of Odysseus, and establishes a connection with the real world through the expression of life lessons. Consequently, Odysseus is characterized to serve as a role model for the successful hero because, after all, the poem is essentially centered on his very name. However, The Odyssey simultaneously conveys that an entirely perfect hero may be impossible, but a means for improvement is always present. The attributes for success that are revealed in The Odyssey can be examined under interconnected ideas of passion, perseverance, and prowess. Thus, heroism is the most compelling theme of The Odyssey because it exemplifies the attributes for success while also demonstrating that heroes are not without mortal flaws.

If you think about it there isn’t a day in your life that goes by without facing some kind of temptation. Temptation can be our biggest weakness, and I think that in Odysseus’s case it was his. In The Odyssey, Homer uses the siren scene to symbolize temptation in different ways. It represents how temptation can come in many different ways; and it can control us no matter how much we know that it is wrong to give in. In The Odyssey, temptation came to Odysseus and his crew from the sirens. This scene displays how temptation looks, sounds, and how it makes you act.

Odysseus changes in many ways throughout The Odyssey. These things created a new person. You can very clearly see these changes as he turns more twords wisdom and listens to others. He starts very self sure and smug, but realizes that he needs everyone else more than he thinks.

However, Odysseus was consumed in the thought that he had failed as a leader and a warrior because of his inability to protect his comrades. As such, Odysseus became much less confident in his abilities to lead and protect his crewmembers and their journey, which caused him to deliberate his personal value in the eyes of the Gods. Homer describes the disastrous situation through the fearful, petrified tone that also conveys the intimidated emotions of Odysseus. Furthermore, Odysseus’ overwhelming self-doubt portrays a human characteristic of the hero, which is a severe lack of confidence in particularly dire circumstances. Thus, the Cyclops’ vicious actions highlight the role of fate in the unforgiving brutality of human nature. After the encounter with the Cyclops, a tremendous storm attacked Odysseus and his small raft as he ventured from Ogygia to Phaeacia. As he was tormented by the unrelenting waves, Odysseus exclaimed, “’Wretched man – what becomes of me now, at last? […] What monstrous clouds – King Zeus crowning the whole wide heaven black – churning the seas in chaos, gales blasting, raging around my head from every quarter – my death-plunge in a flash, it’s certain now! […] Would to god I’d died there [at Troy] and met my fate […]” (Homer 161-162). Poseidon uses his influence over the seas to unleash his relentless fury at Odysseus for stabbing the eye of Polyphemus. Odysseus’ extreme anguish led him to question the level

In every society, there are certain rules and customs that one is required to follow. During the age of the ancient Greeks, these rules and customs were very important, and were the key to being respected in society. Homer, a poet in those times, taught the guidelines of Ancient Greek society in his famous work, The Odyssey. The hero, King Odysseus, is on a journey to both return home to the island kingdom of Ithaca, and to complete his true hero’s quest. He makes multiple stops on his venture home, each one teaching him a valuable lesson on how to follow Greece’s cultural hegemony. He encounters betrayal through his own crew members, reminding him of the Filial relationships one must have to their superiors. Odysseus is also taught about the importance of Xenia, the courtesy a host and a guest must have for one another. He only becomes a traditional hero, however, after he learns the danger of too much Hubris, shown both through himself, and the Cyclops Polyphemus. Odysseus’ quest to become a traditional hero is meant to teach lessons on Greek social norms, such as the importance of keeping Filial relationships, the consequences of not following Xenia, and the downfall of having too much Hubris.