Examples Of Hubris In Odysseus

Odysseus, who is the main character of The Odyssey, demonstrates hubris after blinding Poseidon’s son Polyphemus and afterwards boasts about what he did (Odyssey.9.425-441). As Odysseus is leaving the island of the Cyclops’ and going against the advice of his fellow shipmates he says “Cyclops if any man on the

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

During his interaction with Polyphemus, Odysseus clearly displays an act of hubris in The Odyssey by Homer. The most compelling evidence would be when Odysseus declined his men suggestion in the cave of the Cyclops. His crew advises him to take the caveman cheeses and make a run for it, however, Odysseus “refused” because he wanted to see what the cavemen has to offer( Homer 162 l. 67). Odysseus shows that he is incorrigible, for he made an impulsive decision that leads his devotees to die in the hands of his enemy. Furthermore, when Odysseus and his men were leaving Polyphemus island, he hollered back “ how do you like the beating that we gave you, you damned cannibal”( Homer 171 ll. 340-341). Giving a statement this demonstrates Odysseus

Odysseus angirly exclaims at the cyclops,” Zeus will avenge the unoffending guest”( The Cyclops 260-261). Odysseus gets full of courage and pride when calling out that he could have Zeus come after him not even thinking of the destruction that could come from saying that to the wrong person. Odysseus second detriment from anger is shown when he attacks the Cyclops when he did not have to stop and get stuck in the Cyclops cave. In the story leading up to The Cyclops episode people know that Odysseus and Poseidon do not get along so his anger was taken out on the Cyclops. Odysseus tells the Cyclops,” Poseidon Lord, who sets the earth atremble, broke it up on the rocks at your land’s end.”(273-274). If Poseidon did in fact crash his ship then there has to be a dislike between the to leading the readers to believe he is going to harm the Cyclops out of anger. Odysseus third and final detriment through evil thoughts in the episode “The Cyclops” is shown through his boastful attitude when he puts his crew at risk. Odysseus tries to exclaim again across the ocean,“Now when i cupped my hands I heard the crew in low voices protesting.”(492-493). Odysseus is being very boastful wanting the Cyclops to know who he was and how he was better not even considering the fact that he could get his whole crew

The Beguiler 　　Odysseus is the main protagonist of The Odyssey. He is a commander of solders, a trickster, and often described as wily. Odysseus is not a character who one should trust, but his undeniable charm and quick wit allow him to convince others to do his bidding. Despite his talents for manipulation Odysseus’s overconfidence ensnares him in the wrathful entrapping of the god Poseidon. Through hardship he earns Odysseus learns from his tribulations, changing from a cocky and roguish beguiler into a man who is slightly more careful when choosing a course of action.

While he is trapped in the cave with the cyclops, he has to come up with a plan so he and his crew could escape. He tells his company,"/A man under each middle one to ride there safely, shielded left and right"(Homer 9.340). This takes an immense amount of bravery from Odysseus to tell his shipmates because he promised that they will all get out of the cave alive. Taking his huge risk might of have concluded in the death of his crew, but he and companions later on made it out harmless. When someone is audacious they are putting themselves at harm so they could protect others. When Odysseus and his crew are leaving the island, the cyclops is angered and yells. Odysseus loudly says,"/tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes's son whose home's on Ithaca"(9.418-419). Odysseus was extremely daring to say this because he now has given Polyphemus his true identity. Odysseus wants to tell the monster who stabbed him in the eye and that anyone who messes with his crew are going to be put into a bad shape. Odysseus displays the characteristics of an epic hero because he protects his crew while putting himself in harms making him very

Throughout book nine of The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus’ encounter with Polyphemus is described, as well as the events leading up to the encounter. After taxing run-ins with the Circones and the lotus-eaters, Odysseus arrives at the island of the cyclopses, a rough and uncivilized land. Odysseus’ own greed leads him to put his men into a dangerous situation, and though he uses his metis to save himself and his crew, it is clear that his hubris is still quite intact and may lead to his downfall.

Odysseus and his men arrived on the island of the cyclops and expected to be greeted with xenia, the Greek idea of hospitality. Odysseus and his crew rummaged through the belongings of Polyphemus. Once satisfied, his crew urged Odysseus to take what they have and leave, but Odysseus was not yet satisfied; he wanted to stay and see what treasures his host had (Odyssey.9.253-259). Odysseus showed hubris in this incident

After Odysseus hits Polyphemus in the eye with a spear, he escapes the cave while riding a sheep. As he leaves Polyphemus’s island, Odysseus yells out his name to Polyphemus to prove that he is the one that took down Polyphemus. Odysseus yelling his name shows he has excessive pride because he wants to receive all the credit of defeating the mighty Polyphemus. However, Polyphemus then prayed to Poseidon to prevent Odysseus from returning home. After hearing Polyphemus’s prayer, Poseidon then puts a curse on Odysseus’s ship and crewmen. Since he was not able to go home, this is a result of showing pride because he wanted attention and credit which prevents him from returning home. Polyphemus states, “If I really am your son and you claim to be my father—come, grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, Laertes’s son who makes his home in Ithaca, never reaches home”(9.587-590). Polyphemus mentions that since Odysseus displays excessive pride by claiming that he struck the great Polyphemus with an arrow, Polyphemus prayed that Odysseus should never return home. Since Poseidon curses Odysseus’s journey home, it is a punishment of hubris because the curse will delay Odysseus from reaching his home and family. Since Odysseus displays extreme hubris, he faces the consequence as a

Upon reaching his ship outside the cave, Odysseus arrogantly yells back his real name to the Cyclops who happens to be son of Poseidon, god of the sea. Odysseus’ taunting and desire for Polyphemus to know who truly tricked him greatly angers Polyphemus and causes trouble from Poseidon later on. While escaping, Odysseus yells, “if ever a mortal man inquire/ how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him / Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye.” (Homer 417-419) Odysseus should have rowed away as quickly as possible before any more trouble was roused. He would have been better off to not have given in to the fatal characteristic of hubris, but to have simply been satisfied by his own dignity. Using leadership qualities such as humility and humbleness would have saved him many seafaring troubles due to Poseidon wrath such as stranding him on Calypso’s island for 7 years. If Odysseus had not been prideful, his journey home would have been much shorter and he wouldn’t have eventually lost all of his

The Odyssey tells about Odysseus’s journey home after the ten years long Trojan War. Originally, Odysseus could have gone home very safely with his crew members if he had not offended the Gods. Since Odysseus was so haughty, he tried to claim all the credit for winning the war, angering the ones that had helped him. His own hubris caused him and his crew to be sent on a whirlwind journey across Greece. If it were not for Athena, Odysseus would have never been able to go home. So how exactly does hubris and offending the Gods show that Ithaca’s beloved king Odysseus

Odysseus and his crew's imprisonment with the Cyclops, Polyphemos, show signs of his epic hero characteristics, bravery and trickery, but at the same time signs of his immature and foolish side, his human weaknesses. Odysseus takes out the eye of the Cyclops saving the lives of himself and his remaining crew. But later, after getting free and setting sail, Odysseus taunts Polyphemos proudly stating who he is and that he was the one who took out his eye. Polyphemos then gets his father, Poseidon, god of the sea, to invoke rage in the sea causing his journey home to be set off course and prolonged once again.

Odysseus earned Poseidon’s fury as he blinded his son, the cyclops Polyphemus, and carelessly gave away his identity to gloat afterward. This allowed Polyphemus to get his

“ I fall, I rise, I make mistakes, I live, I learn, I’ve been hurt but I’m alive. I’m human, I’m not perfect” (unknown). In the play Oedipus Rex, by Sophocles, Oedipus, the king of Thebes, has been under the influence of a prophecy darkened by illusion and flaws which characterizes him as a tragic hero. He is adored and respected by his people, but he has inherent flaws in character or better described as hubris which is a negativity in personality that taints one's character. Though he displays integrity towards the end, the deeply rooted hubris portrays him a tragic hero.

Odysseus' obstacles can be traced back to a mistake he made when he blinded Polyphemos and let his pride get the best of him, announcing to the Cyclops his real name. This allowed Poseidon to enact Polyphemos' wrath on Odysseus, vowing that he