Human themes that dominate Homer’s The Odyssey is hubris. During his adventure with the Cyclops, Odysseus cleverly blinded the beast with a stake in his eye. He even went as far as saying that his name was Nobody so when the Cyclops would scream in pain and try to get help, nobody would help him for he would say “Nobody is hurting me”. However, Odysseus went to far when he escaped by not only yelling out his actual name but saying exactly who he is and where he can be located. I find this quite funny for Odysseus was not obligated to say anything to the beast and if he did, just saying his name ‘Odysseus’ is enough. But our hero proclaims;
“Cyclops! If anyone asks you who put your eye out...tell [them] that is was Odysseus, Sacker of Cities, son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca!”
If P.O Boxes existed I’m sure Odysseus would have yelled it out also. Odysseus is a clever hero which I believe to be the source of his victories in battles and in obstacles. For most this would suffice to be labeled as a Hero. However, arrogance, and pride disqualify any man or woman to be honored as a Hero. Humility is so much more heroic and admirable. Even if strength was not evident, true heroism comes with being humble at all times. Especially when victorious. You can tell a lot about a person from the way they act when they lose and even more when they win.
It is not easy having sympathy towards the Cyclops, he did lose his only eye in a painful and brutal manner of course. His attacker
Later Odysseus' ship stops at an island inhabited by Cyclopes. One of the Cyclopes, Polyphemus, captures Odysseus' and his men. To escape, Odysseus stabs Polyphemus' eye. As Odysseus is sailing away he shouts out, " `Cyclops, if any mortal man should ask about the shameful blinding of your eye, then tell him that the man who gouged you was Odysseus, ravager of cities: one who lives in Ithaca--Laertes' son' " (185). Odysseus is being prideful, ignorant, and asking for trouble. Polyphemus now knows Odysseus name and where he lives; Polyphemus can now easily have revenge whenever he wants.
For example, as Odysseus was leaving the island, he yelled, “Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raiders of cities, took your eye: Laetres’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca” (9. 424-428). This shows that Odysseus is bragging about his achievements of being clever enough to trick the Cyclops, and blind him in his sleep. This also shows that by shouting his own name, Poseidon then knew it was Odysseus, and punished him with more challenges, keeping him away from Ithaca. In addition, when 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 the story of The Odyssey by Homer, the protagonist Odysseus got stuck in a lot of sticky situations on his journey of delivering his men back home. Odysseus was able to escape many life-threatening events, which makes him a leader to his people. One of the many foes that was encountered was the cyclops, in which Odysseus risked his life by lying to it. “My ship? Poseidon Lord, who sets the earth a-tremble broke it up on the rocks at your lands end (Homer, 959).” Although a small number of men were lost to the hungry stomach of the beast, Odysseus used his intelligence to outwit the cyclops and rescue him and his stranded people. To wait for the perfect time to strike at the cyclops took a lot of patience, and shows how dedicated he
“The Intelligence, but Foolish Overconfidence, of Odysseus” Odysseus, the heroic protagonist in Homer’s epic The Odyssey, struggles for 10 years to get back to his homeland of Ithaca and to his faithful wife, Penelope. While Odysseus passes through foreign lands, he earns the respect of some gods and the wrath of others, loses crew members and friends, faces many difficult decisions and literally journeys to hell and back. However, the particular challenge that Odysseus faces with a Cyclops, Polyphemus, illustrates one of his best qualities and quickly contrasts it with one of his worst qualities; his superior intelligence with his overconfidence and demanding need for glory. Odysseus comes into contact with Polyphemus after his crew unknowingly
Along his journey, a Cyclops confines Odysseus's crew, and Odysseus must figure out a way to escape. Odysseus patiently tricks the Cyclops; he calls himself “nobody” so the Cyclops, Polyphemus, cannot call out for his friends to save him from going blind. However, right before they escape, Odysseus boasts, “If ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him, Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye” (160). He continues to taunt the Cyclops even when the Cyclops throws a hilltop at them. Subsequently, their actions anger Poseidon and creates further challenge for Odysseus’s journey to Ithaka. Rather than revealing his true identity, which may anger the Cyclops and prevent the crew’s escape, Odysseus faces humility to carry out his plan of trickery. He and the readers learn that high expectations, or overconfidence, create harmful impulses, since the Greek custom of receiving gifts as guests lead them to carelessly help themselves in the Cyclops’s cave. As a result, the Cyclops gets angry and traps them. On the other hand, he forgets modesty while close to escaping due to overconfidence. The Cyclops’s reaction and their subsequent misfortunes from the Gods teach Odysseus the lesson to never underestimate the effects of your actions, despite being close to safety. To add on Aeolus, the
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
One trait that makes Odysseus a hero is his confidence. Odysseus says to his crew, “Old shipmates, friends, the rest of you stand by; I’ll make the crossing in my own ship with my own company,” (Homer 374). Odysseus is telling his men to stay back, as danger may lie ahead in the form of wild savages or lawless men. He shows courage
“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 act puts him and his crew in danger because the Cyclops is the son of the god Poseidon. Polyphemus then offers a prayer to his father to take revenge on Odysseus. “Hear me, Poseidon who circle the earth, dark-haired. If truly I am your son, and you acknowledge
What are the main ideas and/or issues of the article as it relates to the chosen topic?
Is a hero only characterized by their success? If a leader’s last actions carry them to victory, are their flaws unimportant? The Odyssey by Homer narrates the ancient myth of a leader coming home from war in Troy who faces many trials, and despite returning home alone without any of his crew, he is looked upon as a hero for having survived. His ultimately sole success continues to define him, although the bitter truth being that he was the leader of his men when they all perished. As flaws of the all-mighty Odysseus and his crew are presented through their responses to the challenges they experience on their journey, people of the modern world may begin to understand that there exist several flaws that plague all men, whether they live now or lived thousands of years ago, and whether they are leaders or followers. The Odyssey is important in its characters’ responses’ to their trials ability to evoke emotional reactions that cause the reader to ponder their own tendencies by revealing the human nature of pride to be the fuel of the impulsiveness that oscillates fate.
Indirect schizophrenia costs are those related to loss of productivity losses due mainly to morbidity and mortality rates. This is assessed using a methodology of calculating the future expected earnings and productivity of a patient taking into account life expectancy, age, gender, successive age earnings and workforce participation rates, a discount rate is then used to convert future earnings into a present estimated value.
Odysseus tricked the cyclops into drinking the wine then while he was defenseless and weak, Odysseus took action and he got his men help him and tie him up until he got to the cyclops head. He then stuck the sword in the eye of the cyclopes. The cyclopes then screamed and back up with fear. He then shouted out for the other cyclops that are in the caves near him some of them came out. They said that if nobody ruined him
During The Odyssey Odysseus and his men jabbed the Cyclops's eye out with an olive branch because they need to escape from the cave the Cyclops, Polyphemus, locked them in. Once Odysseus and his men got out the cave Odysseus found out that Poseidon was Polyphemus's father, and to eventually be lead on a deadly journey by Poseidon as a punishment for what they have done. In the
When leaving the beast’s lair, he escapes to his ship, and he yells to the giant shouting “I say, cyclops! If ever anyone asks you who put out your eye, tell him your blinder was Odysseus, the conqueror of Troy, son of Laertes, whose address is in Ithaca”(111). Even in victory, Odysseus puts him and his crew in danger when he takes credit for his brilliance, regardless of the consequences he may face. This nearly fatal mistake teaches him a lesson, to remain humble until the time is right. Odysseus later applies this knowledge when he returns home, disguised as a humble peasant, waiting patiently for an opportunity. One of the more arrogant suiters that took over his home in his absence, Antinoos, takes offence at once of Odysseus minor insults and throws a chair at him, “But Odysseus stood firm as a rack: the blow did not move him, he only threw back his head silently, and brooded over his vengeance” (200). Due to the repercussions he faced from lashing out at the cyclops, Odysseus gained the patience to endure severe aggravation. This completes the return to the ordinary world stage of his journey, applying his newfound knowledge to his situation to improve