Odysseus: Selfish or Selfless?

Odysseus should be trusted as head of an army seeing that he can not even remain loyal to his men or word by returning them to their residence.

Odysseus is not faithful to his wife. For example, Odysseus “has been living on an island with the sea nymph, Calypso” (Nation 262-263). The quote that is stated shows that he is unfaithful to his wife because he was living on the island for about seven years with Circe instead of trying to get home. In another part of the story “Odysseus and Circe had three children: Telegonus,Agrius, and Latinus”(“Circe”

In Homer's Odyssey, the hero is Odysseus, a man who left his home to fight the Trojan War and who comes back twenty years later to find his household overrun by suitors courting his wife Penelope. Throughout his journey, this rich and complex character battles life's temptations towards purification, since he must overcome his sins and flaws in order to obtain redemption from the gods, thus returning home to his throne on the island of Ithaca. However, this purification process and Odysseus' chances of returning home are compromised by his flaws and those of his crew, while enhanced by the many virtues and qualities he possesses. This voyage symbolizes man's road to salvation hoping to obtain the God forgiveness

A hero is someone who puts others first, is courageous, and selfless. Odysseus is not a hero, because he deceived his men just so he could get home, and he was selfish and glory-hungry. After Odysseus spoke to Teiresias, he did not tell the crew anything about what the prophet said. Odysseus explained “Yet she urged me that I alone should listen to their song” (680). This blatant lie proves that Odysseus is selfish, because he didn’t let anyone else listen to their song. When on Helios’ island, Odysseus cried, “O father Zeus and Gods in bliss forever, you made me sleep away this day of mischief” (686). This statement is important because it confirms that Odysseus didn’t tell his men that they would die if they ate

We had just landed on the Island of Helios and my mind goes to all the crew members we’ve lost. By this point, it’s probably no surprise that we’re losing people since nothing seemed to be on our side. What really drives me nuts is the fact, Odysseus has recklessly put us and those dead men in harm’s way like this. How will we explain this carelessness to their families and friends once we reach our homeland? How would we explain the battles between the Cylops, Laestrygonians, and Charybdis? Right now I don’t really know what to expect, but hopefully I get something in my system before I start challenging the

Odysseus portrays his selfishness right as the book begins and this shows how truly incompetent of an individual he is. One form of selfishness Odysseys shows is adultery. He is unfaithful to Penelope many times throughout the book. He reveals this trait specifically when

So when the Cicones gather an army from inland to ward off the Greek invaders, Odysseus loses many men and rather than acknowledge his error in judgment, he shifts the blame of the defeat to his crew. Convincing himself that he is not at fault for having been defeated, but rather his selfish crew who refused to leave, he justifies his actions, “Then I urged them to cut and run, set sail, but would they listen? Not those mutinous; there was too much wine to swill, too many sheep to slaughter”(9.50-52). Odysseus knows that if he stays on the island, the Cicones will rally an army and come to kill Odysseus and his men. Despite this, he stays and reassures himself that the major defeat was by Zeus’ hand, “Zeus presented us with disaster us, me and my comrades doomed to suffer”(9.61-62). Homer teaches us that no matter how many great accolades one holds, they are destined to fail if they cannot own up to their mistakes and actions.

Odysseus left Calypso’s Island and began his journey back home. His odyssey might be described as one’s own life struggles. There are ups and downs to every situation, and through reading The Odyssey, readers can connect parallels between Odysseus’ experiences and lessons learned in their own life. Human weaknesses can still prevail through even the strongest men you may think of; examples of this are shown in this epic. Even though there is a large gap in space between Odysseus’ travels and the present, human nature and weakness still share the same obstacles.

In Epic Poem “The Odyssey” Odysseus is the protagonist. Odysseus’ over-the-top ego caused him to lose his men and his son’s childhood, but taught him a valuable lesson about humility. The Odyssey, written by Homer, tells the story of Odysseus and how he faced misfortune in his attempts to return home after the Trojan War. Odysseus is not famous for his great strength or bravery, but for his ability to deceive and trick. To his friends, he was a brilliant strategist. To his enemies, he was a deceiver and a manipulator of the worst kind.

Odysseus was both physically and emotionally unfaithful to Penelope, his wife. On the island of Ogygia, Odysseus slept with Kalypso numerous times over the seven years. Although it was Kalypso that wished to lay with Odysseus, it was his choice to agree to her, “She received me, she loved me.” (224) His decision to be unfaithful to his wife was caused by no one but himself. His promiscuous behavior followed him to the island of Aiolia. He was smitten by Kirke, a witch who had transformed Odysseus’s men into pigs. His affair with her lasted for an entire year. If it were not for his crew, it is without a doubt that Odysseus would have forgotten about Ithaka and remained on Aiolia forever, “So day… year grew fat.” (pg 179). All the while Odysseus had been

The Odyssey of Homer is filled with various adventures, sought-after revenge, and harmful temptations. The war hero, Odysseus, traveled for three years, always trying to achieve his homecoming. In Odysseus’ fourth year, Zeus destroyed his ship, as well as his companions, while they were out at sea. After these losses, Odysseus alone was washed up onto the island of a nymph, Kalypso. She took him into her palace and came to love him. After time, she desired to make Odysseus her husband, offering to make him immortal as well. Yet, Odysseus declines her offer of immortality. After years of fighting in battle, then years of suffering following the war, his noble rejection seems remarkable. Homer’s readers are forced to wonder, why does

The Odyssey is an epic about Ancient Greek culture written by Homer. This is one of the two major Greek poems. Odysseus is on a long journey back to Ithaca after the fall of Troy. The most valued life traits in an Ancient Greek culture is respect. Odysseus helps portray this by worshiping gods through the epic.

Odysseus is also unheroic because he shows disloyalty during his journey home by indulging himself in treacherous acts. Odysseus commits adultery twice. When he lands on the island of Aiaia, he sleeps with Kirke. Later in the journey, Odysseus commits adultery again with Kalypso for seven years and by will: “He lay with her each night, for she compelled him.” (V, 163). Odysseus does not resist Kalypso’s charm, thus cheats on his wife Penelope. Despite the suitors, Penelope stays loyal to Odysseus. Even when Odysseus was thought to be dead, she still puts up with the suitors’ behavior and refuses to remarry. She even comes up with a ruse so she can stall having to remarry. Penelope is experiencing so much pressure from the suitors and her family, but she still refuses to succumb and does not cheat on Odysseus. Odysseus’s acts of adultery and

Odysseus is deceived by Kirke’s beauty and falls for her mysterious ways, but his devotion continues for Penelope. Kirke, deceiving Odysseus with her quick mind, says, “your cruel wandering is all you think of, / never of joy, after so many blows” (Homer 179). Kirke’s desire for the men and her persistence captured Odysseus’s logic, and he ends up living with her for quite awhile, but thankfully his reason comes back. Odysseus’s odyssey was so complex that even small occurrences like the sirens and the lotus plants make him reconsider his priorities and what is truly important to him and his future.

When people think of a hero, they think of a tall, handsome, loyal, brave, and a type of man that could do no wrong. The “hero” that is portrayed in the Odyssey is a man named Odysseus. This “hero” may be tall and handsome, but he is often arrogant, disrespectful, conceited, and rude. Odysseus consists of positive and negative characteristics that is shown in the text by Homer. These characteristics impact the characters day to day, or in the book’s case, the quests. In the Odyssey, Homer values the characteristics hospitality and cunning, but he objects bad leadership.