Appetites And Their Consequences In Homer's Odyssey

Throughout the story “The Odyssey” by Homer Odysseus, the main character counters countless amounts of trouble. As king and leader it is his job to keep his men save and get the job done. Odysseus does whatever it takes to keep his men unharmed, and more importantly, alive. All his crew and him dream about is getting back to their homeland, but first they have to pass the obstacles. Odysseus demonstrates good leadership qualities by doing whatever it takes to get the job done, using his advanced cunning abilities to trick his enemy, and constantly saving his crew from dangers.

In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus exemplifies sophrosyne through his self-control and restraint. After the Trojan War, Odysseus is on his journey home, when he and his crewmates make their way to the land of the Cyclopes. Once on land the luxurious resources in the cavern lure them, and they enter without consent. In shock, as two of his men are in the hands of the one-eyed Cyclops, Odysseus stands speechless at the sight of the “ruthless brute”, Polyphemus. His first thought is to bring the Cyclops harm, however “a fresh thought held [him] back” how could this crew lift such an immense boulder the Cyclops had left in front of the entrance (Fagles 9. 336-339)?

In many societies today, individuals are led to believe that the concept of women possessing their own strength or independence is abnormal. As a result, women experience the world in a constrained way in comparison to men, even if they are in higher classes of society. However, these extensive aspects of females are contradicted in some ancient Greek literature. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer portrays women as a vital and powerful force through the characters Penelope and Circe, who counter the normality of misogyny in Homer’s time. Penelope’s character displays how some women are able to exceed society’s standards and show strength and cleverness when it is necessary.

The last key point that is important to realize is that Odysseus thinks through his choices and advice. We have already seen that Odysseus is a thought out planner and a social situation genius, yet he is also wise with the choices and advice he decides to take. When Odysseus returns to Circe for the funeral, Circe gives Odysseus some significant advice that can help him get home. She tells him about the Sirens and the monsters and gives him advice on what routes to take and what precautions to take. Odysseus could of easily ignored this information, seeing as he is a crafty man who thinks very highly of himself, but Odysseus realizes that the advice will benefit him and his crew, so he decides to put this advice to use.

One can tell Odysseus’ need for Nostos when Circe gives him directions when passing the island of the Sirens. “She says, whoever draws too close [to the island], off guard, and catches the Sirens’ voices in the air – no sailing home for him, no wife rising to meet him, no happy children beaming up at their father’s face” (Book 12). If Odysseus did not care about what he has back home, he probably would have fell to the voices of the Sirens. However, when Odysseus approaches the island of the Sirens, he is bound to the ship to hear the songs of the Sirens, in which no one has ever lived past.

Odysseus,what comes to mind when you hear that name? I think courage, and bravery. Odysseus states in the book ,“A man who has been through bitter experiences and travelled far enjoys even his sufferings after a time” .This quotes fits really well with him because he went through alot and even when he was in those hard times they are good memerios now. Odyessus has many hardships and struggles on different islands throughout this story like ,The Island of cyclops,Circe´s Island,and The land of the sirens. ¨You´re a ninny ,or else you come from the other end of nowhere telling me,mind the gods!We cyclops care not a whislte for your thundering Zues or all the gods in bliss; we have more force by far¨….(page

In the Odyssey, Calypso, a Greek goddess, says “You unrivaled lords of jealousy- scandalized when goddesses sleep with mortals,” (Book 5, 131-132). This quote can be seen as an accurate representation of the constant power struggle between gods and goddesses in the Odyssey; Calypso points out the male gods’ hypocrisy and argues for her right to sleep with mortal men. The concept of this power struggle can be seen in three of the main goddesses: Calypso, Athena, and Circe as the story progresses. Throughout the Odyssey these goddesses gain their power by deceiving men and manipulating them, but are then limited in power by the authority of other men.

A second characteristic that represents Odysseus to be an epic hero is being courageous. Meanwhile, as Odysseus traveled on his quest he landed on the island The Land of the Dead. He was advised by Circe, a powerful witch - who Odysseus met previously in his voyage - in order to go home was to speak with dead blind prophet. When Odysseus was on the island, he presumed to be slightly timid around spirits. As stated in Book 10 of The Odyssey, “From every side they name and sought the pit with rustling cries; and I grew sick with fear.”

Similarly, Odysseus doesn’t communicate any of the information given to him by Circe. Odysseus is given two choices by Circe for the first part of the journey, sail close two different rocks, Scylla or Charybdis. While it is possible for the crew to avoid misfortunes by sailing near Charybdis, avoid when she sucks down the black water, Odysseus chooses to sail near Scylla where there is no avoiding the deaths of at least six crew members (12. 99-111). Additionally, Odysseus doesn’t fully take the advice of Circe and uses weaponry, even though Circe warns him not to arm himself no matter the circumstances (12. 234-235). Odysseus’ inability to fully follow directions proves his large ego, and belief that he can do no wrong.

Everyone has their own definition of a hero. Many people think of superheroes who fight for the good of humanity. Others think of great warriors in ancient Greece and Rome. While it's nice to know what heroes might look like, it's more important to understand what makes someone a hero. Odysseus is one of these important heroes whose actions should be explained.

In The Odyssey, Odysseus proves to be a weak leader by being overconfident in Book 9, forgetful in Book 10, dishonest in Book 12, and having a short temper in Books 21-23. Odysseus has been gone from home for twenty years. Ten years in the Trojan War, and ten years trying to get back home. Penelope, the wife of Odysseus, has waited for her husband to return home, and has gotten to the point where she believed that her husband was dead. However, he was not dead.