Odysseus: A Loyal Hero In The Odyssey

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. As a leader Odysseus should be careful to do exactly what will benefit his crew the most. The lack of communication throughout the whole journey home will eventually lead to mistrust and betrayal of Odysseus by his crew. Following Scylla and Charybdis they reach the island of the god of the sun, and because of the crew’s spite for Odysseus they don’t follow his directions not to harm the cattle of the Sun. Just in the events of the journey back to Ithaca alone the reader can see how Odysseus’ inability to be a strong leader leads to the dismantling of a good relationship between him and his crew, which leads to a much more difficult trip.

If he would have not lied to his men about the obstacles they would be facing, things probably would have ended very differently. Circe told him what types of obstacles he will encounter and what two paths he could take. Of course, Odysseus wanted to take difficult challenges, how to defeat Scylla and or the Charybdis, which can cause death. Due to what can happen, he decided not to tell men about difficult challenges that they have to do to return home. He does not want his men to panic because panicking can lead to a worse situation. The men survived The Sirens, but once they are close to the Scylla, Odysseus told them nothing. “I told them nothing, as they could do nothing. They would have dropped their oars again, in panic, to roll for cover under the decking.” (Homer, Book 12 Lines 161-164). Six of his were killed. Finally, they reached the island called Thrinacia. He told his men not to eat the cattle, but he did not mention what can happen if they do. Due to eating the cattle, all men on the ship died except for

Can dishonesty be valuable if it was used to achieve desirable outcomes? Is lying considered justified if it was involved in a dangerous situation? It is not always bad to lie. As children, we were continuously taught to be honest. We have grown to be implanted with the fact that lying is unacceptable but admissible. In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, some might argue that Odysseus’s dishonesty and deceit cause loss of trust and negative consequences. However, Odysseus’s dishonesty and deceit do not always have bad intentions, it can be seen when Odysseus and his men escaped out of Polyphemus’s cave to get out of trouble and when Odysseus received help from his men to get closer to their objective.

This shows bad character because he is acting arrogant. This puts his crew in danger because Odysseus angers the Cyclopes whose father has control over the ocean Odysseus and his crew are on. The “hero” shows bad character once again when he tells his crew about the “Sirens/ weaving a haunting song over the sea” (12.1245-1246), but leaves out the adventure they are going to encounter with the Scylla and Charybdis. The Greek hero proves he has bad qualities again when he becomes untrustworthy. His crew trusts him, but they do not know that he does not tell the whole truth. Overall, Odysseus is often portrayed as a “model hero”, but in reality he has many faults such as being untrustworthy, arrogant and

None of Odysseus’s men were really loyal to him because of their lack of obedience and honesty. In this episode the men learn that their disobedience causes them their lives when Helios the sun god realizes his scared cattle had been killed. Helios furious goes to Zeus and begs him to punish Odysseus’s men, or he will take the sun and go “down to the House of Death and blaze the sun among the dead” (Odyssey 12. 412). Zeus with no choice left but to punish Odysseus’s men whips up a storm and strikes his thunder bolt to destroy Odysseus’s ship soon after they leave the island. No one survives but Odysseus. “…his hardy life spirit left his hones behind. Then, then in the same breath Zeus hit the craft with a lightning-bolt and thunder. Round she spun, reeling under the impact…” (Odyssey 12. 446-449). The most important lesson that is learned in this episode is that Odysseus should have trusted his own instincts, and should have acted upon them. Odysseus knew before they landed on the island of Thrinacia that “‘some power was brewing trouble for us’” (Odyssey 12. 320) indicating he knew from the beginning it was a bad

Odysseus is a leader that portrays both non-heroic and heroic traits throughout the story. These traits reflect his way of thinking and what actions he takes. These traits fluctuate from bravery to overconfidence. Nonetheless, the traits all contribute to the hero and as a result, they contribute to the story.

Homer’s Odyssey is greatly concerned with nostos, the Greek word for homecoming. The tale follows Odysseus’ journey home to Ithaka, which is greatly affected by the choices made by the characters. Penelope and Odysseus in particular play a significant role in Odysseus’ quest for nostos. Odysseus uses deception and tricks in an attempt to assure his speedy homecoming, whilst Penelope does the same in order to avoid being forced to replace her husband. The couple occasionally thwart their own efforts, such as when Odysseus does not share with his men what the bag of winds contains and when Penelope is caught undoing her work on the shroud for Laertes. However, through trickery and deception, Odysseus is able to avoid having his whole crew, including

At various times throughout the story, mainly through the trials, Odysseus made many decisions and forced his crew to go through many potentially lethal situations without preparing his own crew, or situations that were just a waste of time. This then leads to not only all of his crew being killed but the creation of many bad relationships. The first example of Odysseus mistreating his crew is when he and his crew went through the trails, “No more. Come, / let me tell you about the voyage fraught with hardship / Zeus inflicted on me, homeward bound from Troy...” 9.42-44. During these trials, many burdens were put on Odysseus’ crew, which led to all of his crew eventually all being killed before returning to Ithaca. The 2nd instance where Odysseus made a wrong choice that affected his crew is when he didn’t even really trust his crew. So he stayed up for days straight and

Being a hero originally means “a brave person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.”. Odysseus was well known for being a hero. He has the qualities of being a hero in some situations but also has flaws which make him seem less of a hero at times. Being loyal, clever, and dedicated are examples of being a heroic person. Odysseus has these qualities and more.

A hero is someone who is revered for his or her exceptional achievements and bravery. Anyone who puts themselves before others not for recognition or an award, but because it is the right thing to do, is a true hero. In "The Odyssey," written by Homer is an epic poem about a man named Odysseus and his crewmates competing against the power of the gods to return to their homeland, Ithaca. Throughout his journey, he loses almost all of his men, but Odysseus finally arrives home, concluding his prolonged twenty-year voyage. Odysseus must battle the suitors that have taken his wife Penelope, and may soon kill his son Telemachus. Odysseus defies the suitors and wins his wife and kingdom back. Despite Odysseus' overconfident nature, Odysseus proves he is a hero by showing bravery and intelligence.

Ultimately Odysseus can be a good leader but behind the scenes, he's not. He may of saved his men multiple times, but also got them killed them due to his neglect. He might be intelligent but really he tolerably manipulated his crew by saying things such as “don’t you want to go back to your home again?”. In closing, throughout the whole story, Odysseus progresses himself and designates many Greek

While Odysseus is a little arrogant, he can also be a great leader because he is able to trust his second in command, Eurylochus, and give him more power while he is away. When Odysseus is away from Circe’s island, Odysseus has a change of heart and suddenly wants to go back to Circe’s island to retrieve his crew. Despite this sudden change of heart, he is still wise enough to plan out what he is going to do when he gets to Circe’s Island and how to keep his crew safe

A major theme in the Odyssey is reciprocity: people getting what they deserve. Reciprocity is an important theme in the Odyssey because it explains why Odysseus’ journey was very long and treacherous. Eurylochus, Antinous, and Odysseus all suffered consequences due to poorly made actions. Each of them made the wrong decisions which lead to death and a long/adventurous journey.

Ever since childhood, people develop an image on what a true hero should be like. A considerable hero is someone who looks after their allies and makes rational decisions in tough situations. On the contrary, in the book, The Odyssey, Odysseus shows that not all heroes make the most reasonable choices. For instance, he is willing to sacrifice his own shipments in order to get back to Ithaca. Yes, it may be one of the best options considering the position they are in, but he was the reason why the crew is in that position in the first place. Additionally, he does not keep control over his shipments, which causes the crew to intensify the unfavorable outcome. Odysseus is a stubborn man who only does what he thinks is best instead of thinking of what is best for everyone. He was, however, a great leader when

In the world today, finding people who truly represent what they are and stand for is a difficult task. Dictionary.com defines authenticity as “representing one’s true nature or beliefs; true to oneself or to the person identified.” Authenticity is often confused with conceitedness, when a person “has an inflated self-image and perceives himself as incredibly entertaining and wonderful.” My brother, Corey, to me, truly represents being authentic. He is currently a college football player for the University of Michigan, but the road there pushed him to be who he really is.