Odysseus Crew In The Odyssey

The main character Odysseus in the Odyssey written by Homer is generally thought to be a great hero; however, he shows more traits of a quite flawed character on closer inspection. Around the beginning of Odysseus’ journey home after the war, Odysseus decides to take a detour to the home of a cyclops deciding to not listen to his men’s suggestions to leave while they still could; consequently, it does not end well: “Ah, how sound that was, Yet I refused. I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer no pretty sight it turned out, for my friend” (9.130-132). This thought by Odysseus shows that he realized his decision to go to the mysterious island wasn’t the most rational one and that his men’s pleas to leave were the better option, but he decides to be stubborn and place his curiosity before his men’s safety resulting in a non-heroic

Fearing that they would mutiny, Odysseus withheld the truth from the crew--then tries to justify his choice saying his men would “roll for cover under the decking”. Odysseus, in his apathy with regard to the crisis, did not want to have to manage his crew’s fear. That is not to say that Odysseus is a one dimensional man; he does, at times, persist when saving his men from the Cyclops. In another instance, he ensures his crew’s safety from the sirens who try to lure them away.

Throughout Odysseus’ ten year journey, him and his men went through many trials of pain and loss. By the end of chapter twelve, Odysseus’ entire crew is dead, and he is the lone survivor. However, it does not seem to upset him as much as it should. Although it is clear that Odysseus cares dearly for his crew and mourns them, he still values his survival and pride over his comrades’ lives.

In The Odyssey, the character Odysseus can be considered a hero because he demonstrates many characteristics that are attributable to most heroes. After the battle at Troy, Odysseus strives to sail back to his homeland (Ithaca); however, he encounters some issues along the way and Poseidon attempts to make it impossible for Odysseus to return home. At the beginning of this journey, Odysseus wants to make it back to Ithaca with all of his crew alive. This selfless goal displays Odysseus acting for the greater good because he knows that these men have families that depend on them and would like for them to come home. Along the journey home, Odysseus and his crew come across a cyclops and become trapped in the cyclops’ cave. Odysseus’ over eagerness

Odysseus deserves loyalty from his crew because he saves them from life threatening situations like when they were in the cyclops cave and when the crew got turned into swine by

Odyssey Argumentative Essay Odysseus is an arrogant egotistical warrior who hardly ever takes the blame for his own actions. Since he does not take responsibility it shows his weaknesses that could be used against him if this were a war. Odysseus’s weaknesses are shown equally in the literature and the movie. In some ways the literature showed it better or explained it better than the movie did. But in some ways the movie outlined his weaknesses than the movie because it is more visual than when you are reading the story.

For years, people have viewed Odysseus as a lousy hero with many faults and mistakes. His flaws include his arrogance, his treatment to his crew, and his lack of faith to the gods and his family. While initially reading the Odyssey, these reasons are obvious, but once reading the whole epic I was able to see through his flaws which actually led him home. Although Odysseus tripped on many occasions, he stood up and protected his men, escaped many monsters and immortals, and made wise and clever decisions. Odysseus went through a long, rough adventure and survived the entire voyage while managing to keep his family intact.

In the novel The Odyssey, written by Homer, Odysseus is portrayed as a bad leader because of his selfish decisions and bad character. Odysseus makes a selfish decision when he leads his crew to stay in Polyphemus’s cave thinking he would offer gifts and Odysseus would “accept (his) help, or any gifts/” he had to “give” (9.726-727). This is a selfish act because he is putting his crew in danger for something that would only benefit himself. In the end, many of his people died and no one benefited. Once again, Odysseus displayed selfish acts when Circe told him “ he will be the only survivor of their long journey” (Homer 764).

One bad decision that Odysseus was made when he decided to sail towards Scylla and Charybdis when he could have sailed the other option, “One ship alone, one deep-sea craft sailed clear,/ the Argo sung by the world, when heading home/ from Aeetes’ shores” (12. 76-78). This quote shows that there was one ship that sailed past the Clashing Rocks unharmed. Odysseus could have chosen to sail this path, but he didn’t. A real hero would have taken the route that wouldn’t have killed any of his crew like the route with Scylla and Charybdis did.

After Circe holds Odysseus’ crew in captivity, Eurylochus suggests to Odysseus that they can evade “the day of evil” if they leave immediately; however, feeling obligated, Odysseus replies to him, “Eurylochus, by all means stay here by the black ship’s hull [...] but I, bound by necessity, will go” (Bk X:251-301). In facing this choice to leave, Odysseus instead chooses to help his allies rather than abandoning them, demonstrating his concern for his friends. This choice is a sign of a great decision made by Odysseus, highlighting the honor that he has as a leader; it is through this concern that Odysseus displays honor. Later in the poem, Odysseus encounters and confronts the suitors who have intruded his home.

While reading The Odyssey, the reader notices that unfortunate events caused by suspicion and judgement are fueled by a lack of trust. Trust is a big part of Odysseus’ relationship with his crew. As the leader, he is responsible for every one of them and must lead them well. Odysseus must be trusted by his men, or else they will not leave their lives in his hands by obeying his every order. Twice in the book, Odysseus’ men go against his orders and lead themselves to devastation.

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. Odysseus’ inability to be a great leader for the group leads to a lot of conflict among the crew members.

Also, to dramatize the situation and emphasize the morality of the crew, Homer says "[the crew] put their backs in the oars, escape grim death." This passage shows how, while Homer considers Odysseus heroic, Odysseus may not follow expectations because of his pride and willingness to endanger his men. In this passage, Odysseus continually taunts Polyphemus' against his crew's wishes, and thus risks their lives. However, throughout the reading, Odysseus' claims to have great affection for his crew and wishes to protect them; thus, Odysseus' actions in this scene highlight an inconsistency in Odysseus' character and heroic nature. Because of this inconsistency and Odysseus’ prideful and

In The Odyssey, Odysseus’ journey is created by a cycle of self-created obstacles that are solved by quick witted thinking and ultimately reflect no real desire to learn from his errors or create any character development. Throughout the story, Odysseus expresses a strong desire to return home to Ithaca, however he is constantly thwarted by his own curious and boastful nature. For example, when

In the epic story the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan war, and on his way home he finds many obstacles ahead of him. Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and he is trying to return home to his land. Many creatures try and stop him from achieving his goal of returning home, but he and his crew have to push through and get home. Odysseus portrays bravery and courage leading his crew through these tough challenges. Odysseus heroically leads his crew and himself through dangerous obstacles, but also foolishly endangers them during the journey home.