Odysseus Weaknesses
Throughout the Odyssey, it has become clear that Odysseus has a lot of weaknesses especially ones that revolve around his behavior which causes the life of others at times. The Odyssey is a long and complex epic poem that tells the story of a legendary hero named Odysseus. Odysseus is the King of Ithaca, a small island in Greece, and he is known especially for his quick-thinking, courage, cunning and resourcefulness. The Odyssey begins after the end of the Trojan War, in which Odyseeus played a key role as a warrior and strategist. After the war, Odysseus is on adventure to return back to his home back in Ithaca to his wife, Penelope, and his son Telemachus. He may have a lot of pros, but there are cons such as his: Arrogance, Hubris, and Quick-Temper. Odysseus' taunting of Polyphemus demonstrates the weakness of hubris, as his excessive pride and arrogance lead him to reveal his true identity and put his entire crew in danger. This hubristic behavior not only results in retaliation from Polyphemus but also sets in motion a series of events that ultimately delay Odysseus' journey home. Overall, …show more content…
However, his journey back to Ithaca is plagued with weaknesses that often lead to negative consequences for himself and his crew. One of these weaknesses is his hubris, as demonstrated in his taunting of Polyphemus, the Cyclops. Odysseus' excessive pride and arrogance lead him to reveal his true identity, putting his entire crew in danger and setting in motion a series of events that ultimately delay his journey home. This hubristic behavior ultimately leads to dangerous encounters with Poseidon, the sinking of his ship, and the loss of his entire crew, except for Odysseus himself. By showcasing the consequences of Odysseus' hubris, the text suggests that excessive pride and arrogance can be significant weaknesses that lead to negative
Examples Of Violence In The Odyssey
1744 Words | 7 PagesAccording to The Odyssey “Cyclops if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you, say so–say Odysseus, raider of cities he gouged out your eye Laertes son who makes his home in Ithaca… Or if he’s fated to see his people once again and reach his well-built house… let him come home late and come a broken man-all shipmates lost”(Homer 227 228). Without fail Odysseus shows his prideful nature most likely as a cause of being praised and letting his fame make him over confident even when quarreling with a god's son. This would apparently prove to be a critical mistake as Poseidon decides to take revenge on Odysseus by making his life a
'Moral Codes In The Cyclops' By Homer
506 Words | 3 PagesIn addition he doesn’t experience only one but also another moment of having extreme unworthy pride for himself. Odysseus and this team slowly began to reduce in numbers as Polyphemus eats a couple of their members each day, causing Odysseus's to plan his revenge against the cyclops, “ cheered my men… to keep their courage up… lugging it near the cyclops… lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye” ( 370,371,375, 377, and 378). As a result Polyphemus is blinded by the group of men and Odysseus watches from a distance with a satisfied look. When Odysseus experiences his pride of what he had achieved he would usually boast about
Examples Of Odysseus Flaws
587 Words | 3 PagesOdysseus’s most significant fault had to do with his thought process and the decisions that he made (his cerebration). There were many instances where if Odysseus would have simply gone with the plan and thought of others and not just himself, he would be saved from a lot of hardship. He often put his men into bad situations, costing them their lives. He tended to make decisions off the top of his head, instead of listening to the advice given to him.
The Negative Effects Of Curiosity In Homer's The Odyssey
1064 Words | 5 PagesEarlier in the epic, Odysseus frequently abuses his role as captain of his crew because of his curious nature. He makes several stops on their journey home in search of more opportunities to prove his skillfulness, even though he is already a king and has won a major war. One of these stops is at the Island of Polyphemus, home to the cyclops famed for eating all humans that enter his cave. Even though Odysseus is well aware of the danger ahead, his curiosity tempts him to
Examples Of Kenodoxia In The Odyssey
491 Words | 2 Pages531). In simpler terms, Odysseus aggrandizes his accomplishments and genealogy towards the Cyclops. This detriment subdues him, and leads to his evasion becoming possibly threatened, additionally it characterizes him as egotistical, bearing that his main focus is to let everybody know of his feats. Furthermore, illustrating Hyperephania, or boasting of his abilities, Odysseus is blinded by his egocentric view of himself, “...and we all scattered to the far wall.” (225).
Examples Of Xenia In The Odyssey
994 Words | 4 PagesWhen Odysseus and his crew flee from Polyphemus after blinding him, Odysseus “[yells] back with another burst of anger, ‘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, 9.558-562). When Odysseus is said to yell with a “burst of anger”, this indicates that he isn't in his usual state of mind, he is riled up and blinded by emotions which can cause someone to not think before they say act. This is unheroic of Odysseus because of how irresponsible it is to give his information out on a whim, especially with a crew of men that he needs to lead, he needs to set a good example. Some may argue that Odysseus shared his information because of kleos which can show how heroic he is for defeating a cyclops, however, instead of gaining kleos, he became an enemy of Poseidon, the father of Polyphemus.
Odysseus Weaknesses
469 Words | 2 PagesThe epic poem, The Odyssey, is a 24-book epic poem usually attested by the ancient Greek poet Homer. It is about Odysseus' 10-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. While Odysseus battles mystical creatures and faces the wrath of the gods, his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus ward off suitors while they try to plight one's troth with Penelope and Ithaca's throne long enough for Odysseus to return. His fight to return home is what makes this epic poem one of the most critically acclaimed stories ever written. One of the considerable strengths of Odysseus is his witts and intelligence.
Humility In Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey
846 Words | 4 PagesWhen Odysseus is leaving the cyclops cave, his egotistical behavior is shown when he tells Polyphemus who hurt him. Odysseus screams to Polyphemus, “if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so—say Odysseus, raider of cities, he
Odysseus Is Not To Blame In Homer's The Odyssey
1273 Words | 6 PagesHaving narrowly avoided disaster using his wit, Odysseus had gotten out of a pinch once again. Unfortunately, it is here where we are introduced to a new side of Odysseus, and while it is only this once that we truly see it, it proves to be more costly than most other unfortunate events that befall him. While his crew rows their ship away from the island, Odysseus begins hurling insults at Polyphemus and taunting him for losing (Book 9, Lines 530-536). These actions, prideful in nature end up proving quite costly. Initially, they seem to have again avoided disaster, as after the first insult, Polyphemus throws a massive rock at the ship, narrowly missing it.
Odysseus Character Development Essay
591 Words | 3 PagesJust as Achilles is confronted in the Iliad with the problem of balancing his honor with his pride, Odysseus repeatedly faces situations in which self-restraint and humility must check bravado and glory-seeking. In his early adventures, he fails these tests, as when he taunts Polyphemus, inflaming Poseidon. As the epic progresses, Odysseus becomes increasingly capable of judging when it is wise to reveal himself and when it is appropriate to rejoice in his
How Odysseus Is An Epic Hero In Homer's The Odyssey
541 Words | 3 PagesOdysseus’s traits help him achieve his goal of returning to his home. Odysseus and his men have a lot of willpower to continue traveling after some dangerous and life risking experiences with cannibals, lotus-eaters, cyclops and many more creatures that could of killed Odysseus and his whole crew. Odysseus's confidence and epic hero traits only increase as the story goes on, his confidence in his men increase as he starts noticing how strong and powerful his men can be, and also shows confidence in
Odysseus Traits In Homer's Odyssey
1125 Words | 5 PagesOdysseus’s Traits Throughout the Odyssey, the main character Odysseus goes on an epic adventure with his focus being to get home to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. He faces many obstacles dealing with characters such as the Cyclopes, Poseidon, Aeolus, Athena, Helios, Calypso, Zeus, Hermes, Scylla, and Circe. Odysseus’s men are some of the most valuable people to him throughout the Odyssey. He always puts himself in front of danger for them to protect them even though they all died from an unexpected turn of events soon before he returns home. When Odysseus comes home he greets his twenty year old son and straightens things out on his homeland, Ithaca.
Odysseus Character Analysis Essay
574 Words | 3 PagesIn the book The Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, is a man who is loved and respected by many. In the beginning of the book, we learn that Odysseus has left on a journey and, since it has been many years since his departure, many people assume that he has passed. On his journey, he portrays his many traits, not all of them being good ones either. Some of his good traits include his cunning, bravery, and hard work ethic. On the other hand, his negative traits are his excessive pride, immense curiosity, and rather large temper.
How Does Polyphemus Use Self Control In Odysseus
110 Words | 1 PagesIn the end, Odysseus showed hubris to Polyphemus, which caused Polyphemus to tell Poseidon to put a curse on Odysseus and his crew. This encounter teaches the readers to always use self-control because without it, problems can
Homeric Heroes In The Iliad And The Odyssey
1907 Words | 8 PagesOne situation in which Odysseus’ cleverness and heroism shines through is during his confrontation with the cyclops, Polyphemus. Odysseus tells Polyphemus that his name is “Nobody,” therefore when they attacked him, his cries for help when he exclaims, “Nobody’s killing me” (9.455), no one would come to his rescue because they thought no one was really attacking Polyphemus. Yet instead of making a clean break from the blinded cyclops, once again, Odysseus’ hubris gets in the way. Once safe aboard his ship, Odysseus reveals his true identity to the cyclops, which causes Polyphemus to curse him.
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