Temptation In The Odyssey

The Odyssey is a story filled with adventure, bravery, and peril.(H) The Odyssey was written by Homer, a blind poet, in the 8th century, and it was intended to be a sequel to The Iliad, another story written by Homer.(HC) The story is based around the Greek gods, which were commonly believed to exist when Homer wrote The Odyssey.(HC) The Odyssey inspires perseverance in continued hardship and love for family, ideas which are as relevant today as they were when The Odyssey was written.(CM)

In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, Odysseus is bestowed with great abilities. But along with this potential, he is cursed with great arrogance. Conveying that even the labeled ‘perfect’ among us have fatal flaws that causes pain and suffering among the ones closest to them. The author, Homer, uses Odysseus’ arrogance to create a melancholic atmosphere to convey the idea that arrogance is a fatal flaw that will lead those around them to pain and suffering.

Have you ever felt tempted to cheat on your homework or on a test? Have you been prideful of what your status or accomplishments? In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the brave hero Odysseus encountered these obstacles of temptations and pride that people today still face. Therefore, temptation and pride were Odysseus’ greatest enemy throughout his journey back to Ithaca, as they distracted him on his voyage, prevented him from getting home, and displeased the gods.

The Odyssey by Homer revolves around the character, Odysseus, and his ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. As the epic’s idol, he displays the combination of a clever, handsome, and courageous man popular among the mortals as well as the gods. Essentially, he embodies the ideals of the ancient Greek culture, being adorned with many favored characteristics of the era. However, an intriguing aspect of Odysseus lies in his personality. As the protagonist, he does not manifest the entirety of a stereotypical hero because Odysseus has a fatal flaw—his arrogance. Fortunately, his wisdom progresses over his journey, showing his growth as a character. This change can be referred to as “Eagle Wings,” composes books IX, XII, XVII that highlight contrasting sides of Odysseus's self-restraint, and especially his development throughout the epic.

In Homer’s The Odyssey, Circe advises Odysseus that in order to survive, he must control his appetite to have a good reputation. On some occasions Odysseus listens to the advice, but at other times his intense appetite blocks him from achieving strong leadership. Odysseus wants to be well liked and perceived as a hero, but as Circe tries to warn him, sometimes survival must come before the desire to be a hero. By examining Circe’s advice to Odysseus, Odysseus’s preparation to fight Scylla, and his agreement to let his crew stop on the Sirens’ island, one can see the intense power of an appetite to have a good reputation even if warned to let it go.

ST1: Homer depicts that Odysseus is determined to get home, but Odysseus succumbs to temptation when he leads his crew into the cyclops lair, eats the cyclops’ food, and demands for a gift, resulting in a protracted journey home.

In The Odyssey Homer makes Odysseus’ journey to his beloved Ithaca excruciating. Odysseus encounters many friends and foes throughout his journey and has to be a leader throughout his experiences. As an example, he encounters Polyphemus and Poseidon, both of whom make his journey mentally and physically painful. Odysseus faces countless scenarios in which he has to save multiple people in those situations. He also encounters the suitors, who are a group of men that try to marry Penelope, when he returns to reclaim his home. During these situations, Odysseus gains leadership and tactical skills from fighting in the war in Troy, which costs him 10 years of his life and another 10 years of sailing out on the sea from Poseidon 's curse. Odysseus is therefore a heroic and efficient leader because he plans his moves ahead of time and is vigilant at all times to ensure his safety. Yet, though Odysseus possesses these heroic leadership qualities, his arrogance sometimes leads to his downfall and inability to lead.

When creating a story, many great minds will use a pattern to enthrall readers and shape them into a hero. Established by Joseph Campbell, The Hero 's Journey is the iconic template many utilize to plan their imaginative tale. The Hero’s Journey is the cycle in which the protagonist ventures into an unknown world where he or she will go through a series of adventures and learn moral lessons. Heroes in ancient myths such as Homer 's epic poem, The Odyssey follows this formula since the protagonist, Odysseus, faces hardships throughout different regions that ultimately change his once arrogant character. Throughout Homer 's monomyth, Odysseus undergoes challenges that teach him the importance of humility.

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

However, Zeus saw the two sides of the gods’ feelings towards Odysseus. “‘Great Odysseus/ who excels all men in wisdom... it’s the Earth-Shaker, Poseidon, unappeased,/ forever fuming against him..’” (1.78-83). Zeus created an equilibrium so that Poseidon could take out his anger on Odysseus through punishment, and Athena receives the duty of making sure Odysseus gets home to Ithaca. Another situation where the moral was shown in the story is the difference between Odysseus and Telemachus’s view towards the suitors. Although they both knew that the suitors had to leave, they had different methods of doing so. “‘And you, if you have any shame in your own hearts,/ you must leave my palace!’”, Telemachus said to the suitors in attempt to remove them from the palace (2.155-56). Telemachus complained about the suitors and threatened them, while Odysseus took another route of action. Odysseus and Telemachus created a complex plan in order to kill each individual suitor who attempted to wed Penelope, Odysseus’s wife (16.298-330). Telemachus saw talking and

Another similar terrible sin is not being loyal to your spouse. Thankfully, Odysseus was a faithful husband to his wife, Penelope. Homer agrees when he writes “But in my heart, I never gave consent” (Homer, 917). Even though goddess and immortals desired him, he always only loved and longed for Penelope because of his admirable loyalty. Moreover, the only reason Odysseus remained with Calypso for so long was because she forced him to. That is until Athena pleaded with her powerful father, Zeus, to help liberate him. Justifying my idea, Homer wrote “Though he fought shy of her and her desire, he lay with her each night, for she compelled him” (Homer, 914). If it were not for the hypnotic nymph’s compulsion, the righteous Odysseus would have been reunited with his love and queen years before. In addition to Calypso falling in love with Odysseus, so did the enchantress Circe, who also kept him on her island and away from his home. Homer states “Odysseus and his men beg Circe to help them return home” (Homer, 935). Although Odysseus was given two chances to stay with a beautiful woman and become immortal, his love for Penelope, never ceased. Odysseus maintained his loyalty to his beloved because Homer wanted Odysseus to have heroic traits to make him more appealing as a role model in

Odysseus suffered the consequence of being away from his son, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope for 20 years. Odysseus was told by Athena and other gods, what to do during his journey. All of them told Odysseus that he couldn’t tell his men because they’d suffer a consequence. Odysseus listened to Athena and the gods because he only thought about himself and didn 't think about what his crew would say or do. When Odysseus and his crew passed by the mainland where the Cyclops lived, they were only going to stay for two days, but then out of curiosity, Odysseus wanted to see what kind of beast the Cyclops was which made them almost die. Odysseus didn 't even ask his crew whether they should do it or not because Odysseus made it seem like their opinion wasn’t important and didn 't matter. In the story, it says “Why not take these cheeses...Yet I refused, I wished to see the cave man, what he had to offer” (pg 818 L198-199). Odysseus deserved to return home from his journey after 20 years because it was mostly his fault. If Odysseus had told his crew about everything like why not to eat the cattle or to not open the bag of the unfavorable winds, his journey wouldn 't have taken 20 years. When Odysseus and his men traveled to the floating islands of Aeolus, god of the winds, who then gave Odysseus a bag containing all of the unfavorable winds, he didn 't even think to mention it to his men. Odysseus fell asleep when Ithaca was in sight, but his men, believing that

In particular, prior to his encounter with Circe, he was offered an intriguing feast, but “ yet his mind remains on his captive men”( Homer 180 Summary). Regardless of his position, showing care for his men’ assurance proved that his obligation comes first before anything else. In Odysseus’ journey as a hero, this episode is stage six where he was tested of his capabilities. Correspondingly, when his devotees are in despair, Odysseus asks, “ have we never in danger before this?” to them( Homer 191 l. 54). He reminds them of their experiences and provides their courage and confidence back. Odysseus manages his men’ inconvenience feelings; he follows through his responsibility as a leader. On the contrary, after showing an outstanding act of leadership, by the same token, Odysseus display a hubris and the incorrigible side of him that legitimize him deficient. When departing the land of the Cyclopes, he yelled back “ how do you like the beating..you damned cannibal” to Polyphemus ( Homer 171 ll. 340-341). This impetuous movement was the cause of his curse ; if Odysseus left the island without a word, he wouldn’t have the curse. The curse of losing all of his men. Although this may be true, his outbreak from the dilemma that he bought demonstrates guidance. To enumerate, Odysseus projected a machination, “ so three sheep could convey each man”( Homer 170 l. 289). The scheme was to hide under the

Odysseus decides to pray to the gods to end their hunger, but to no avail. A character named Eurylochus then suggests that the men eat the cattle, explaining that they should not listen to Odysseus because, in his opinion famine is the worst form of death. “‘Comrades,’ he said, ‘You’ve gone through everything: listen to what I have to say. All deaths are hateful to us, mortal wretches, but famine is the most pitiful, the worst end that man can come to’” (863-867). After this, the men agree with their fellow shipmate. They eat the cattle while Odysseus is sleeping. Lord Helios finds out and tells Zeus. The men don't realize the consequences of their actions, and Zeus shocks their ship with his thunderbolt, nearly destroying the entire ship. Another example of “the pitfalls of temptation” is when birdlike-creatures try to lure Odysseus’ men away from their boat. Odysseus warns his men that the creatures are coming, but they do not know when they will come. When the creatures approach Odysseus and his men, they start to lure them

In literature, a common process for the protagonist to go through is to go on a journey in order for them to develop as a character and to further the story as a whole. This idea of a character’s journey is notably seen in Homer’s The Odyssey, Dante’s Inferno, and Voltaire’s Candide. All three of these texts depict not only the protagonist going through a journey, but they also depict in very different ways these characters use their abilities to overcome obstacles in their path and learn from their mistakes to show their individual character development. In The Odyssey, Inferno, and Candide, Odysseus, Dante and Candide show three different ways how ????????