The Greek Ideal Of Kleos In Homer's The Odyssey

Odyssey Essay Did you know Odysseus let many of his men die in the Odyssey? Well, Odysseus is also known for his brave and heroic acts, but to further understand him, you have to know about his Greek Values. In the Odyssey, Odysseus’ strength and weaknesses of leadership, intelligence, and his selfishness. This reflects the Greek Values of leading others to success, and accomplishment, outsmarting others, and caring for others.

Homer introducing Odysseus as “who had endured the long war and the sea” in place of “the great tactician” or any other epithets is significant. It reminds the audience of his power and abilities which makes the reader sense that he is really doubting himself not his father. Odysseus asks Telémakhos to “suppose” that they have the protection of Athena and Zeus, then why would he have to make great effort to think about this matter. By providing some assurance to his son with reminding him that not only your great father is on your side but also Athena and Zeus, his tone has changed.

This demonstrates a huge defiance towards a leader because Corelli is only a Captain, which falls under the command of a General and just by saying that, he puts his life at risk. He becomes more independent as he breaks away from the indoctrination because he is not afraid to go against someone of a higher rank when he feels as though they are not doing their job correctly. It seems as though Antonio believes that the ones in command are just leading the army blindly, not knowing exactly what to do in the time of crisis. Another Captain positioned in Greece also feels as though he should finally do something right which leads him into disrespecting the hierarchy of power and executing a plan without any orders whatsoever. De Bernières writes, “who

During part of the poem, the epic hero displays actions that prove his courage and cleverness to be legitimate. For instance, “Now, by the gods, I drove my big hand spike deep in the embers, charring it again, and cheered my men along with battle talk to keep their courage up: no quitting

Conversely, however, when Odysseus and his crew attempt to make their way home after visiting Aeolus, Odysseus’ belief in the supremacy of his own abilities gets him into trouble. Odysseus neglects to inform his crew what the bag he received from Aeolus holds, arousing their suspicion. Furthering his folly, Odysseus explains that he was “Exhausted from minding the sail the whole time / By myself. I wouldn’t let any of my crew / Spell me, because I wanted to make good time” (10.37-40).

Preventing the death of a son and saving the life of a highly esteemed hero are choices that most would make, except for the King of Gods - Zeus. In the Iliad, Zeus does not wish to make those decisions, but is compelled to do so out of his sense of duty. Before being a father and warrior, Zeus was above all the leader of the gods. This means that as the head of the Olympians, Zeus has to be impartial in order to keep the peace of Olympus, which causes him great misery at times. Zeus’ duty as the greatest and most influential god stops him from taking sides in mortal affairs in the Iliad to maintain peace, which parallels the question of whether America’s status as the most powerful and influential country gives them the duty to interfere in

He is willing to sacrifice his life in order to reciprocate the gift that has been given to him by his lord. When he sees Beowulf struggle with the dragon he pleas to the other warriors to help, but they flea and Wiglaf is the only one left, “I shall stand by you.” (2668). This relationship is wildly reminiscent of that of David and Jonathan in 1 Samuel within the old testament. Moreover, in 1 Samuel, the friends know they are not supposed to be seen together, due to king Sauls damnation of David, they meet in secret in a field and make a coventant,“Then Jonathan said to David, “Whatever you say, I will do for you.”.” (19:4).

To explain, Montresor was insulted by Fortunato, the resolution to this conflict should have been as simple as confronting Fortunato with his hurt feelings. Instead, Montresor decides “[he] would be avenged” (Poe 543). Because of the dramatic way Montresor decides to resolve the conflict between himself and his friend, his character is shifted towards an unruly one. Montresor has no regards for those around him, he has no insight to anyone but himself. As a result of the way he chooses to resolve conflicts, he allows the conflicts to take control of his every action.

Hercules’ task was to make himself appear as a god to everyone. A seeker’s task is to be true with the deeper self like Hercules did when winning everyone's trust and love back by being himself. His virtue is hard work to achieve what he wants just like how a seeker's virtue is ambition. Hercules does this in many ways like when he tries to do what he can to defeat each monster that comes in his path. With this, everyone can see that the movie portrays Hercules as a seeker.

Odysseus was told to be a brave and smart warrior in the Trojan War. He has a strategic mindset, a determination to return home, and the ability to be a convincing speaker. These characteristics help him succeed in his mission even through all the trouble he went through. One of Odysseus’ most important characteristics is his strategic mindset. He is always thinking and planning how to get what he wants or how to get out of a bad situation.

He proves his intelligence and strength. He remains positive and calm no matter the circumstance. His flaw is that he is too good-hearted, which in the end, gets him killed. Both Maximus Meridius and Captain John H. Miller have the qualities of a tragic hero, which are: a high position, a fatal flaw, and a downfall caused by their flaw. It is clear that Miller is a superior example of a tragic hero because he displays a larger amount of humanly traits such as fear and his situation is tragic because if he was still alive, his life could have been better, he could have been around the love of his life, unlike

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.

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 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.

In Homer’s The Odyssey, Greek gods usually use their powers to control the life of the Ancient Greeks. They would help whoever was in their favour, doing things such as giving magical gifts, and punish those who wronged them. However, the men in their society are the people portrayed heroes. The fathers are expected to bestow their sons with a sense of heroism, or courage, and self-identity.