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.
Odysseus’ inability to be a great leader for the group leads to a lot of conflict among the crew members. Some point
As eager as Odysseus is to get back home to his wife and son in Ithaca, the shipmates on board with him are struggling with hunger and the loss of energy. Looking at Odysseus’ intense determination to return to his town, it seems as if the only idea that is filled in his mind is to go back to Ithaca without looking at the tired condition of his shipmates. Odysseus’ yelled difficult orders and tasks that were expected to be fulfilled by his sailors, and for the most part they were able to complete it. Looking at the poor men rowing day and night over the monstrous waves, Odysseus never gave them a chance to take a break and enjoy a single meal, until one shipmate decided to speak up. Even so, Odysseus was narrow-minded and thought only about
Odysseus lacked leadership skills when they were planning for revenge on the Cicones, from The Odyssey Book 9 Pg. 212-213. Odysseus ended up using his creativity and cleverness to escape and leave the Cicones, from The Odyssey Pg. 278-279 (P. 264-270). Odysseus was dishonest and didn’t inform his men that 6 of them were going to be eaten up by Scylla. If Odysseus told his men that 6 of them were going to die, they certainly would have started a mutiny against Odysseus and abandon their voyage, like they’ve done so in the past.
This is just a theory based on what we already know about him, but there are choices Odysseus made in the story that could have easily been able to figure out but choose not to. The example is when Odysseus chose to sail past Scylla instead of Charybdis, he was thinking of doing what Circe said to do “But now I cleared my mind of Circe’s orders— cramping my style, urging me not to arm at all.” The first problem that proves Odysseus was not thinking correctly was choosing to sail past Scylla instead of Charybdis. By sailing past Scylla, Odysseus is guaranteed to lose six of his men, one for each of the 6 heads, instead of Charybdis, a monster that create whirlpools three times a day and can destroy the entire crew if they were to get trapped in the whirlpools. The first choice already have six casualties and requires luck to get past with only six deaths while the second choice can result everyone dead or alive, but requires a
Leadership is one of the most significant or valued qualities an individual can have because of the effect it can have on many others. The protagonist, Odysseus, displays many of his qualities and traits, such as intelligence, strength, and will. In the story “The Odyssey”, or also known as the long journey of Odysseus, Homer emphasizes the character traits and how Odysseus reacts going against conflicts. He does this by illustrating the disputes, problems, and the ideas of how Odysseus finds his way back home to his hometown, Ithaca. Odysseus is a heroic leader who is intelligent, stubborn, and powerful.
Did you know, Odysseus had slept with other women just to get home to his family! In the Odyssey, by Homer, there were two women who he faced during his journey home, Circe and Calypso, who had “compelled” him to sleep with him so he could finally leave. After all this happened, Odysseus was informed that 6 of his men were to die. Well, he never told them their destiny which was of them to die. He did all this because he didn’t want his crew to back out so he could get home.
Odysseus adjusts his behavior after his encounter with the dangerous cyclops so that no more of his men will suffer for what Odysseus chose to do. Odysseus proves he now knows the real power of his choices and how they affect the people around him through the careful decisions he made on behalf of his shipmates. His reckless actions that provoke his enemy have ceased to exist in this chapter whereas now he is so cautious he doesn't even let his own mother distract him from the feat of saving his companions, his responsibilities. Homer uses the conflicts Odysseus has with the Cyclopes to exhibit the lesson that needs to be learnt and then the subsequent conflict with Circe to present how Odysseus manipulates his understanding as a viable tool. The intention of this expedition was to go home but in the process Odysseus has achieved a more spiritual sense of his surroundings.
Although Odysseus occasionally does something for the short-term benefit of his crew, he does not deserve their loyalty because he does not sincerely care about them, trust them, or listen to them. Even when Odysseus is in the middle of nowhere in a boat with his comrades and crew members for twenty years, he still manages to not care about them and think of his own life as more valuable than any of theirs. An example of this is when Odysseus sends his men into danger instead of being a leader and going first: “All I spied was a plume of smoke, drifting off the land. / So I sent some crew ahead to learn who lived there -- / men like us perhaps, who live on bread?”
The Character Odysseus’ deminstraight’s his courage and trust. Homer’s text” bind me still more. ”In Homers text he states “Bind me still the more.” Next,That he is brave enough to allow him to be tied up.
True Heroes A hero is a being that, at the end of the day, has done something others can admire. Odysseus, a Greek mythology hero in the Odyssey written by Homer, lacks many features I believe a hero should possess. In the Odyssey, Odysseus, after departing from Troy, set off on his journey home.
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.
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
This text shows that Odysseus can be humble and accept that he needs to listen to survive and he alone can not keep his whole crew alive. Odysseus tends to use his own wit and skills to survive not needing others help, but sometimes he does need to take others advice to
He got his crew killed by staying in the cyclops cave, getting eaten by the cyclops. Odysseus destroyed his own men because Odysseus lied about Scylla and not thinking when they were on the cyclops island. When Circe told Odysseus about Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus did not tell his crew about how some crew members are going to die. When Scylla appeared, taking Odysseus's six of his best men, Odysseus did noting when his crew was getting captured.
There are many lessons Odysseus and is men learn on their journey home in the Odyssey. Unfortunately, only Odysseus makes it home and the rest of men are dead because of their foolish actions. In the Thrinacia and The Cattle of the Sun episode of the Odyssey Odysseus’s men once again disobey him and cost them their lives. The men and Odysseus learn valuable lessons throughout their epic journey, but in the episode the most important lessons they learn are; temptation can lead to death, being obedient can save your life, and trust your instincts. If Odysseus’s men would have been more obedient to their leader Odysseus perhaps all of them would have made it back home alive.
He executed Circe 's fate perfectly showing how he is a faultless leader, “Going forward I carried wax along the line, and laid it thick on their ears,” (Homer 706). Circe told him that if he wanted to listen to the Sirens without dying to lay wax over his crew’s ears and have them tie him up which is exactly what he did. Odysseus did exactly as told and nothing went wrong showing his faultless leadership. The setting of Odysseus’ reunion with his son can be seen as a comment of his developing character