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Character analysis essays
Character analysis essays
Character analysis essays
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Character analysis essays
Character analysis essays
Character analysis essays
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Odysseus: A Lousy Leader or a Terrific Leader? In the epic The Odyssey, written by Homer, Odysseus can be categorized as a bad leader because he is a bystander to preventable deaths of his crew members and exhibits poor authority amongst his group. Odysseus dismisses the possible danger of death he places his crew members in.
The lack of obedience and respect for Odysseus shows the lack of leadership role that he has between he and his followers. In summary, a hero has to have an excellent leadership role. We respect this quality in a person because with leadership a person can lead a group of people and
Leaders come in all shapes and sizes, however, what gives someone the title of a good or bad is decided by the decisions they make and how those decisions affect others. Odysseus led the squadron of soldiers in the trojan horse and is a hero of the Trojan War and the king of Ithaca. Consequently, this gives him experience when it comes acting in difficult situations. This experience should guide him to choose correctly when being put in a tight spot.
With the death of Angelo Bruno and Stanfa in hiding and later imprisoned, a power vacuum was left with the Philadelphia crime family. The self-claimed boss, Philip “Chicken Man” Testa was murdered as well by a nail bomb infront of his home in 1981, and in the end, powerful Atlantic City captain Nicodemo “Little Nicky” Scarfo claimed victory as the new boss of Philadelphia. Scarfo brought a new and notorious regime at the top, as he allegedly ordered the murders of more than 30 people throughout his reign in the 1980s. He tried to gain more influence in New York with the five families through then-current Gambino crime family boss John Gotti but failed. Scarfo was soon indicted on massive charges and sent to prison for the rest of his life
Odysseus fits the epic hero archetype because he is a great leader. In The Odysseus, Odysseus and his crew landed on the Lotus-Eaters island and met the people there, his crew was oblivious to the lotus’s effects that made his crew forget about returning home. When Odysseus realized this he yelled to his men, “All hands aboard;/ come, clear the beach and no one taste/ the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home” (Homer 103-105). One of the traits of an epic hero is being a great leader. In this quote, Odysseus shows his leadership by getting his men back on board the ships and leaving.
Webster Dictionary defines leadership as simply, “providing direction or guidance,” but to be a successful leader one must focus on completing a goal in a way that is beneficial for the majority, not only the one in charge. This can be achieved by utilitarianism, which is doing of what is best for the most number of people, and carrying out actions that lead to positive effects, instead of merely being done with good intentions. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is not an exemplary leader because he went against utilitarianism by not being honest with his men, letting his arrogance control his behavior, and by killing many people in his house without a fair trial. Firstly, a leader must be truthful with those he works with in order for no errors or confusion to occur as a result of information being hidden. In The Odyssey, not being truthful lead to negative consequences for everyone on Odysseus’ ship, and thus contradicted the principle of utilitarianism stating that actions must lead to positive effects.
In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus repeatedly shows that he is polytropos, for as Zeus says “There is no mortal half so wise”(3). Using his wits, Odysseus gets him and his men out of several sticky situations in the Odyssey, proving his leadership through his actions that save the lives of his crew member. On the other hand Odysseus’ streak of constantly outsmarting challenges, goes to his head, and unfortunately causes Odysseus to develop a hubris. His pride at times makes him arrogant, believing that he always knows best, which leads to the untimely demise of his crew. While Odysseus proves to be good leader by saving his crew from trouble with his wits, he is ultimately a bad leader because he refuses to listen to advice.
However, examples within the literary narrative of the Odyssey leaves the discussion open with regards to his leadership. Thus, the question of leadership supersedes the topic of Arete. Was Odysseus the ideal leader or did he portray undesirable leadership tendencies? The examples that will presented will illustrate that Odysseus hubris, risk taking prowess, and at times unwillingness to follow instructions often placed his crew in danger as he journeyed Ithaca.
Odysseus being a leader makes him a hero because he makes bold decisions and he protects himself and his
A great leader views the world like he is looking through 3D glasses, always seeing the depth and vibrancy of the possibilities around him. A bad leader is like a cyclops wearing an eyepatch, never able to see his mighty hand in front of his own face. In The Odyssey, Homer illustrates the journey home to Ithaca taken by Odysseus and his men. Unfortunately, Odysseus makes poor choices throughout his travels and his actions often do more harm than good. Two character traits define Odysseus and shape his poor leadership style.
In the Odyssey by Homer, one heroic trait that Odysseus shows his preeminence which articulates the Greek cultural value of leading your men to victory. For example, the theme is made apparent when Odysseus visualizes “Bow to stem, trying to put heart into them, standing over every oarsmen, gently” (782, book 12). This shows that Odysseus knows his men can overcome the fear of dying and can save themselves. This is important because Odysseus’ trait is guidance and he strongly portrays that.
Homer delivers very universal themes, such as loyalty is respected, but the epic also provides meaningful themes that are not as recognizable. The Odyssey is very focused on leadership and courage, as it centers on a hero's journey. There are many parts in the epic where Homer explains the actions of an admirable leader. In the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplifies the true meaning of being a leader through courage in the face of danger, which is shown by Circe, the Sirens, and the suitors. One might wonder why it takes Odysseus ten years to return to his homeland after he has achieved victory for Ithaca in the Trojan War.
Bravery, cleverness, and determination are three traits a good leader has. In Homer’s epic “The Odyssey,” Odysseus, the hero in the story, is trying to return home to Ithaca after his victory in Troy. On their way back home, Odysseus and his men hurt the cyclops, Polyphemus, and angered his father, Poseidon. With a god angry at them, Odysseus and his men had to overcome many obstacles. These obstacles led them to strange islands that had goddesses and dangerous creatures.
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.
I want to study Chemical engineering because it not only involves solving theoretical problems but it also incorporates the challenge of transferring ideas from chemistry and physics into reality. It is very important to to find new, more effective ways and refine old techniques of harnessing the power of chemical reactions as this is essential for lowering the waste and costs and to increase the output in value and quantity. In Chemistry I enjoy the diversity of topics and their application in real world. I find thermochemistry, its laws and how energy released and transferred in chemical reactions, very interesting.