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Examples Of Hubris In The Odyssey

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Humbling a Hubris
The ancient Greeks heavily condemned hubris, or excessive pride, and even considered it a crime. The extent of their aversion towards this trait can be observed in their mythology and tragedies, where hubris became the fatal flaw of many heroes. A character who overcame this shortcoming is Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, a timeless tale of an arduous journey back home. After winning the Trojan War, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, must return to his homeland to reclaim his former glory. Odysseus' hubris angers the gods and causes him many unnecessary setbacks on his trip back to Ithaca, leading to him having to endure more than ten harrowing years at sea. In the end, Odysseus finally puts aside his pride …show more content…

His previous failures and hardships remind Odysseus of his mortality, making him realize that the gods are the higher beings. One of the most impactful events occurs while Odysseus ventures to the land of the dead. Odyssesus meets and praises the ghost of Achilles, who fought and died in the Trojan War. Achilles does not accept his praise, instead refuting it by saying, “By god, I’d rather slave on earth for another man—/some dirt-poor tenant farmer who scrapes to keep alive—/than rule down here over all the breathless dead.” (). Achilles believes that even the meekest life exceeds the most honorable death. This encounter makes Odysseus realize he values his life over glory, making him more cautious and less likely to act out of pride. Though his experiences at sea chip away at his pride, Odysseus’ most distinct display of humility occurs after he arrives at Ithaca. Athena disguises Odysseus as an old beggar to safely let him reach his kingdom. “He resolved, however, to endure it and keep himself in check.” (). After reaching the suitors who had overrun his kingdom, Odysseus once again takes the aid of Athena to defeat them. Homer describes, “So she commanded. He obeyed her, glad at heart.” (). Odysseus changes his attitude towards the gods, crediting them for their assistance and complying with their orders. This new willingness to follow the gods instead of defying them proves Odysseus' humility. By the end of his

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The Odyssey by Homer, is about a twenty year long journey in Greece during the 700’s B.C. The story brings up many big ideas, however some are more prominent than others. The most important idea shown throughout The Odyssey is hubris. The reason why hubris was expressed throughout the story, was to express the idea that you should not show excessive self confidence, for it never leads to anything good.

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In life, people tend to focus on themselves and when they win and succeed they begin to drift from humility, this can lead to high egos and too much self-esteem, which can be good and bad. In the odyssey by Homer, the main character Odysseus is shown going around fighting battles and protecting his men, while trying his best to be there for his sweetheart Penelope. Still, through Odysseus's high ego, trouble arises and mistakes start to happen which leads him astray toward his goal of seeing his wife. Odysseus provides examples of high ego by demonstrating poor tactics throughout the story. During the Book, Odysseus is too blind to see how his personality is holding him, hostage, from being a good friend and family member.

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