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Examples Of Hubris In The Odyssey

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Jonah Spiegel Mrs. Wilpert English 1H Period 2a 6 May 2024. Discover the dangers of hubris and its destructiveness to human nature. A prominent theme that has developed throughout the story The Odyssey, by Homer and translated by Robert Fagles, is that Hubris has a destructive nature. The Odyssey tells the story of a man named Odysseus and his journey home from the devastating battle of Troy. He runs into many obstacles and overcomes them. The destructive hubris that is shown throughout the book is the desire for fame and glory that ruins Odysseus, and that hubris leads to the mens’ downfall. The desire for fame and glory ruins Odysseus. Odysseus and his men intruded into the Polyphemus’s cave to plunder its goods. They successfully raided …show more content…

Odysseus was told to not eat the sun god's cattle on the island of Thrinacia. He told his men, “Listen to me, my comrades, brothers in hardship, let me tell you the prophecies of Tiresias and Aeaean Circe too: time and again they told me to shun this island of the Sun, the joy of man. Harem, they warned, the worst disaster awaits us.” (12.294-298). Even though the island would bring great joy to Odysseus' men, it would also bring a great disaster. A man named EuryLochus took a stand and tried to be a better leader than Odysseus and tried to command his men. To persuade them, he explained that, “All ways of dying are hateful to us poor mortals, true, but to die of hunger, starve to death- that's the worst of all, So up with you now, lets drive off the pick of Helios sleek herds” (9.433-435). Eurylochus believes that he is doing something great and is taking pride and being proud that he saves Odysseus' men from death. Despite Odysseus’s warning, Eurylochus and his men refused to listen and away they went to slaughter and eat the Sun God's cattle. All of the sudden, “Zeus hit the craft with a lightning bolt and thunder. Round she spun, reeling under the impact, filled with reeking brimstone. and the god cut short their journey home forever.” (12.447-452) Despite Odysseus's warning, Eurylochus was reckless and only was thinking for himself. Eurylochus, believing that he did something great, got him killed. The men's downfall was caused by the

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