Hierarchy In The Odyssey Essay

Hierarchy is abundant in all societies, whether it be ranks in a government, social classes, or any other worldly positions. In Greek society especially, there can be seen a hierarchy not only including governmental positions and social classes, but also a ranking of power of the gods above men, and even some gods above other gods. The gods can help humans by making sure their lives go smoothly, and even by controlling the weather and aspects of nature. The gods also have to power to make things go horribly wrong for a person, and can be triggered by disrespect from a human being, or even by the emotions of the god. Odysseus, one of the main characters of The Odyssey, an epic poem written by homer, embarks on a journey in efforts to reach home,

In the end, Odysseus and his crew ended up making a mistake when they, “built a fire, set our hands on the cheeses, offered some to the gods and ate the bulk ourselves and settled down inside, awaiting his return” (Homer Book 9 Lines 260-263). Since Odysseus to enter the cyclops Polyphemus’ home, eat his food, and end up blinding him in the end, this triggered the curse that Polyphemus summoned upon Odysseus. Christopher Brown speaks about this story in his article, In the Cyclops’ Cave: Revenge and Justice in the Odyssey. I agree with his interpretation that Odysseus “acts on the assumption that the familiar rules governing human society are valid, and so he fails to recognize the difference between the Cyclopes and his fellow man” (Brown 21). Although Odysseus was able to make it home to Ithaca and free his family from the shackling grasps of the suitors, he would have been more likely to make it home, and make it home quicker if he did not let his pride get in the way, reveal his identity, and kept the balance between him and the