Odysseus’s goal is to reach his home land Ithica where he will be reunited with his family and restore his kingdom. After ten years of war, he finally sets sail to return. The forces along the way make Odysseus’s journey challenging and at times, overwhelming as he tries to reach home. Internal and external forces dramatically change the long, arduous trek for Odysseus and his crew. Despite all these forces, external conflicts like monsters and temptation hinder Odysseus’s journey more than internal forces do. Monsters cause a hindrance to Odysseus and every time they confront these creatures they are faced with death and downfall which delays them even more. As Odysseus was deceiving Polyphemus, the Cyclops, about how they stumbled upon the island, Polyphemus …show more content…
Odysseus and the crew arrive at the island of
Thrinacia and Odysseus strictly states to not eat Helios’s cattle, but as Odysseus go’s off to pray the crew members disobey. They were starving, so Eurylochus second in command
“[urges], and his shipmates cheered again /… once they prayed, they slaughtered and skinned the cattle” (12.379-386). Odysseus’s crewmates were strictly warned not to eat the cattle, but starvation and temptation took over leading them to their death. They were all immediately killed by Zues’s scorching lightning bolt, but Odysseus lives and is now detained greatly because he does not have a crew. The temptations cause numerous set backs on the journey,
Through this journey, Odysseus suffers great loss. He loses all of his men and succumbs to temptation on numerous occasions. The monsters were worthy opponents and the temptations would be difficult to overcome, but Odysseus never gives up. Faced with insurmountable odds, he forges on and finally makes it home. External forces impact his progress more than internal forces. Ultimately, Odysseus was victorious and restored his kingdom and earned his nostos and