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Not Always The Cause Of Destruction In Homer's Odyssey

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Are humans always the problem? Many people believe that in many stories the pride of humans leads to their destruction. Pride can come from anywhere. It can be good and it can be bad. But is it always the destruction caused by the pride of the humans? For example in "Prometheus" by Bernard Evslin the only way for the destruction of the world to happen Zeus would have had to shoot his lightning bolt at the humans to destroy their world. Humans can be the cause of their own destruction like in "The Odyssey" by Homer Odysseus thought that he was so good that he could just be mean to a Cyclops without punishment. But it is not just one being's fault. It could be the fault of multiple souls like in "Arachne" by Ted Hughes where both the pride of …show more content…

He taunts a big powerful beast with a very powerful parent. That is not the only time that Odysseus' pride takes over but his time there is a harm done to him."'Hear me, Poseidon, sustainer of the Earth, god of the sable locks. If I am yours indeed and you claim me as your son, grant that Odysseus, sacker of cities and son of Laertes, may never reach his home in Ithaca. But if he is destined to see his friends again, to come once more to his own house and reach his native land, let him come late, in wretched plight, having lost all his comrades, in a foreign ship, and let him find trouble in his home.”' (Odyssey 50) He was taunting the Cyclops. So the Polyphemus went ahead to pray to his father to get rid of the trespasser. His father is the legendary sea god Poseidon. The Cyclops wishes that Odysseus will never see his family or friends again and that his men will die and Odysseus will live a sad and lonely life so that he will never be happy …show more content…

Multiple people could be the cause of destruction of many things. In Arachne she is human but she destroyed herself with the help of Minerva. Arachne had some pride of her own like closer to the beginning of her story like when someone says "'Surely, only Minerva could have taught her!"' /Arachne /Laughed at the suggestion. /Her sole instructor, she claimed, was her inborn skill. /“Listen,” she cried, “I challenge Minerva /“To weave better than I weave, /And if she wins /Let her do whatever she wants with me, /I shan’t care.” (Arachne 26-34) Arachne is challenging the goddess of weaving just to see who is better and she puts everything at risk and anything she possesses. "Minerva tore from the loom /That gallery of divine indiscretions /And ripped it to rags. /Then, all her power gone /Into exasperation, struck Arachne/With her boxwood shuttle /One blow between the eyes, then another, /Then a third, and a fourth. Arachne /staggered away groaning with indignation. /She refused to live." (Arachne 201-210) Arachne did so well on her tapestry that Minerva did not like it. Minerva was so proud that she was better than a mortal that she hit a mortal on the head multiple times and made Arachne feel so bad that she wanted to hang herself so that she would die. She just wanted to leave. At last Arachne was shown some mercy that Minerva let her live a life as a spider to weave for eternity at

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