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Obstacles In Odysseus Journey In Homer's The Odyssey

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Odysseus went through many obstacles throughout his journey. For example, the Lotus eaters who gave Odysseus and his crew the intoxicating fruit of the lotus. Polyphemus the one-eyed cyclops that Odysseus stabbed in the eye and the Cyclops asked the gods to punish him. As Odysseus went through his journey, Poseidon made it very eventful because of what he did to his son Polyphemus. The most important obstacle that affected his journey back home to Ithaca was seduction. Circe, the Sirens, and Calypso were the main seductresses and causes of temptation. Seduction is the act of being sexually tempted. Seduction is to persuade somebody away from their job, or journey in this case. Seduction appeals the other person and tempts them to want more of it. They are sexually aroused and they lead themselves into seduction. Throughout the journey in the Odyssey we see Odysseus and his crew succumb to seduction. In the island of Aeaea, Circe offered Odysseus and his ship crew hospitality. Little did they know that they …show more content…

He couldn’t avoid any of the obstacles because they were going to be in his way. Many argue that it’s not Odysseus fault that he had temptations and that he was seduced. That is not true. He brought most things on himself because he was cunning, a good liar, and he had quick thinking. When he stabbed Polyphemus, he brought Poseidon’s hatred on himself because he could have just left without stabbing the Cyclops in the eye. Polyphemus was Odysseus son, and Polyphemus prayed to Poseidon and he cursed Odysseus. Poseidon is Polyphemus’s father, so he was mad that he hurt his child, so he was very mad at Odysseus for doing that. Also, Odysseus could have made a deal with Calypso instead of staying with her for seven years. He could have left the island somehow, but he thought there was no way out. Odysseus brought all this on himself ,and it was his fault that he fell for the seductions, and

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Although Odysseus proved to have guile on the Island of the Cyclops, he made crucial mistakes. Odysseus’ first mistake was taking his men into the Cyclops cave. This brought upon a dreadful chain of events, for even Odysseus knew. In fact he said “I knew some towering brute would be upon us soon-- all outward power, a wild man, ignorant of Civility” (Homer 8). This quote states how Odysseus had already predicted that the presentence of him and his men would come down on them; but his selfishness made the lives of his men expendable.

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Because of Odysseus’s sharp intellect, cunningness, and with the help from the gods, he finishes the heroes’ journey. Odysseus’s main flaw in The Odyssey is his pride and not being able to control his crew. Test, allies, and enemies happen when Odysseus blinds Polyphemus who is the son of Poseidon. When Odysseus and his crew first found Polyphemus’s cave they could’ve just stolen food or left but instead Odysseus wanted to stay and receive a gift.

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Poseidon is one God against him. Poseidon does everything he can to keep him away from home till Odysseus learns a lesson that Poseidon was trying to get to him. Many Gods also try to help Odysseus, one very helpful one being the god of the wind, Aeolus. Aeolus gives him a sack of wind which helps Odysseus get home but the problem with that. You only get one use out of it so if you open it when you don’t have good timing.

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Sometimes Odysseus’s emotional need for rest and relaxation got the best of him, but that was only on one occasion. Odysseus made the selection to use his motives and emotions to choose the right way of path and ultimately save him from what could've been a deadly consequence. One trial where is occurred is when the crew was getting caught up in the moment with the Cicones, Odysseus made the choice not to get caught up in victory, but to continue going on his journey. If Odysseus were to of been in that mindset, all of the crew could’ve possibly gotten killed. “Then I urged them to cut and run, set sail, / but

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In real life we make our own decisions, and some of those decisions lead to bad outcomes, even though we don’t blame ourselves for many of our mistakes, we are to blame. In Greek Mythology, humans make many important decisions in their life, many of them lead to horrible endings. In the journey of Odysseus, he made many choices throughout his journey that eventually led to the death of all his crew members. In other stories from mythology like the stories of Theseus and Icarus, they made decisions that led them and their loved ones to life threatening situations. Even Zeus once stated “My word, how mortals take the gods to task!

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Instead of simply fleeing the island and thanking the gods for their escape, Odysseus insists on provoking the giant, even though he knows that this will put his crew in danger. As a result, Polyphemus calls upon his father, Poseidon, to curse Odysseus and his men, leading to many more trials and tribulations for the hero and his crew. Another example of Odysseus's prideful behavior can be seen in his encounter with Circe. After successfully freeing his men from her enchantments, Odysseus becomes enamored with her and stays on her island for a year. While this may seem like a harmless indulgence, it is important to remember that Odysseus has a wife and son waiting for him at home.

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In The Odyssey Homer makes Odysseus’ journey to his beloved Ithaca excruciating. Odysseus encounters many friends and foes throughout his journey and has to be a leader throughout his experiences. As an example, he encounters Polyphemus and Poseidon, both of whom make his journey mentally and physically painful. Odysseus faces countless scenarios in which he has to save multiple people in those situations. He also encounters the suitors, who are a group of men that try to marry Penelope, when he returns to reclaim his home.

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He was tempted to steal food, and succumbed to staying longer than was necessary. This set off a sequence of events that led to Poseidon seeking vengeance on Odysseus. This simple action caused chaos for him and delayed his return to Ithaca by many years. It also caused havoc for others, such as the Phaeacians. Later, Odysseus's homecoming was further delayed by his crews actions, who were warned not to kill Helios’s flock.

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In The Odyssey, Odysseus’ journey is created by a cycle of self-created obstacles that are solved by quick witted thinking and ultimately reflect no real desire to learn from his errors or create any character development. Throughout the story, Odysseus expresses a strong desire to return home to Ithaca, however he is constantly thwarted by his own curious and boastful nature. For example, when

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Odysseus invoked the wrath of the Greek god Poseidon for the blinding of his son Polyphemus the Cyclops. Odysseus almost escaped the Cyclops and was practically home free before his pride got better of him. Upon leaving, the island where the Cyclops lived Odysseus originally had called himself “No one” when he first blinded Polyphemus but while

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Throughout the story, Odysseus demonstrates his courage that ultimately allows him to survive. One of these moments was during his journey back to Ithaca, where he faces a race of man eating giants called the Cyclops. Odysseus originally stops his ship there to relish a feast while on his journey back to Ithaca, but while doing so, out of curiosity explores the island. Soon, he finds a deserted house and decides to wait of the owner. The owner was unknowingly one the Cyclops, named Polyphemus.

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While Odysseus and his crew are slowly moving away from Cyclopes Island, Odysseus tells Polyphemus that he is “Odysseus, Laertes’ son,” whose home “lies on Ithaca” (Homer 459 and 460). Because of his arrogant decision to tell Polyphemus the truth of his origins, he essentially dooms him and his crew. Polyphemus, who is Poseidon's son, asks of his father to punish Odysseus for his arrogance, whom grants his prayer. In cessation, Odysseus’ haughty decision to tell Polyphemus his whereabouts leads to his utter

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The theme of disobedience is very prominent in this episode. The poor choices Odysseus makes as well as his foolish men. In other episodes in the Odyessy like Scylla and Charybdis, The Lotus Eaters, and most episodes’ disobedience was also a problem. In the Sirens and Cyclops episode Odysseus’ men where more obedient when they were in threating situation. If this episode was never told in the book of the Odyssey, the readers would be missing out on how important it is to be obedient and trusting your own instincts.

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