ipl-logo

Unadmirable Things In The Odyssey

836 Words4 Pages

There are 2 people embracing each other. You can tell that they love each other. There are tears of joy that are rolling down their cheeks as they hug. It is a reunion of sorts with onlookers crying as well. Odysseus is finally reunited with his loving Penelope. However, does he truly deserve such a happy ending after all that he has done. Throughout both part 1 and 2 of The Odyssey Odysseus has done a number of unadmirable things that show that he does not deserve such a happy ending. In part 1 Odysseus does a number of unadmirable things. For example, there is a reason Odysseus is the only one who made it home after his journey. Odysseus is known for being smart. However, if he really was smart then he wouldn’t of stayed in Polyphemus’ …show more content…

Some may say that throughout his whole trip Odysseus stayed strong in order to meet his family again and that he thought of them the whole time. However, was he thinking of his family when Odysseus was with Circe for 1 year? Or when Odysseus was with Calypso for 7 years? He just seems selfish. You could also say that he was a good father to Telemachus when he came back. Well, if you think about it Odysseus could’ve gotten home 8 years ago if he hadn’t cheated on his wife. This would’ve made the suitor situation easier to deal with and also have more time with Telemachus. While we are on the topic of suitors the first thing that they did as father and son was kill. What type of bonding experience is that, slaughtering men together out of cold blood is a good way to greet your son after 20 years apparently. Finally, you might say that Odysseus is so smart that even gods like Athena recognize his wits. If he is so smart though why did he go into Polyphemus’ lair. Killing 6 men and making their journey even longer. Also, if he is so smart why did he not realize that he spent 7 years on Calypso’s island. Odysseus sure seems to not be so

Show More
Related
210 Words | 1 Pages

In the Odyssey by homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald, the Cyclops encounter is one of Odysseus’ greatest flaws and successes at the same time. It began to go downhill when Odysseus lies about his name and the condition of his ship. When him and his men are captured by the cyclops Odysseus claims his name is nobody, and his ship was wrecked, he does this to aid his escape plan and as a tactic to guard his name and men. When the escape plan is put into play, Odysseus stabs the cyclops in the eye with a red hot spear all the while him lying about his name was put into use because the cyclops yells, in agonizing pain, nobody stabbed him in the eye, this causes the other cyclops to lower there guard and not go to assist their brethren. All

Read More
320 Words | 2 Pages

The description of a hero can be different among many people. Some may say a hero has to be courageous, smart, and strong, but they don’t talk about the flaws a hero may possess. Odysseus portrays very obvious flaws in the epic The Odyssey. When I look more into Odysseus’ flaws as a character, I do not see Odysseus as admirable. When reading The Odyssey, the many obstacles that Odysseus faces and defeats shows him to be courageous and clever.

Read More
1532 Words | 7 Pages

Now that he's been gone 20 years, he's only learning his true lesson. Odysseus is described as a wise man built like Zeus himself with cleverness. “But just as great Odysseus thrash things out, Poseidon god of the earthquake launched the Colossal wave, terrible, murderers, arching over him, pounding down on him, hard as a windstorm blasting piles of a dry parch chaff, scattering flying husks so the long Plains of his boat were scattered far and wide” (Homer Book 5 lines 402-407). Odysseus is often seen as clever; he must learn not to let

Read More
1764 Words | 8 Pages

At various times throughout the story, mainly through the trials, Odysseus made many decisions and forced his crew to go through many potentially lethal situations without preparing his own crew, or situations that were just a waste of time. This then leads to not only all of his crew being killed but the creation of many bad relationships. The first example of Odysseus mistreating his crew is when he and his crew went through the trails, “No more. Come, / let me tell you about the voyage fraught with hardship / Zeus inflicted on me, homeward bound from Troy...” 9.42-44.

Read More
1141 Words | 5 Pages

Odysseus eventually learns that wisdom comes from long thought, suffering, and experience. As a result

Read More
721 Words | 3 Pages

Odysseus also watched his men get killed in a shipwreck as a consequence from Zeus because they killed Helios’s cattle.. This made him miserable and he had to spend several years with Calypso, who tried to convince him to stay with her, but she finally let go of him and sent back him back on his journey to get back home to his

Read More
432 Words | 2 Pages

The main character Odysseus in the Odyssey written by Homer is generally thought to be a great hero; however, he shows more traits of a quite flawed character on closer inspection. Around the beginning of Odysseus’ journey home after the war, Odysseus decides to take a detour to the home of a cyclops deciding to not listen to his men’s suggestions to leave while they still could; consequently, it does not end well: “Ah, how sound that was, Yet I refused. I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer no pretty sight it turned out, for my friend” (9.130-132). This thought by Odysseus shows that he realized his decision to go to the mysterious island wasn’t the most rational one and that his men’s pleas to leave were the better option, but he decides to be stubborn and place his curiosity before his men’s safety resulting in a non-heroic

Read More
1125 Words | 5 Pages

Odysseus’s Traits Throughout the Odyssey, the main character Odysseus goes on an epic adventure with his focus being to get home to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. He faces many obstacles dealing with characters such as the Cyclopes, Poseidon, Aeolus, Athena, Helios, Calypso, Zeus, Hermes, Scylla, and Circe. Odysseus’s men are some of the most valuable people to him throughout the Odyssey. He always puts himself in front of danger for them to protect them even though they all died from an unexpected turn of events soon before he returns home. When Odysseus comes home he greets his twenty year old son and straightens things out on his homeland, Ithaca.

Read More
415 Words | 2 Pages

He acts extremely self centered, self righteous and all important. Odysseus does not show any respect for his men after everything they have been through. This is after the Cyclopes after they sailed away. He does not take any responsibility for what happened at the cyclopes land. Even though a mature person would have already taken responsibility for what happened.

Read More
1754 Words | 8 Pages

The loyalty he has is not just for his men, but also for his wife and his household he left behind many years prior (E.W.L. 2.13). While he has the ability to be a quick thinker and is resourceful which helps him in many situations, he also uses this same ability and some shrewdness to manipulate or convince those around him to his needs without regard for any future consequences. Even with the accomplishments he has completed in his adventures in eventually establishing himself; as an exceptionally hero, he does has some flaws that make him a mortal hero having human like flaws. These acts do test his mortality, but also grows his hero status. Odysseus at times is notoriously annoying the Gods, but still understands that they control factors of his life; he does have a protector in Athena (Dobel

Read More
1701 Words | 7 Pages

The most important relationship is the one between Odysseus and Telémachus because there relationship drives a lot of the plot of the epic poem. Homer draws attention to the significance of their relationship when he writes that “Then, throwing his arms around this marvel of a father Telémachus began to weep. Salt tears rose from the wells of longing in both men, and cries burst from both as keen and fluttering as those of the great taloned hawk, whose nestlings fathers take before they fly. So helplessly they cried, pouring out tears, and might have gone on weeping so till sundown” (Homer 296). This quote shows reunion of Odysseus and Telémachus.

Read More
1042 Words | 5 Pages

This character is brought to light using several incidents and events that help to analyze and interpret the ancient Greek world and the values surrounding them. Each episode supports and allows for the development of Odysseus’ character and acknowledges the effects of these features. Through these specific incidents, the reader uncovers the quality of Odysseus and how his characteristics relate to those praised by Greeks and those that were criticized. Persistent components of Odysseus’ character include cleverness and pride, while major themes that are reiterated are Greek ideals and the struggle to reach home. Conclusively, definitive occasions in “The Odyssey” establish and expand upon the character of Odysseus and how it impacts himself and

Read More
574 Words | 3 Pages

In the book The Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, is a man who is loved and respected by many. In the beginning of the book, we learn that Odysseus has left on a journey and, since it has been many years since his departure, many people assume that he has passed. On his journey, he portrays his many traits, not all of them being good ones either. Some of his good traits include his cunning, bravery, and hard work ethic. On the other hand, his negative traits are his excessive pride, immense curiosity, and rather large temper.

Read More
2242 Words | 9 Pages

Although some may say that Odysseus deserves the loyalty of his crew, he does not because he puts them in the way of danger, is very inconsiderate, and usually follows other plans that people have gave him. While on his journey home,

Read More
797 Words | 4 Pages

Odysseus has clearly learned not to be impulsive in his decision-making from his past errors, for example on the island of the Laestrygonians and that of the Cyclops, his bad decision making cost many of his men their lives. This decision to wait and contemplate where he is and think about his decision is very smart because at his palace, there is a “world of pain” (11.132). If he ran home, he might have been killed by the suitors. This question shows that after suffering so much, he finally has learned patience. In response to this, and his whole speech, Athena praises him and says he is “so winning” and he is “worldly-wise” (13.377,77).

Read More

More about Unadmirable Things In The Odyssey

Related Topics

Open Document