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Unadmirable Things In The Odyssey

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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

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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

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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.

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797 Words | 4 Pages

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