Odysseus Selfish Quotes

Although Odysseus is the main character of this epic poem, he should not be viewed as a hero and sometimes is indeed presented otherwise; failing his crew many times, disrespecting Poseidon, showing his stubbornness, selfishness with his pride, all extend his return home. Odysseus wants to go back a lot, but while he is on his journey he rarely asks or takes his crew’s opinions on the occurring situation. His confidence is also a big obstacle for a fast return home. The angered god Poseidon is tormenting him while he sails, but Odysseus is not even thinking about apologising and once again shows too much pride in himself.

There are very few traits of a good leader which Odysseus possesses, and they aren't the most important ones. He is brave

He is very quick to make irrational, dangerous, opposite of what he was told decisions. When Kirke tells him to choose a path, on his way there would be a terrible sea monster Scylla. Kirke warned Odysseus that the monster would take his best men, and that if they would start fighting her they would lose more men if not all. But in the moment of rage which Odysseus was unable to control he took the arms and started fighting the beast. This action is unbelievingly selfish of him because he put his men into more danger than needed by not following Kirke’s directions. “No, no put all your backs into it, row on”, here Kirke is clearly stating that they have to let her take the men that she wants but then just leave. Another example which is very frustrating to both the reader and Odysseus was when his crew members opened the

But again we see Odysseus not in avery heroic way. His pride as well as his selfishness got him even more obstacles than he already had. When Odysseus killed the Kyklope, son of Poseidon, he angered the God greatly, which created terrible sailing catastrophes. But even then he never thought once about apologizing, and that way saving time and lives. Throughout the Odyssey Homer emphasises a lot on the theme of temptation, specifically on Odysseus’s inability to resist it. Multiple times the protagonist is unable to resist his temptations towards women and is reminded of home only after no further interest in his lovers. This also shows his disloyalty not only to his crew but towards his wife. By his enemy- god’s will, he is held on Kalypso’s island. It takes Zeus’s messenger, Hermes, to convince her to let Odysseus go. But in the beginning of the book, he is not as sad when all the beautiful women on the island were surrounding him, as when Hermes arrived to rescue him. “ Tear on tear brimming his eyes. The sweet days of his life time were running out in anguish over his exile, for long ago the nymph had ceased to please.” (p. 85) This tells us that Odysseus is no longer interested in his mistress. A similar situation happens later in the poem as well, when he accidentally meets Circe. Odysseus did not stay faithful to Penelope in this case either, and stayed on her island for a year! Although Homer clarifies that his close