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Odysseus' bad decisions
Odysseus' bad decisions
Odysseus decisions
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In Homer’s The Odyssey the main character Odysseus is both a trickster and a hero in the story. All throughout the story Odysseus uses feats of intelligence and cleverness to defeat his foes. Odysseus proves himself as a trickster when he says “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy” (Odyssey 9.274-275). When trapped in the Cyclops cave, Odysseus tells him that his name is “Nohbdy”.
In the epic The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus’ foolishness greatly impedes his journey home and costs him the lives of all of his men. After spending 10 years away during the war at Troy, Odysseus’ prolonged journey home lasts ten more years due to his constant foolishness along the way. After defeating the cyclops, Polyphemus, Odysseus turns and yells “‘Cyclops, if ever a mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son, whose home’ on Ithaca”’(Homer 501- 505). Odysseus tells that cyclops what his name is and where he is from just because he wants recognition for what he has just accomplished.
The series of short stories that compile as “The Odyssey”, tells a tale of the journey Odysseus takes. Throughout his journey, many characters play some form of influential roles. One important character is Polyphemus. Better known as the Cyclopes. This is the POV of the Cyclopes from book nine of The Odyssey.
Homer writes, “if mortal man inquire tell him Odysseus raider of cities took your eye.” Odysseus first told the cyclops his name was “nohbody” which masked his
Following comes the story of “The Odyssey”, where Homer presents the character of Polyphemus, the Cyclopes who devours Odysseus’s men. When Polyphemus ingests the men of Odysseus open their arrival, Homer gives readers a commentary on the barbarity linked to cannibalism. As with the proceeding stories, had Homer wished to portray Polyphemus as a mere brute or simple monster, he would have written Polyphemus as a murderer or oppressor. However, in order for readers to grasps the gravity of his monstrosity, Polyphemus not only kills his victims, but devours them as well.
In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus repeatedly shows that he is polytropos, for as Zeus says “There is no mortal half so wise”(3). Using his wits, Odysseus gets him and his men out of several sticky situations in the Odyssey, proving his leadership through his actions that save the lives of his crew member. On the other hand Odysseus’ streak of constantly outsmarting challenges, goes to his head, and unfortunately causes Odysseus to develop a hubris. His pride at times makes him arrogant, believing that he always knows best, which leads to the untimely demise of his crew. While Odysseus proves to be good leader by saving his crew from trouble with his wits, he is ultimately a bad leader because he refuses to listen to advice.
Odyssey Argumentative Essay Odysseus is an arrogant egotistical warrior who hardly ever takes the blame for his own actions. Since he does not take responsibility it shows his weaknesses that could be used against him if this were a war. Odysseus’s weaknesses are shown equally in the literature and the movie. In some ways the literature showed it better or explained it better than the movie did. But in some ways the movie outlined his weaknesses than the movie because it is more visual than when you are reading the story.
In the epic story the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan war, and on his way home he finds many obstacles ahead of him. Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and he is trying to return home to his land. Many creatures try and stop him from achieving his goal of returning home, but he and his crew have to push through and get home. Odysseus portrays bravery and courage leading his crew through these tough challenges. Odysseus heroically leads his crew and himself through dangerous obstacles, but also foolishly endangers them during the journey home.
Imagine being were swept away from home, away from everything that was dear, to fight a war that was not your own. Odysseus, King of Ithica, was sent into battle soon after his son was born. The great warrior he is, allowed him to win, but due to his overwhelming, vainglorious shouts of victory turned the god Poseidon against him. Poseidon vowed to not let him return to his homeland and set him keep him at sea forever. In his journey to find his way home, Odysseus and his crew encounter many obstacles that hindered his success which leads to the transferring of responsibility.
A successful leader, according to Homer, must be able to make wise choices and lead their men to victory. In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus demonstrates his cunning in a variety of ways, each time giving more and more proof of his intelligence. He is well-known for being one of the most cunning epic heroes ever in Greek mythology. The epic scene when Odysseus introduces himself as Noman to attack Polyphemus, "Cyclops … you wish to know the name I bear. I will tell you then, but in return I should like to have the gift you promised me.
The Odyssey by Homer revolves around the character, Odysseus, and his ten-year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. As the epic’s idol, he displays the combination of a clever, handsome, and courageous man popular among the mortals as well as the gods. Essentially, he embodies the ideals of the ancient Greek culture, being adorned with many favored characteristics of the era. However, an intriguing aspect of Odysseus lies in his personality. As the protagonist, he does not manifest the entirety of a stereotypical hero because Odysseus has a fatal flaw—his arrogance.
The Greek epic poem, the Odyssey, was told by Homer but the date of its creation is unknown. Even though the book mainly focuses on Odysseus, the monsters such as Polyphemus, have an important role. Homer portrays Polyphemus the cyclops as uncivilized throughout Book 9. He does this to show us to reinforce the morals of Odysseus and increase conflict and tension.
In the epic poem written by Homer, The Odyssey, the king of Ithaca named Odysseus sails home from the war at Troy. Along the way, he and his men encounter a lot of tedious obstacles. They go to Ismarus as well as discover the island of the Lotus, and the Lotus eaters who live on the island. Odysseus and his men also find a cyclops named Polyphemus, which they find out is the son of Poseidon. The land of Hades, or the land of the dead, is another place they travel to.
In the section “In the One-Eyed Giant’s Cave” from Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is portrayed as a hero through his character traits and behaviors. When Odysseus and his men attack the city of Ismarus, the Cicones’ strong hold, Odysseus made sure to fairly distribute the spoils among his men. Odysseus’s behavior shows that he is a great leader, a characteristic of a hero. While Odysseus and his crew are in the Cyclops’ cave, Polyphemus, the cyclops, notices them. Polyphemus asks who they are with a monstrous tone, “‘Strangers!'
In the quote, “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy,” (lines 360-361) Odysseus and his men have just gotten Polyphemus drunk and Polyphemus asks Odysseus what his name is. This quote is important because it shows Odysseus being clever when he told Polyphemus his name was Nohbdy. This quote illustrates Odysseus being a good leader by using his cleverness and not telling Polyphemus his real name to protect his men and himself. Also, in the quote, “I drew on all my wits, and ran through tactics, reasoning as a man will for dear life, until a trick came-and it pleased me well. The cyclop’s rams were handsome, fat, with heavy fleeces, a dark violet.