Succumb To Blind Impulse In The Odyssey

Throughout The Odyssey, many characters succumb to blind impulse. But occasionally, some struggle intelligently and benefit from it.

Odysseus struggles intelligently many times throughout the epic. When he and his men get captured by the massive cyclops Polyphemos. “I took the wooliest ram, the choicest of the flock, and hung myself under his kinky belly, pulled up tight, with fingers twisted deep in sheepskin ringlets for an iron grip.” (IX, 470 - 474) Then, when Odysseus sails past Scylla, they have to pass by the sirens who lure ships in with their magical song. “Going forward I carried the wax along the line, and laid it thick on their ears.” (XII, 212-214) If Odysseus hadn’t done this, his men would have heard the beautiful song and been

Then, once Telemakhos and disguised Odysseus meet, he must tell his son of his true identity. “If son of mine you are and blood of mine, let no one hear Odysseus is about.”(XVI 359-360) If he hadn’t told Telemakhos, then he wouldn’t have been let into the home of Penelope and he wouldn’t have help for the battle against the

A woman kidnapped young Eumaios to get back to her father. “She took my hand and led me through the court into the portico.”(XV, 561-562) and “All went aboard at once and put out to sea,...”(XV, 572) The woman was so selfish that she took the boy from his family to give to pirates as payment for a ride home. A beggar named Iros comes to the palace and says “With two punches I’d knock him snoring...” (XVIII, 33-34) Iros was so confident, but when he was hit with one punch, his jaw was broken and blood spewed everywhere. When Odysseus and his men land on Sicily, they explore the island and get trapped in the cave of Polyphemus, the man eating cyclops. Odysseus offers some alcohol to the giant, “He seized and drained the bowl, and it went down so fiery and smooth he called for more:” (IX, 384-385) Not realizing the danger he was in, Polyphemus became so drunk that he fell asleep. At his first opportunity, Odysseus stabbed the giant in the eye with a red hot stick, blinding him and letting Odysseus and his men