ipl-logo

The Negative Consequences Of Hunger In Homer's The Odyssey

426 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Temptation of food in the odyssey

Everyone has been hungry at some point in time. Hunger can make people do anything to satisfy that hunger even if there are negative consequences. Odysseus’s men in The Odyssey had run out of food. Odysseus’s men should eat the cattle that belong to Helios, the sun god, because of starving, drowning, and sacrificing. The men had depleted their food supply. The men had a large food supply; at least they thought they did. They had fished, and had many fish. They killed birds. The men were tired of hunting for food and were tired of eating the same things over and over again. One mate thought that drowning was better than starving; some men agreed. Some men rather drown than starve. They knew drowning was horrific, but they thought that drowning was possibly less painful than starvation. …show more content…

The men thought that if they killed the cattle it would be fine. However, to Helios, that was not fine. Helios had warned people not to kill his cattle. The men wanted to kill and eat the cattle because they thought they could sacrifice to the sun god at home. The men should not kill the cattle for many reason. The men were starving, but they still should not kill the cattle. They had promised not to kill the cattle. The captain, Odysseus, had forewarned them not to eat the cattle. Also, the men promised not to eat the cattle considering it would offend Helios. Therefore, the men had reasons they wanted to eat the cattle, but they also had reasons not to. Odysseus knew his men were hungry, yet they had made promises to not eat the cattle. One of the ship mates made a speech to even try and get Odysseus to let them kill the cattle. Odysseus knew better than to offend the sun god like that. However, the men came up with reasons that would possibly solve their problems if they were to eat the cattle. But, would their reasoning behind eating the cattle work for Helios, the sun

Show More
Related
899 Words | 4 Pages

Odysseus ends up getting caught in a few rough spots on the way home, lives are lost and ships are wrecked. When he gets home he comes to find out suitors are trying to overtake his palace. Over the journey home a series of events occur where Odysseus deserves loyalty from his crew. Odysseus deserves loyalty from his crew because odysseus comes up with good ideas, gives his men good advice to follow, and saves his men from life threatening situations. To start off, Odysseus deserves loyalty from his men because he comes up with good ideas.

Read More
409 Words | 2 Pages

I believe this “hunger” is a representation of not only their physical hunger but also the want for more in their own lives. This hunger lead them to do wrong, despite wanting to do good, “Well, sir, I ain’t never been mixed up in nothin’ wrong, before nor since, and I don’t intend to be again, but I was hungry that night” (253). This leads me to my 2nd point; when you are hungry for more in your life you tend to not fight for what you want or believe in. “But Edward didn’t holler. He just sat down on the coal.

Read More
257 Words | 2 Pages

Odysseus, in The Odyssey by Homer, and I both demonstrate self-restraint. One time Odysseus shows self-discipline is when he’s in the cyclops’ cave and stabbed his eye. The cyclops “squatted in the breach with arms thrown wide for any silly man or beast that bolted” (907). Odysseus restrains himself from running the first time he sees a way out. Instead he stays back and plans for a better way out.

Read More
439 Words | 2 Pages

Odysseus is tempted by the land of the Lotus-Eaters he desires all that he can benefit by raiding their home. Homer writes, “Then I sent out two picked men and a runner to learn what race of man that land sustained”(92-93). In line 94 Odysseus then learned that his decisions were made in vain, because Odysseus’ men “.. fell in soon enough, with the Lotus-Eaters,” Odysseus took his pride from defeating Troy and turned it into arrogance. This then created problem with Odysseus and his crew and their ability to get back home. One would think that Odysseus would not run into a conflict like he had already endured, but as stated in lines 458-459 Odysseus didn’t learn.

Read More
361 Words | 2 Pages

Here, their almost hopeless desire to eat comes true, but because of the way the food is given, men have to confront each other, emphasizing that animal behavior by the use of the term “stampede. ”After they get some of the

Read More
1141 Words | 5 Pages

During Odysseus’ decade-long journey to his home, he encounters many forms of suffering, the most prevalent being transformative in nature. Transformative suffering, which is typically caused by mortals, themselves, alters a mortal being; albeit physically, mentally, or emotionally. In the first few years of his journey, Odysseus suffers the loss of much of his crew. He loses men while plundering a small island; he loses some to the lotus esters; and a few to Polyphemus. Throughout all these sufferings, Odysseus learns that he should listen to the advice of others; thus, transforming him mentally and emotionally through these sufferings.

Read More
704 Words | 3 Pages

TS1 (Thesis): In The Odyssey, Homer depicts Odysseus’ real foe as the theme of temptation with displays of hubris and lustrous goddesses, which portrays the importance of being vigilant to not submit to temptation. ST1: Homer depicts that Odysseus is determined to get home, but Odysseus succumbs to temptation when he leads his crew into the cyclops lair, eats the cyclops’ food, and demands for a gift, resulting in a protracted journey home. 1: Homer displays Odysseus as recklessly brave when he requests, “we’re at your knees, in hopes of… a guest-gift”(9.300) from the cyclops. 2: It is apparent that Odysseus has given into the temptation to be arrogant when he declares for the cyclops to give them, “a guest-gift,” after Odysseus and his men have broken into the cyclops lair, showing even further Odysseus’ isn’t vigilant to

Read More
877 Words | 4 Pages

Greed can be a good thing if it is used for the right reasons. For example, greed can be the key that leads to success. If a person wants to achieve recognition, they’ll go extreme measures to make it happen such as inventing something, excelling in their studies, or even being the best. However, in most cases, greed can lead to disaster. Having the desire to obtain something a person already possesses is selfish.

Read More
1064 Words | 5 Pages

Earlier in the epic, Odysseus frequently abuses his role as captain of his crew because of his curious nature. He makes several stops on their journey home in search of more opportunities to prove his skillfulness, even though he is already a king and has won a major war. One of these stops is at the Island of Polyphemus, home to the cyclops famed for eating all humans that enter his cave. Even though Odysseus is well aware of the danger ahead, his curiosity tempts him to

Read More
1054 Words | 5 Pages

However, the monsters are not as interested in the indulgence of juicy steak, wine, or even the enticing and mystical lotus flowers, but rather in human flesh and blood. The Cyclops, Polyphemus, that Odysseus encounters on his journey gruesomely devours many sailors, tempted by the thought of being able to consume human “innards, flesh, and marrow bones.” The Cyclops continues his feast, “filling his belly with manflesh and great gulps of whey” (IX 312-322), as he greedily causes the demise of many sailors. This passage further reminds readers of the negative consequences of succumbing to the temptation of overindulging. It also acts as a clear warning to readers that feasting in excess is animalistic and inhuman.

Read More
381 Words | 2 Pages

He was tempted to steal food, and succumbed to staying longer than was necessary. This set off a sequence of events that led to Poseidon seeking vengeance on Odysseus. This simple action caused chaos for him and delayed his return to Ithaca by many years. It also caused havoc for others, such as the Phaeacians. Later, Odysseus's homecoming was further delayed by his crews actions, who were warned not to kill Helios’s flock.

Read More
1314 Words | 6 Pages

Odysseus progressively got better at understanding this moral. Throughout Odysseus’ travels, his crew was extremely greedy. When Odysseus’s crew arrived at Ismarus, where the Cicones lived, they killed the men, sacked and robbed the city (9.46-49). Eventually, the Cicones fought back to Odysseus and his crew, making him lose many of his fleets. Odysseus’s crew continued to give into their greediness by sacking and robbing more places and continues to lose fleets.

Read More
664 Words | 3 Pages

Odysseus and his crew members longed to return home, however this desire was in conflict with the many temptations that they faced. These are similar to the temptations that people today face. For example, on the island of the Lotus Eaters, Odysseus and his men were offered the Lotus

Read More
909 Words | 4 Pages

There are many lessons Odysseus and is men learn on their journey home in the Odyssey. Unfortunately, only Odysseus makes it home and the rest of men are dead because of their foolish actions. In the Thrinacia and The Cattle of the Sun episode of the Odyssey Odysseus’s men once again disobey him and cost them their lives. The men and Odysseus learn valuable lessons throughout their epic journey, but in the episode the most important lessons they learn are; temptation can lead to death, being obedient can save your life, and trust your instincts. If Odysseus’s men would have been more obedient to their leader Odysseus perhaps all of them would have made it back home alive.

Read More
472 Words | 2 Pages

Diction and imagery are very important components to a story. It is the way that the author displays their feelings through the character. Homer uses very vivid shifts in tone, sometimes creating room for the reader to learn a lesson. In one of Homer’s famous books, “The Odyssey,” he uses diction, imagery, and tone to show that everything does not always go as planned. Wishing to escape the cyclops’ bondage, Odysseus tries to get out of trouble and assumes that he and his men are safe by lying to the Cyclops.

Read More

More about The Negative Consequences Of Hunger In Homer's The Odyssey

Related Topics

Open Document