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The Negative Effects Of Curiosity In Homer's The Odyssey

1064 Words5 Pages

While curiosity is projected to be a beneficial way of learning, it can also lead to dangerous situations. The protagonist, Odysseus, experiences the negative effects of curiosity in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, as he embarks on a life changing journey. In the story, Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, is returning from the Trojan War, and instead of going straight to his home, his curiosity takes him on a variety of detours, risking not only his life, but the lives of his crew. When Odysseus finally returns home, his curiosity disappears, and he becomes very focused and determined to remove suitors that have overrun his kingdom. Throughout the epic, Odysseus behaves curiously and wanders with no clear goal of returning home, but later, when he is faced with the task of removing the suitors from his palace, he becomes driven to achieve his goal in order to restore control over his kingdom and be reunited with his wife, Penelope.
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 …show more content…

Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, teaches that in order to get work done, one cannot just go off task; they need to be determined and finish. In Odysseus’s case, everything he achieved happens after he loses his curiosity trait and begins to focus. Even though one may become distracted, they must focus on what they set out to achieve originally if they want to accomplish

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Not to mention demanding a gift since that was “custom” (Homer 566). Anyone could see that the situation was wrong and how Polyphemus could be angry. If Odysseus simply moved on from the island, his men’s lives could have been spared. A great example of this is when Odysseus and his men were coming up to Cyclops island and Odysseus knew that the people on the island were cyclops. He didn’t tell any of his men about the beings that lay within the island, causing them to blindly go toward their deaths.

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288 Words | 2 Pages

Curiosity has lead Odysseus and myself into bigger and worse things in many ways. One way that happens is when Odysseus says, “those who [eat] this honeyed plant, the Lotus, never [care] to report, nor to return: they [long] to stay forever” (897). Odysseus and his men stumble onto an island, and Odysseus is nosy and wants to find out what race lives there. It ends up bad for him because some of his men eat the Lotus, and they don’t want to leave because they got addicted to it! Likewise with having curiosity leading to bigger and worse things by the Lotus Eaters, he also shows meddling leading to worse things when the Cyclops “swung high overhead a slab of solid rock to close the cave” (900).

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Another time he shows control over his actions was when he docked on the lotus island. He restrains himself from trying the tasty lotus and tells his men, “clear the beach and no one taste the lotus, or you will lose hope of your home” (898). Here Odysseus resisted the temptation that he could be worry free and not care about anything. Likewise,

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571 Words | 3 Pages

When Odysseus and some of his crew stumble across Polyphemos’ cave, his crew suggests they take the goods from the cave and run. But Odysseus refuses and “‘wished to see the cavemen, what he had to offer- no pretty sight, it turned out, for my friends’”(151). As illustrated Odysseus refuses to listen to his crew’s advice, and as a result, several of them are eaten. Odysseus throughout the story shows several other instances of hubris, where he does what he wants regardless of the advice given to him by others. Ultimately his crew pays for his hubris, as they all die due to Odysseus’ refusal to listen to Kirke’s advice and avoid the island where Helios keeps his cattle.

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In the book called The Odyssey by Homer, it mainly follows the story of a king of a village called Ithaca, hundreds of years ago-This man, is named Odysseus. Odysseus goes through many adventures after the victory of the Trojan War. However, this is where Odysseus, is not being as strong as a great war hero and a king as he should be. Although Odysseus was seen as a very strong person, physically and mentally, he lacks the appreciation and the care of his crew throughout the trials and didn’t think through many of his actions thoroughly and how they would affect not only his crew but people around him.

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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

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In the beginning of the book Odysseus is impulsive and arrogant. After Odysseus blinds and defeats the Cyclops, he cannot contain himself. Out of pure impulsiveness and the inability to be humble, Odysseus yells out to the Cyclops, “If any man on the face of the earth should ask you/ who blinded you, shamed you do so–say Odysseus,/raider of cities, he gouged out your eye,/Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca!” (Homer 9.556-562). Odysseus is so impulsive he has to scream out his name to the gods and the Cyclops.

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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.

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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.

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523 Words | 3 Pages

In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus encounters numerous challenges and trials on his journey home after the Trojan War. One of his memorable challenges was his encounter with Polyphemus, a Cyclops, which showcases Odysseus’ intelligence and leadership qualities while highlighting his arrogance. Odysseus and his men become trapped in the cave of Polyphemus after unknowingly taking shelter and consuming his food. The Cyclops was angered by this and devoured some of his men.

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759 Words | 4 Pages

From Odysseus’ time with Calypso in Ogygia up until the moment he takes back his home and wife from the suitors in Ithaca, the struggles he faces help answer what makes for a good life. Homer uses Odysseus’ journey throughout “The Odyssey” to identify four aspects of a good life: mortality, honor, hospitality, and experiences. Homer reveals that mortality is necessary for a good life when Odysseus denies the opportunity for immortality that Calypso offers, he shows the significance of honor in his description of Odysseus’ bravery in the Trojan war and the consequent respect that Odysseus’ crew has for him, Homer reinforces the importance of hospitality in each city Odysseus travels to, and he conveys that experiences, good or bad, define a good life. The Greeks held their gods in high esteem and therefore when Homer or other characters in the epic refer to Odysseus as being “godlike,” this is one of the highest compliments he could receive.

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953 Words | 4 Pages

Odysseus must not succumb to his distractions. I will need to avoid distractions, just as I will need to concentrate on my goals for school in college. Distractions such as television, social media, money issues, and problems at work will cause me to get off the path of happiness. I will need to shake off these distractions and keep my eye on what is truly important. At the end of the day, I will have to remember that these distractions are part of life.

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Have you ever felt tempted to cheat on your homework or on a test? Have you been prideful of what your status or accomplishments? In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the brave hero Odysseus encountered these obstacles of temptations and pride that people today still face. Therefore, temptation and pride were Odysseus’ greatest enemy throughout his journey back to Ithaca, as they distracted him on his voyage, prevented him from getting home, and displeased the gods.

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Throughout the story, Odysseus demonstrates his courage that ultimately allows him to survive. One of these moments was during his journey back to Ithaca, where he faces a race of man eating giants called the Cyclops. Odysseus originally stops his ship there to relish a feast while on his journey back to Ithaca, but while doing so, out of curiosity explores the island. Soon, he finds a deserted house and decides to wait of the owner. The owner was unknowingly one the Cyclops, named Polyphemus.

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We can depict this through a quote found in chapter 9, “A wind from seaward served him, drove us there. We are survivors, these good men and I.” Being the heartless creature the cyclops is, he still goes on to eat Odysseus’ men, shocking them as they believed they should have gotten better treatment and a gracious greeting from the Cyclops as if they were noble heroes. However, soon Odysseus learns that

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