The Odyssey Life Lessons

Imagine a life without lessons that teach us and help us grow. We can learn life lessons from just about everything we do. The Odyssey is an epic about a man named Odysseus on his journey back home. In this book, Odysseus learns his lesson a few times from doing actions he should have been more careful about. (Gabby) One lesson that applies to both the Odyssey and people today is that your choices can have bad consequences if you don’t choose wisely. Odysseus had to make multiple choices throughout his journey that caused many hardships to occur. An illustration of this is the many times he loses his men caused by his choices. Odysseus says, “But as I sent them on toward Scylla, I told them nothing, as they could do nothing (939). This shows

In our world today, people often do the same thing. They chose to not tell the whole truth to people and often times regret it in the future. Another example is when Odysseus chooses to act cocky and selfish. He tries to save the men, but just does it for himself. When they finally get to go back home the God’s curse him for saying that it was all him when in actuality he just received a great deal of help “but not by will nor valor could he same them, for their own recklessness destroyed them all.” (895) This curse made his trip last 20 years long. In our world, people choose to become selfish and think of only themselves making them reckless and can cause damage to themselves and others. (Madison) Another lesson evident in both The Odyssey and today is how excessive pride can have a negative outcome. Odysseus took pride in almost everything he accomplished for example, in book nine of The Odyssey, Odysseus and his men went to the island of the cyclopes. They encountered many problems but Odysseus’s intelligent thinking saved them all, until he started running his mouth to the cyclops. He said, “Would you feast on my companions?

Odysseus learns this lesson during his voyage back home in several ways. For instance, Odysseus learns about his curiosity on his adventure with the Island of the Lotus Eaters. He was traveling home with his men when they saw an island full of beautiful lotus flowers. Odysseus “[sends] out two picked men and a runner to learn what race of man that land [sustains]” (897). Reading this passage makes me imagine Odysseus sailing his ship and realizing how different the Lotus Island seemed from the others. I see curiosity blooming on his face, wondering what an island so beautiful would have in store for them, and the temptation pulls him in to observe this strange place. Odysseus and his men, currently on the island, soon realize that the lotus flowers are full of deception and tricks. Their curiosity leads them into huge trouble, but the intelligence and the self restraint of Odysseus saves his mens’ lives. Nevertheless, Odysseus tests his wits once again with the sirens. “Going forward I carried wax along the line, and laid it thick upon their ears. They tied me up, then, plumb amidships, back to the mast, lashed to the mast, and took themselves again to rowing………. The lovely voices in ardor appealing over the water made me crave to listen, and I tried to say ‘Untie me!’ to the crew, jerking my brows; but they bent steady to the oars”(933). Odysseus