Human Themes In The Odyssey

I’m writing my paper addressing the human themes that dominate the Odyssey, along with demonstrating how Odysseus showed his cleverness and wit during the scene of the cyclops and the qualities that are most appreciated in a warrior. The Odyssey shows plenty of human themes, but there were some more dominant than others. Loyalty is shown within Odysseus’s wife and old nurse. His wife, Penelope was devoted to her husband even though he’s been gone for over twenty years and refuses to marry any the suitors because in her heart, she knows he’s alive. His old nurse, Eurycleia was asked to keep his disguise a secret from anyone after she noticed his scar from when he was just a little boy. It’s surprising she would do that for someone whose been

These two females won’t turn their back on someone who they love and trust. Temptatious acts frequently recurs throughout the story by Odysseus and his men. Their curiosity causes them to stir up trouble on their journey back to Ithaca. Odysseus was given a bag of wind and didn’t inform his crew what was inside so they waited for him to fall asleep, thinking it was gold and silver, but they soon realized it was neither when their ship blew the opposite way of their intended destination. They couldn’t possibly wait to ask Odysseus himself, but instead they got selfish and went after what they wanted. Odysseus was warned about killing Helio’s cattle; however, his crew ran out of rations and went along with their plan anyways. They were later struck by Zeus’s lightning bolt. Their personal wants got ahold of them and ignored what was morally right and wrong and that’s what made their “needs” so tempting. Lasty, this concept of nostos is important because it represents one’s urge to go back home. Odysseus is homesick and will do anything just to get back home to Penelope,

You can’t just call yourself a warrior and call it a day, you’re a warrior mentally and physically. There are important qualities in a warrior that are appreciated, but for sure overlooked. Being a leader doesn’t get enough credit, it takes a lot more than speaking out loud to have people stand by your side. To be able to control a group of people isn’t easy if they don’t listen or stand by you. With good leadership, you show them your strength and confidence and in return you gain their trust. Odysseus wasn’t all near perfect, but he knew how to control his men for the most part because he earned their loyalty. They follow him because he comes off confident, sometimes too confident, but his crew knew if anyone was able to get them back to Ithaca, it would be him. He shows this by guiding his crew with his plan to escape Polyphemus on the land of the Cyclops and deciding between two monsters; Charybdis or Scylla. One who could drown all his men or the other who would kill only six. These decisions can be difficult, but that’s what comes with being a leader. Determination is a good quality to have because it shows that in one’s mind, there's an end goal and it will be reached. For example, Odysseus and his crew are finding their way back to Ithaca but how many times have they been stopped? Too many to count, but they don’t let anything stop them even if they lose a few men on the way.