Odysseus Flaws

The Odyssey is an Epic Poem that stars the main character odysseus, who is a brave and courageous hero who does many things throughout the epic poem. Odysseus does many things to prove what kind of a person he is. Odysseus is most known for his 20 year voyage from Ithica to Troy and back. He had many things he had to overcome and accomplish throughout the long tiring journey. He is most known for the Trojan Horse he created to trick and defeat the Trojans. Odysseus suffered many deaths of his men and tragedies that made his journey longer than it should have been. He eventually does surpass all of the problems he faces and he does safely make it back to Ithica.

Odysseus was the hero of this poem, he was king of Ithica, son of Laertes and Anticleia and he was married to Penelope. Odysseus was known as a king and a brave hero to many people and he showed he was.

“Friends, have we never been in danger before this? More fearsome, it is now than when the Cyclops penned us in his cave” (Homer 583). Here Odysseus is trying to motivate his men for Scylla and Charybdis they are two scary monsters and some of his men were afraid to he is trying to motivate them to be brave and to go quickly through them. He was a brave man Odysseus was he did many things to prove this to his men one of those things was protecting his men from the Sirens. “I carried wax along the line, and laid it thick on their ears, they tied me up, then plumb amidships back to the mast lashed to the mast and took themselves to rowing” (Homer 582) Here Odysseus has his men tie him to the mast of the ship, and while they are doing this Odysseus cuts pieces of earwax for his men so they can plug their ears so they are protecting from the songs of the Sirens. This is showing Odysseus is a brave and smart thinking men to put himself on the mast and to protect his men instead of protecting himself.

Odysseus shows many way that he can be a courageous leader and a hero but there are also some ways where he makes mistakes that show human like qualities.

For example when odysseus and his men escape the Cyclops Odysseus identifies who he was to the Cyclops and he tells Polyphemus he was the one who blinded him “Cyclops if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities took your eye” (Homer 574). Here Odysseus reveals who he is to the Cyclops which in the end does not end well for Odysseus because the Cyclops put a curse on Odysseus. Another mistake Odysseus makes is offering the Cyclops’ black ram they stole to Zeus, this does not please Zeus so instead Zeus begins the destruction of the rest of Odysseus’ men and his ship. “ But Zeus disdained my offering destruction for my ships he had in store and death for those who sailed them, my companions” (Homer 575). Odysseus makes the mistake here by angering Zeus even more than he was at Odysseus because that Cyclops was the son of Zeus so when he blinded Polyphemus and told him who he was it angered

Zeus.

Overall Odysseus was a brave and honorable man but he did have his moments where he would show human like qualities and it could change the way you view him from an epic hero. Odysseus went on a twenty year long journey and did not give up and he believed in his men to help him get there and they did just that. He showed bravery and courage throughout the entire story and proceeded to make it back to Ithica on his twenty year long journey.