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Life lessons from the Odyssey in Odyssey
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Narrative essay on pride
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In Homer’s epic poem titled The Odyssey Odysseus’s weakness contributes to the trouble, he gets into during the first stages of his journey because of his pride. Throughout the poem, we see that Odysseus pride gets him into a lot of trouble. In book 9, Odysseus and his men began to escape the island without Polyphemus being aware they had left his cave. Odysseus pride overcame him and Odysseus began to taunt Polyphemus even after his crew admonishes him for it. Odysseus said what his real name was instead of the made up name, “Nobody”which was the name that Odysseus had made up to trick Polyphemus when he first asked for his name. Polyphemus, once learning his real name, prayed to his father Poseidon, the sea-god, ranting that Odysseus should
Odysseus shows that he has PTSD through re-experiencing and hyper arousal of emotions. During Odysseus’ travel home he experiences hyper arousal of emotions when he slaughters the suitors for merely nothing, as well as not being able to control his emotions or actions. “ How could he? In that revelry amid his throng of friends who would imagine a single foe---though a strong foe indeed---could dare to bring deaths pain on him and darkness on his eyes?”(955.240). “ Odysseus’ arrow hit him under the chin and punched up to the feathers through his throat.” (955.245). There was no struggle that had ensued beforehand and even though Odysseus had killed the suitor he had prominently thought against it the arrow had released suddenly and the thought
Although some could possibly call Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer’s The Odyssey, a great leader, the fact that he fails to earn his men’s respect, endangers his men’s lives repeatedly and allows them to die due to his own selfishness states otherwise.
Once he and he men are sailing away from the Cyclops, Odysseus cries back to the Cyclops “if anyone ever asks you how you came by your blindness, tell them your eye was put out by Odysseus, sacker of cities, son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca.” Odysseus has regretted his earlier decision for Polyphemus to not know his true name, because it means that anyone hearing the tale of a man defeating a Cyclops will not know that it was Odysseus who did it. The arrogant Odysseus does not like this, because he wants all tales of his prowess to be known for his. As he cannot let the chance of more fame escape him, he reveals to Polyphemus his true identity. This sentence, with which he risks the Cyclops throwing a boulder onto their ship, show the readers just how arrogant Odysseus is. It helps the readers understand quite how willing Odysseus is to risk anything if it will add to his
In book IX of Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus ventures into the isle of the Kyklopes. Here he encounters a loutish and cannibalistic Kyklops named Polyphemos. The events that occur as a result of this encounter reveal much about Odysseus's heroic characteristics. Odysseus possesses composure in the face of danger, prowess in devising clever plans of action, and the ability to lead others in the execution of his well-conceived plans of action; all of which appear in direct opposition to Polyphemos's simplistic and brutish nature. In these events, Odysseus is not only contrasted with Polyphemos but also with his crew. Odysseus's desire for glory separates him from his crew whose chief desire is a safe return home. In the end, his prideful quest for grandeur dulls the greatness of his deeds and causes the downfall of him and his crew.
Like David who is favoured by God, Odysseus is favoured by some of the gods and goddesses who reside on Mount Olympos. Zeus, the king, however, feels neutral and will help according to what he sees fit. When Odysseus and his crew realizes they are trapped and are bound to be eaten by the Cyclops, the son of Laertes has the idea of having the big brute drink wine till he is passes out and then drive a burning stake into his eye, blinding him. Of course it would’ve been easier to just kill Polyphemos, but then no one would be able to move the hefty boulder blocking the entrance. So afterwards, all the men clung onto the sheep and rams, hanging from their underbelly, and waited until they would be released into the pasture. With four men eaten, but everyone else free including Odysseus, he hollers from his boat, “‘Zeus and the other gods have paid you back!’” (Odyssey. l. 536) and starts this shouting contest between them. From this, Odysseus tells him his real name. Polyphemos is rather shocked by this knowledge because a prophecy had warned him about this blinding event, expecting someone who was a good-looking giant, and continues to call Odysseus a tiny coward for tricking instead of fighting him. What’s different between Polyphemos and Goliath, other than the fact that one is a mythical being and the other just abnormally enormous in height, is that a god favoured the former of the two. Ever since the Trojan War, some of the other Olympians, especially Poseidon, have been making Odysseus’ journey home a devastating hardship. Polyphemos, as son of the earthquake god, prays to Poseidon that Odysseus return home with a broken spirit after several
The definition of pride is a feeling or deep pleasure of satisfaction that people obtain from their own accomplishments. Odysseus, the main character in The Odyssey, is full of pride throughout his long journey. Odysseus is a warrior from the ten year Trojan War and he is trying to get back home to Ithaca. He is one of the most popular war heros from his time. On his journey home over sea, the sea god and Odysseus’s enemy Poseidon, creates obstacles for Odysseus that he has to overcome if he wants to get home. Odysseus eventually returns home after another ten years. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer represents pride Odysseus’ biggest flaw throughout his encounter with Polyphemus and the Phaeacians.
Odysseus displays his desire for glory through his careless actions during his encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus. The desire for glory Odysseus displays is shown through the words he speaks to Polyphemus. He is a clever character but makes rash decisions that affect the outcome of his original goals and intentions. While Odysseus is trapped inside of the cave of the Cyclops, he begins to taunt Polyphemus. “I called back to the Cyclops, stinging taunts: So, Cyclops, no weak coward it was whose crew you bent to devour three in your vaulted cave—with your brute voice! Filthy crimes came down on your own head, you shameless cannibal” (Fagles, 226). Odysseus was insulting the Cyclops, and those insults caused the rage of the monster to boil over. The Cyclops was already angry with Odysseus blinding him, and was even more demoralized and angry when Odysseus began to taunt him. As Odysseus goes on with his insults and as his anger rises, he says, “Cyclops—if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed—say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, La...
In the Odyssey, Homer’s characters frequently allude to the importance of names. For these ancient Greeks, a name symbolizes one’s identity, ancestry, and honor. It is the one thing a man always owns, even if he possesses nothing else. This is clearly shown through the hero, Odysseus. While traveling home from the Trojan War, Odysseus, in effect, loses his title, land, and power for twenty years. He remains with nothing but his name to speak for his character and person. As he himself says at the beginning of Book IX when beginning to tell his story to the Phaiacians, “First of all I will tell you my name, and then you may count me one of your friends if I live to reach my home, although that is far away. I am Odysseus Laertiades, a name well known in the world as one who is ready for any event.” Although away from his home and all things that could speak well of him, Odysseus is still in possession of his name, which clearly shows his good character. This speech of Odysseus also show...
In book nine Odysseus and his crew have an encounter with Polyphemus the cyclops and throughout the whole time they spend with him Odysseus never tells Polyphemus his name he always says my name is nobody. So when Odysseus finally slays Polyphemus he tells him his real name even though all his shipmates beg and plead with them not to. “That’s reckless. Why are you trying to irritate that savage? Just now he threw a boulder in the sea and pushed us back on shore. We really thought he’d destroyed us there. If he’d heard us speak or uttering a sound, he’d have hurled down another jagged rock and crushed our skulls, the timbers on this ship, as well. He’s strong, powerful enough to throw this far.” “That’s what they said. But my warrior spirit did not listen. So, anger in my heart, I yelled again: ‘Cyclops, if any mortal human being asks about the injury that blinded you, tell them Odysseus destroyed your eye, a sacker of cities, Laertes’ son, a man from Ithaca.” N.p., n.d. Web. This passage is a sign of Odysseus’s hubris because he tells Polyphemus his name just to be well known for his accomplishment. Odysseus knows that if Polyphemus knows his name it means nothing but trouble but he doesn’t care because his arrogance takes over and the thought of being the almighty warrior who slayed Polyphemus than take care of his crew and get home safe. It is his arrogance over his
The Character Odysseus in Odyssey "Odyssey" is an epic story that has been a significant piece of literature since it was first composed and will remain so for ages to come. One of the reasons it has been so is because of the hero, Odysseus. Odysseus was one of the first Greek mythic heroes renowned for his brain as well as his muscles. Indeed he is a man with an inquiring mind, and he is also a man with outstanding prowess and bravery" (123helpme.com/assets/3603.html). "We also must not forget that he is a top-notch athlete which only adds more to this seemingly insuperable character.
The character of Odysseus in homers epic is known for his strength, courage, brilliance, guile and versatility. These characteristics can be seen when he tricks the Cyclops Polyphemus (son of the earth-shaker Poseidon). After Odysseus tricks the cyclops into getting drunk with red wine the cyclops asks him his name. To this Odysseus proclaims “Noman is my name. They call me Noman” (Hom.Od.IX.364). This
Odysseus and his men gave Polyphemus potent wine bestowed by Maron. Odysseus received the wine be to intoxicate Polyphemus because he spared Maron and Maron gave him the wine as a gift out of respect. “So did we twirl that hot point in his eye; around the glowing wood, blood flowed”(181). Odysseus demonstrates cunning when he tells Polyphemus that his name is nobody in to make it seem like no one is harming the cyclopes.”Cyclops, you asked my noble name, and I will tell it; but do you give the stranger's gift, just as you promised. My name is Nobody. Nobody I am called by mother, father, and by all my comrades”(182). Although, Odysseus successfully blinded Polyphemus he let his pride get the best of him and revealed his name so everyone could know it was the great odysseus man of many wiles that blinded Polyphemus the cyclopes son of Poseidon. “Polyphemus, from the cave, replied: ‘My friends, no force can damage me; No-one, No-one is using treachery”(182). Without cunning, Odysseus wouldn’t have never been able to fight and harm a great cyclops. Odysseus uses his cunning to continue his journey back to his beloved Ithaca to reunite with his beloved wife Penelope and his son Telemachus.
Pride comes before the fall because it is pride that blinds people to the truth of who they are. The flaws of Oedipus are chronicled in Sophocles play Oedipus the King, written in 430 B.C. It starts out with Oedipus solving the riddle of the sphinx, making him king of Thebes. Since he solved this mystery he is called on once again to solve their problems. He discovers that the solution is to find and banish the murder of Laius. It’s eventually found that Oedipus was the murder. It was his pride caused the killing and then denying the thought that he could have done it while he attempted to find the killer. Sophocles is showing his readers that excessive pride can lead a tragic hero or the regular man to his downfall.
Is it possible that Odysseus from The Odyssey, written by Homer, could have made it back sooner than the 20 years he was gone? Did his crew have some part of why he didn't get back on time? He was with Calypso for 7 years, and Circe another 1. Then he was wasting time by Aeolus for an entire month. That took minimum another couple of days to a week. The main Odyssey theme is loyalty, because some have lots and others have none. Odysseus’ crew has none for him, because they opened the bag of winds that Odysseus told them not to open, they killed the cattle of the sun god and they underestimate and talk down to Odysseus.
In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus fails as a leader by prioritizing his reputation over his crew’s safety after defeating the cyclops Polyphemus. In the story, Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, travels to Troy to fight against the Trojans. On his journey back to Ithaca, a string of damaging incidents lead him to a mysterious island, which he later discovers is inhabited by the murderous cyclops Polyphemus. His crew manages to escape the cyclops, but not before Polyphemus kills several of Odysseus’s crew. Odysseus escapes and could have sailed away peacefully, but he calls out to Polyphemus to suggest that “if anyone, any mortal man, asks you how you got your eye put out, tell him that Odysseus the marauder did it,” (IX, 500-502). This prompts Polyphemus to lob a rock, nearly destroying Odysseus's ship. It is odd that this was