The Fool Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

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“I am Laertes’ son Odysseus / men hold me formidable for guile in peace and war: this fame has gone abroad to the sky’s rim” (Homer 488). Odysseus is the mighty king of Ithaca. Although it sounds like he is a fearless hero, Odysseus makes many decisions that make for a longer time away from home. In epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is a fool because of saving his men at Circe's hall by using Hermes’ moly, trying to fight Scylla as well as Charybdis, and shouting at Polyphemus who told his father, Poseidon, to curse Odysseus.
One example that shows how Odysseus is a fool is when Odysseus’ men were turned into animals by Circe and Odysseus saved them by using Hermes’ moly. “On the way [to Circe’s hall], he meets the god Hermes, who gives him a magical plant- called moly- to protect him from Circe’s power” (Homer 514). Saving his men may sound heroic, but when Odysseus first ventures to save them, he does not have a plan about what he will do. He may feel brave at first, but only fools do not have a plan. Another reason Odysseus is a fool is when he has to fight Scylla and Charybdis. Circe said, “No, …show more content…

While talking to Polyphemus, Odysseus states, “[Poseidon]/ broke [our ship] up on the rocks, we are the survivors” (Homer 495). By saying that his ship is destroyed, the Cyclops will not destroy it because that is what he would do if Odysseus told Polyphemus where his ship was. Also while at the Cyclopes island, Polyphemus asks Odysseus’ name and he says “my name is Nohbdy” (Homer 498). This is helpful when his crew stabs Polyphemus’ eye and he calls to the other Cyclops for help. Since he says that ‘Nohbdy’ stabbed him, they are not worried and Odysseus does not get attacked by the other Cyclops. Odysseus is a fool to some, but a hero to others because he defeated the Cyclopes in clever

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