The Journey Of Odysseus's Journey In The Odyssey

581 Words2 Pages

In the intricate and complex epic poem, “The Odyssey”, Odysseus’s main goal was to reach his home, Ithaca. Even though all of his thoughts were turned towards his family and home, he learns many lessons along the way. Odysseus's greatest learning experiences were in his journey, not his destination. The quote “the experiences of the voyage itself were more meaningful for Odysseus than his arrival home,” truly depicts that Odysseus’s experiences and confrontations with others throughout the journey contributes to his moral values and life lessons.
One challenge that he faces on this journey was temptation. The first of the temptations occur when Odysseus and his men encounter the lotus eaters. "They fell in, soon enough, with lotos eaters, who showed no will to do us harm, only offering the sweet lotus to our friends..." (IX. 98-100). Odysseus has the choice to eat the lotus, being the easier option, but instead he resists his urge. If he had eaten them, he would not have got home. Another temptation he has to withstand is with the Sirens, who lure the men to them with their music and...

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