The Virtue Of The Cyclops In Homer's Odyssey

368 Words1 Page

The eight Greek evil thoughts were a moral code for the Greek people that were to be avoided being thought of. While the Greek people were expected to follow the moral code, the gods and goddesses were free to do whatever they wished. The episode of “The Cyclops” in the epic The Odyssey was written by Homer. In the episode, Odysseus falls victim to a numerous amount of the evil thoughts. In the interim of the episode, Odysseus most evidently commits Hyperephania(pride), orge(grudge), and Gastrimargia(overconsumption of food and drink). When a human thinks of Hyperephania, he is prideful, narcissistic, and expects unearned adulation. In the episode of the Cyclops, Odysseus exclaims, “(Eater of guests under your roof. Zeus and the gods …show more content…

Therefore, because Odysseus is prideful and expects unmerited praise, a reader can understand that Odysseus abides in an aspect of laziness. More specifically, it is prominent that Odysseus thinks he is dominant to the Cyclops to an extent in which he may scold him. Additionally, if a human thinks of orge, he holds onto a grudge and refuses to find a resolution. Odysseus explains, “Poseidon Lord, who sets the earth atremble, broke it up on the rocks at your land’s end” (275-276). Moreover, because Odysseus held a grudge against Poseidon and additionally, the Cyclops, the reader can understand that Odysseus undoubtedly committed orge. In the duration of Gastrimargia, a person is thinking of eating and drinking in excess of what is necessary to sustain life. Odysseus reveals, “Three bowls I brought him, and he poured them down” (355). Henceforth, because Odysseus thought to bring the Cyclops excess food and drink, he committed Gastrimargia, and the reader can learn that Odysseus does not care to be shunned by other Greek people from this evil thought. In conclusion, because Odysseus commits several of these evil thoughts, a reader can identify that Odysseus may believe that he is superior and that the Greek 8 Evil Thoughts are

Show More
Related

  • The Honorable Odysseus of Homer's Odyssey

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    All these things considered, the validity of Odysseus’s actions remain fair.  Because of his denial of the power of the gods, Poseidon forced Odysseus to the raging sea.  For these years that he was apart from Penelope and Telemachus he...

    Read More

  • Vultures In The Odyssey Analysis

    900 Words  | 2 Pages

    This shows that Odysseus’ self-serving nature extends beyond material greed into the equally sinful realm of pride. In a classic display of hubris, Odysseus taunts the Cyclopes fulfilling the sole purpose of stroking Odysseus’s ego. At first it appears that our hero is lacking foresight, but Odysseus tells Polyphemus his name in hopes that tales of his cunning will spread throughout Greece: a very selfish goal, directly resulting in the endangerment of the lives of both him and his men throughout the remainder of their travels.

    Read More

  • The Cyclops Challenges In The Odyssey In Homer's The Odyssey

    521 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the Greek epic, “The Odyssey”, Odysseus encounters many monsters and other obstacles on his trip home to Ithaca. “O Brother, Where Art Thou” is a modern day twist on Odysseus’ trip home. Ulysses Everett McGill, or Everett, escapes prison to return home to his “treasure”. Both Everett and Odysseus encounter the same obstacles, like the cyclops, Lotus eaters, and Sirens.

    Read More

  • Heros Journey In The Odyssey: The Hero's Journey

    1422 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this long narrative poem, Odysseus changes from being disrespectful to the gods by explicitly saying that he doesn’t need them, to longing forgiveness later by stating that he is nothing without them. After the success with the Trojan Horse, Odysseus considered himself higher than the gods because he, a mortal, was able to accomplish something even the gods couldn’t. He boasted to Poseidon and the others about how he is overpowering, and how his power and abilities were far beyond their limits. His epic boasting to the gods had lead him to create his own obstacles as, he is one who essentially was the cause. This disrespectful attitude is the personality which shows how Odysseus behaved at the beginning of the story. It not only demonstrates what he was once like, but how his obstacles get much more precarious. As this is the attitude in the beginning, by the end of this epic, Odysseus understands the value of gods and their power, even if it’s for good or bad. At the end of book twenty-two, page 1160, on lines 107-109, Odysseus finally accepts the fact that he is not the biggest thing

    Read More

  • Examples Of Odysseus Being A Bad Leader

    773 Words  | 2 Pages

    In his part of the story Odysseus is trying to get him and his men free of the cyclops so they can go home. The cyclops is Poseidon's son and Odysseus offended Poseidon when he harms the cyclops, which is very disrespectful. These are two huge examples that show why Odysseus is a bad

    Read More

  • Odysseus' Desire For Glory in The Odyssey, Homer

    571 Words  | 2 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • Greek Virtues In The Odyssey

    793 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout its history, strong values have stood at the core of Greek culture. Ancient Greeks placed a focus on a balance of mind and body. Citizens were expected to adhere to three main Greek virtues; these being respect for the body, respect for the gods, and hospitality. At times, these virtues were not upheld, usually resulting in what they believed to be punishment from the gods. Examples of this can be seen in the epic, The Odyssey, authored by Homer. Throughout the poem, a repeated disregard for the ancient Greek values teaches readers a fundamental principle of life--consequences follow poor decisions.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Odysseus From The Odyssey

    794 Words  | 2 Pages

    Odysseus and some of his men went to investigate to see what these Cyclops were like. Unfortunately, they stumbled upon a Cyclops that had no intention of being nice. His name was Polyphemus who was the son of Poseidon. He took Odysseus’s men and ate them every night and would keep Odysseus and his men hostage. Odysseus made a clever escape and blinded the Cyclops. When Odysseus finally made it back on the ship with the remaining men that went along with him, Odysseus got a little too angry and shouted from the ship to Polyphemus and insulted him. Polyphemus prayed to the god, Poseidon and cursed Odysseus. This was on page 77, lines 526-533, book

    Read More

  • The Odyssey: The Use Of Hubris

    699 Words  | 2 Pages

    To start, within the course of The Odyssey, Odysseus displays hubris through many of his actions. The most prominent instance in which Odysseus shows hubris is while he and his men are trying to escape from the Cyclops Polyphemus. They drug the monster until it passes out, and then stab him with a timber in his single eye. Polyphemus, now blinded, removes the gigantic boulder blocking Odysseus’ escape, and waits for the men to move, so he can kill them. The men escape from the cave to their boat by tying themselves under flocks of rams, so they can easily slip by. Odysseus, now proud after beating the giant, starts to yell at Polyphemus, instead of making a silent escape. Odysseus’ men ask him to stop before Polyphemus would “get the range and lob a boulder” (436). But Odysseus shows hubris by saying that if they were to meet again, Odysseus would “take your life” and “hurl you down to hell!” (462; 463). Polyphemus, now extremely angry with Odysseus, prays to his father, Poseidon, to make Odysseus “never see his home” again, and after which, throws a mountain towards the sound of Odysseus’ voice. (470). Because of Odysseus’ hubris after blinding Polyphemus, Poseidon grants the prayer, and it takes Odysseus 20 years to return home, at the cost of the lives of all his men.

    Read More

  • Selfishness In The Odyssey

    757 Words  | 2 Pages

    Before letting him leave the island, Circe tells Odysseus that he must face Scylla, a sea monster, and Charybdis, a whirlpool. Circe says, “Better by far to lose six men and keep you ship” (274). Odysseus is told beforehand that no ship could pass unscathed, but he chooses to not to tell his crew. He knowingly sacrifices his crewmembers’ lives and has no qualms about it, which shows his inner selfishness. He makes sure to protect his own life, but he sees his crew as disposable. Homer characterizes Odysseus this way in order to convey his views about humanity: humans are instinctively selfish. Odysseus also carelessley kills his remaining crew when he taunts the Cyclops. After hearing Odysseus’s name, Polyphemus prays to Poseidon and asks that Odysseus “never reaches home” but if he is destined to return, make sure he returns “a broken man—all shipmates lost, alone in a strangers ship” (228). If Odysseus had never told Polyphemus his name, he and his crew might have made it home more quickly and safely. Instead, his hubris causes an inescapable curse. Odysseus cannot bear the thought of forfeiting his fame, which leads to even more hardship on his quest to return home. Homer uses Odysseus to demonstrate the danger of egotistical

    Read More

  • Odysseus: The Flawed Hero

    1318 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Oh for shame, how the mortals put the blame on us gods, for they say evils come from us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorrow beyond what is given,” (1.32-34) is a simple quote reminding us the entities in charge of all characters in the poem The Odyssey – the gods. Hubris, or excessive human pride, is most detested by the gods and likewise is most punishable by them. The Odyssey is a story about Odysseus and Telemachus, two heroes who throughout their adventures meet new people and face death many times. Telemachus goes to find his father after he learns from Athena that he is still alive. The two meet, and Odysseus attempts to go back to Ithaca after he was lost at sea, and on his way there becomes one of the most heroic characters in literature as we know it. Like all heroic characters, Odysseus began to display hubris as he learned how true of a hero he was. James Wyatt Cook, a historian and an expert on The Odyssey, wrote about how hubris can affect the characters that display it. He says, “Because Homer’s Odyssey is essentially comic, that episode [opened wind bag destroys ship] is only one of a series of setbacks Odysseus experiences before reaching his home in Ithaca and recovering his former kingdom and his family. Such, however, is not the case for those who display hubris with tragic outcomes.” (Cook 1) Initially, Odysseus learns about Aias who died as a cause of the excessive pride he portrays. Proteus warns Odysseus when he says, “…and Aias would have escaped doom, though Athena hated him, had he not gone widely mad and tossed outa word of defiance; for he said that in despite of the gods he escaped the great gulf of the sea, and Poseidon heard him…...

    Read More

  • Values And Beliefs In The Odyssey

    599 Words  | 2 Pages

    Odysseus forgets that he is not in control and disrespects the gods. After sailing away from the cyclops, Polyphemus starts to boast about blinding the cyclops. Poseidon, the god of the sea, punishes him for blinding his son. When Odysseus finds out from Circe that he will lose six of his men to the beast, he refuses to accept the fact. “Must you have battle in your heart forever? / The bloody toil of combat? Old contender / Will you not yield to the immortal gods?” (12.76-79). Circe tells Odysseus he should let the gods take over. Odysseus’ men end up disrespecting the sun god Helios. Odysseus and his crew sail to the god's island. His men end up hunting the sun god’s cattle. Even after Circe warned them to not touch the

    Read More

  • Odysseus Identity Essay

    522 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Homer’s Odyssey there is a consistent internal conflict regarding identity. Odysseus’ long circuitous route home can be attributed not only to the gods but to his own flaws that additively form his identity. Particularly, these faults of complacency, arrogance, and desire for concealment as means of avoidance are outlined in his early interactions most explicitly with Polyphemus (IX). Phaeacia, where he recounts his adventures, serves as a transition point where Odysseus is forced to address his flaws. He gains the capacity to learn from his mistakes and change the person he sought to cover up with disguises (VI, VII).

    Read More

  • The Role of the Gods in the Odyssey

    1194 Words  | 3 Pages

    middle of paper ... ... In Homer’s Odyssey, both Odysseus and his son Telemachus embark on long, difficult journeys; Odysseus trying to return from Troy to his home in Ithaca, escaping Calypso and the island of Ogygia, and Telemachus from Ithaca to Pylos and Sparta in search of his lost father. While The Odyssey tells of the courage both men demonstrate during their respective travels, their quests are the results of the intentions and desires of gods. Odysseus is trapped in exile on Ogygia by the will of Poseidon, whose anger Odysseus attracts when he blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, and by the love of Calypso, who wishes to make Odysseus her husband.

    Read More

  • Compare Aeneas And The Odyssey

    1405 Words  | 3 Pages

    In The Odyssey, Homer, or more so, the characters, often referred to Odysseus as the ‘Great Odysseus’. In the text, it is obvious to see that Odysseus demonstrates arrogance, charisma, over-confidence, and pride. Odysseus and his m...

    Read More

More about The Virtue Of The Cyclops In Homer's Odyssey

Open Document