choice in the odyssey

Odyssey essay

`How did character choice affect the outcome of The Odyssey? That is the question that this essay will answer. Odysseus the hero of The odyssey goes on many adventures. During these adventures there are many choices that have to be made by Odysseus and his men. With all of these choices Odysseus and his men don’t always make the right choice. The events in The Odyssey occurred because of character choice, as shown with Odysseus’s ignorance, Odysseus’s faithfulness towards Penelope, and Odysseus and his men’s curiosity of dangerous things. The events in the Odyssey occurred because of character choice, as shown with Odysseus’ ignorance. In The Odyssey Odysseus’ ignorance causes him to stay in the Cyclops, Polyphemus’ cave and then Odysseus continues to unknowingly insult Polyphemus. Odysseus says to Polyphemus, “Have care for the gods, courtesy; Zeus will avenge the unoffending guest” (1049). So Odysseus stays in the Cyclops’ cave and then tells the Cyclops that he has to be hospitable it just makes the Cyclops angry when Odysseus stupidly says this. After leaving the Cyclops’ island Odysseus and his remaining men start their journey home, on their way there they stop at an island, on that island are the cattle of the sun god and Odysseus has been warned not to eat the cattle. Odysseus tells the rest of the story, “Now, that day tranquil cattle with broad brows were grazing near, and soon the men drew up around their chosen beasts in ceremony” (1073). Odysseus’ men are not supposed to kill the sun god’s cattle because if they do then they will be killed, but after a few months they run out of food and decide to kill the sun god’s cattle which causes their death. When Odysseus and his men pass this mysterious island, Odysseus is stupid and decides to send some men to explore the island. Odysseus says “They fell in, soon enough, with lotus eaters who showed us no will to do us harm, only offering the sweet Lotus flowers to our friends, but those who ate the honeyed plant, the lotus, never cared to report, nor to return” (1046). Odysseus was very stupid to send people to explore the island and in doing so he ended up in losing not only time in getting home but his men as well. All of these quotes show how the ignorant choices of Odysseus and his men, made him lose not only time in getting home but also made him lose the lives of his men The events in The Odyssey occurred because of character choice, as shown with Odysseus’ faithfulness towards Penelope. Odysseus loves his wife Penelope and when he is on Calypsos Island he feels a great need to return home to his wife. The story says “But when day came he sat on the rocky shore and broke his own heart groaning, with eyes wet scanning the bare horizon of the sea” (1040). In this quote Odysseus is stuck on Calypso’s island and he is very sad because he loves his wife Penelope very much and he is very distressed that he can’t return home to his loving wife. Calypso is upset that Odysseus wants to leave her and return home to his wife, she is angry because she believes that she is much prettier than Penelope. Odysseus tells calypso “My quiet Penelope –how well I know- would seem a shade before your majesty, death and old age being unknown to you, while she must die. Yet, each day I long for home, long for the sight of home… (1042). Odysseus loves his wife so much that he is willing to leave the beautiful Calypso just so he can be home. When Odysseus is stuck in the Cyclops’s cave he is struck with a want to go home so he comes up with a plan. Odysseus tells of his escape “He sent us out into the open then, close by I dropped clear of the ram’s belly” (1056). Odysseus loves his wife and wants to return home so he comes up with a plan to escape the Cyclops cave, by riding out on one of the rams’ belly. In the end after going through all of these things Odysseus always came up with a way to return home to his wife and son because he loves them and he will always stay faithful to his loving wife. The events in The Odyssey occurred because of character choice, as shown with Odysseus and his men’s’ curiosity of dangerous things. Odysseus is known for his curiosity which is why he chooses to stay in the Cyclops’s cave. It was said that “It was Odysseus’s famed curiosity that leads him to the Cyclops’s cave and makes him insist on waiting for the barbaric giant” (1048). Because of Odysseus’ curiosity he stays in the Cyclops’ cave and makes the choice of staying which in the end was a dangerous choice. Odysseus is very curious which is why he decides to send men into Circes hall. The book says “Odysseus leaves the ship and rushes to Circe’s hall” (1061). Odysseus was curious so when he sent men to explore the mysterious place they didn’t return which sent Odysseus himself out to find them. Not only is Odysseus a curious person so are his men which can also lead to dangerous or just stupid things. Odysseus says “When the curious and suspicious sailors open the back which they think contains the evil winds roar up sending the ship back to Aeolia” (1059). Odysseus’ men are very curious as well so when Odysseus gets winds to help him get home his men stupidly open the bag letting the air out, which was not exactly dangerous but it wasted time. Overall curiosity can be a dangerous thing and can cause Odysseus to lose men, time and supplies. So how does character choice affect the outcome of The Odyssey? Well character choice greatly affected the outcome. With all these decisions that Odysseus made although many weren’t the smartest he eventually did return home. This essay shows that character choice plays a huge roll not only in the story of Odysseus, but also the untold story of the men that went with him.