Corruption Of Power In The Odyssey
In The Odyssey, "Greenpeace Gets a New Leader", and Great Expectations, those in positions of power use their authority and status in both positive and negative ways. Across all three texts, power is used to inspire, corrupt and oppress. In Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus uses his power to corrupt and persuade his shipmates. Odysseus is often portrayed as the hero of the story, even though he constantly used his power and authority to endanger his crewmates and others around him. An example of this can be conveyed in The Odyssey when Odysseus convinces his men to follow him into Polyphemus's cave. When the cyclops, Polyphemus, notices Odysseus and his mates, he first confronts them and demands to know why they're there. Odysseus
asks Polyphemus to "have a care for the gods' courtesy", for "Zeus will avenge the unoffending guest" (9.259-261). Polyphemus then becomes enraged and he "caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out" (9.278-280). While Odysseus and what is left of his men are trapped in Polyphemus's cave, the cyclops continues to "dismember them and make his meal, gaping and crunching like a mountain lion- everything: innards, flesh, and marrow bones" (9.281-283). When Odysseus persuades his men to follow him into Polyphemus's cave, he was unknowingly jeopardizing his men's lives for his mere pride. In Charles Dicken's bildungsroman, Great Expectations, power is portrayed in a negative, oppressive manner. Miss Havisham, due to her past experiences and hatred for men, treats Pip, a poor working-class boy, as if he "were a dog" (Dickens). She does this by insulting him and letting her daughter Estella treat him the same. Even though Miss Havisham treats Pip this way, she still demands for him to "come again after six days" to play with Estella (Dickens). Pip, being in love with Estella, became "humiliated, hurt..etc" because Estella viewed him as a "dog in disgrace" and denounced him as a "stupid, clumsy, laboring-boy" (Dickens). When Estella sees she caused Pip to shed tears, she looks at Pip with "a quick delight in having been the cause of them" (Dickens). Estella feels power over Pip because she is wealthier than him. Both Miss Havisham and Estella use Pip's feelings and sensitivity against him. In the article "Greenpeace Gets a New Leader" power is portrayed in a positive, inspiring way. Kumi Naidoo has "fought against racism, marched for the rights of women and children, and led campains to erradicate poverty around the globe" ("Greenpeace Gets a New Leader" 1). Naidoo was elected Greenpeace's "Executive Director" ("Greenpeace Gets a New Leader" 2). He plans to use his new power to "support the climate cause" and ultimately wants to "end global warming" ("Greenpeace Gets a New Leader" 6 & 9). If Naidoo reaches his goal, he will have positively impacted the environment and helped make the world a much better place. Those in positions of power often use their authority and status in positive and negative ways. In Great Expectations, power is used in a negative, oppressive way. In "Greenpeace Gets a New Leader", power is used positively , to inspire others. In The Odyssey, power is used to corrupt and persuade.
asks Polyphemus to "have a care for the gods' courtesy", for "Zeus will avenge the unoffending guest" (9.259-261). Polyphemus then becomes enraged and he "caught two in his hands like squirming puppies to beat their brains out" (9.278-280). While Odysseus and what is left of his men are trapped in Polyphemus's cave, the cyclops continues to "dismember them and make his meal, gaping and crunching like a mountain lion- everything: innards, flesh, and marrow bones" (9.281-283). When Odysseus persuades his men to follow him into Polyphemus's cave, he was unknowingly jeopardizing his men's lives for his mere pride. In Charles Dicken's bildungsroman, Great Expectations, power is portrayed in a negative, oppressive manner. Miss Havisham, due to her past experiences and hatred for men, treats Pip, a poor working-class boy, as if he "were a dog" (Dickens). She does this by insulting him and letting her daughter Estella treat him the same. Even though Miss Havisham treats Pip this way, she still demands for him to "come again after six days" to play with Estella (Dickens). Pip, being in love with Estella, became "humiliated, hurt..etc" because Estella viewed him as a "dog in disgrace" and denounced him as a "stupid, clumsy, laboring-boy" (Dickens). When Estella sees she caused Pip to shed tears, she looks at Pip with "a quick delight in having been the cause of them" (Dickens). Estella feels power over Pip because she is wealthier than him. Both Miss Havisham and Estella use Pip's feelings and sensitivity against him. In the article "Greenpeace Gets a New Leader" power is portrayed in a positive, inspiring way. Kumi Naidoo has "fought against racism, marched for the rights of women and children, and led campains to erradicate poverty around the globe" ("Greenpeace Gets a New Leader" 1). Naidoo was elected Greenpeace's "Executive Director" ("Greenpeace Gets a New Leader" 2). He plans to use his new power to "support the climate cause" and ultimately wants to "end global warming" ("Greenpeace Gets a New Leader" 6 & 9). If Naidoo reaches his goal, he will have positively impacted the environment and helped make the world a much better place. Those in positions of power often use their authority and status in positive and negative ways. In Great Expectations, power is used in a negative, oppressive way. In "Greenpeace Gets a New Leader", power is used positively , to inspire others. In The Odyssey, power is used to corrupt and persuade.