Examples Of Arrogance In The Odyssey

Arrogance to Modesty: The Hardest Journey
To quote Ralph Waldo Emerson, “A great man is always willing to be little”. In Homer’s “The Odyssey”, the oldest epic poem known to man, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, is called to the Trojan War. He leaves his home, thinking that he will be back soon, without realizing that the God’s wrath would prevent him from getting home. Odysseus demonstrates many concepts throughout his journey, but the most prominent is his usage of hubris and humility towards the Gods. The hubris he shows towards the Gods is what fuels their rage and makes his journey longer. Although Odysseus shows a great amount of hubris towards the beginning of his journey, as he experiences many humbling experiences, his humility increases.
This island is home to the sacred Cattle of the Sun. After enduring many hardships caused by the Gods and also by mortals, Odysseus finally gets to the island. Odysseus and his comrades have been thrown off course and are at a loss for resources, the main one being food. Odysseus knows that although it is tempting, eating the Cattle of the Sun would be a lethal mistake. He warns his starving men, and they promise not to eat these majestic creatures. Odysseus and his men are desperate for food and shelter, so he “struck inland,/ up the island, there to pray to the gods./ If only one might show me [Odysseus] some way home!/Crossing into the heartland, clear of the crew,/ I rinsed my hands in a sheltered spot, a windbreak,/ but soon as I’d prayed to all the gods who rule Olympus,/down on my eyes they poured a sweet, sound sleep...” (281 lines 358-364). After going through all of the experiences that he had gone through, Odysseus knows that only the Gods could help him. Although Odysseus has finally realized that he has to pray to the Gods, they pour a “sweet, sound sleep” upon him. Odysseus knows that he has to be clear of his crew, so he goes to the center of the island, despite how exhausted and hungry he is to prove to the Gods that he is willing to do whatever it takes to ask them for forgiveness of his previous actions and find a way to get home. It is very hard for Odysseus to give up his pride and ego, and acknowledge the fact that only the Gods can help him find a way home. When he finally does pray to every single God and does what he is supposed to, ironically, the Gods still make Odysseus sleep, giving his men time to eat the Cattle of the Sun and anger the Sun God, Helios. Unfortunately, his actions are in vain, but they start to teach him the value of showing humility. Odysseus showing humility towards