Examples Of Human Flaws In The Odyssey

Even though The Odyssey is 1000 of years old, the use of human flaws serves the same purpose of defending readers against lousy feelings.

Homer in the text, The Odyssey, talks about how disloyal people are paid back with enormous harm. Odysseus, a great epic hero, was disloyal himself as he had cheated on Penelope because he sleeps with Circe. This scene is clearly presented by the quote, which says,“ Straightaway she began to swear the oath that I required -never,...,at last, I mounted Circe’s bed”(Book#10, line# 383-386). This quote shows how Odysseus’s feeling of lure had won over him and had ruined 1 year of his life. If Odysseus had never been taken over by his bad emotions, he could have reached Ithaca a year earlier. Another example is the women servants, who were helping the suitors, were also killed brutally. In the book their death scene is described as,‘‘ With that, taking a cable used on a dark-prowed ship he coiled it over the roundhouse…- so the
women’s heads were trapped in a line, nooses…”(Book#22, line# 491).This quote easily shows that the women are responsible for their cruel death.
The only reason why the women were killed was their disloyalty. But if they had controlled their evil feeling of lust, they wouldn’t have been in this situation. There are many other examples like, in order to take revenge from the traitor, Melanthius, Odysseus gives him a very brutal death. In the text written as,‘‘ Melanthius? They hauled him out through the doorway, into the court, looped his nose and ears with ruthless knife, tore his genitals out….”( Book# 22, line# 500-504). The quote describes the cruel death that was given to Melanthius because of his traitorous deeds, but if he had remained loyal, just like swineherd, he would have been rewarded too. Homer, by using this quote, is trying to protect readers from these
evil emotions which always leads to trouble. In summary, the main cause for most of the troubles and murders in The Odyssey was disloyalty.

Another feeling that causes people to risk their life is selfishness. We most often see selfishness then another sense. In Odyssey, Homer had provided us with many greedy situations. One of them is when Odysseus’s companions opens the bag with wind. While opening the sack one of the companions says,“ Hurry, let’s see what is in that sack, how much gold and silver. Break it open-now!”(Book# 10, line# 49-50). Even though they are not sure what is in the bag, they wanted to open it; putting their life in danger. Because of their selfishness for that gold and silver, which they thought was in the bag,they were once again in the middle of the sea and away from their homeland. Another problem caused from the greediness of Odysseus’s crew was when they harmed the Cattle of Helios. Eurylochus convinced all his shipmates by saying,“ Listen to me, my comrades, brothers in hardship. All ways of dying...., let’s drive off the pick of Helios’ sleek herds,... on this desolate island here”(Book#12, line#366-379). Rather than listening to their leader, all the shipmates went for hunting and agreed to risk their life just for extra food. Homer by using this quote wants to protect the reader from the consequences caused by temporary pleasure feelings. The biggest example of greediness is the suitors. The suitors were willing to sacrifice anything. For example,when Telemachus helds the meeting, one of suitors says,“” This quote shows that how the suitors were willing to kill Odysseus, in order to take his place. By using this quote, Homer wants to tell the reader that, if once this wicked flaw takes over someone; it will destroy that person. At last, no one should have this materialistic flaw as weakness.
The most destructive example of human flaw is pride, which causes the most damage.
For example, when Odysseus safely makes his escape from Cyclops’s island, he insults Cyclops in pride by saying,“Cyclops-if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so-say Odysseus…”(9,558). This quote easily represents that Odysseus himself has dignity as instead of being happy, he taunts Cyclops without caring about his and his crew’ safety. Even though Odysseus knew Cyclops was son of God, he still insults him in pride, for which he could have been killed. Another example is when Odysseus in pride attempts to kill scylla. Homer describes this scene in text as,“But now I cleared my mind of Circe’s orders-...I donned my heroic armour, seized long spears in both of my hands....”(12,245). Circe had told Odysseus not to fight monsters, but still he unfollowed her instructions and tried to fight Scylla; Odysseus did pay back for not obeying Circe as he lost his toughest crew mates. If Odysseus had not went against Circe, he probably wouldn’t have lost his strongest men. Another example of dignity is Cyclops. As he dishonors all of the Gods by saying,“You must be a fool, stranger, or come from nowhere, telling me to fear the gods or avoid their wrath”(9,307).
Cyclops in his pride disrespects the Gods for which reasons no one helps him when Odysseus blinds him. In the quote above, Homer talks how Cyclops’s pride had caused him a great trouble, as no one came to help him while he was in pain. Pride always results in disastrous consequences.