Initially, using his boundless bravery and extraordinary leadership instincts, Odysseus is able to spare several of his crew men’s lives from the monstrous Cyclops'. Although the Cyclops is a “mighty man” with great strength, Odysseus “[speaks] up in reply” to him because of his gallantry (Homer 152, 278-80). Odysseus knows that standing up for his men is the only way to protect them, he must be brave and demonstrates this by sacrificing himself to prevent the giant man-eating Cyclops from consuming his men. He “[drew] the sharp sword from [his] hip” and “[stabbed] him where the midriff holds the liver”, blinding the immense beast (154, 324-27). Odysseus’s bold decision to stab the Cyclops requires superior leadership, facing a giant individually…
Odysseus’s behavior was ironic when he deliberately concealed part of Circe’s prophecy from his men because when Odysseus and his men went through Scylla, all of the men were scared and some of the men were killed. In the Odyssey it said that: “My men all blanched against the gloom our eyes were fixed upon that yawning mouth in fear of being devoured” (Homer886) This quote showed that Odysseus’s behavior was ironic because since he did not tell his men that they were going through Scylla so they were terrified. The men just saw this huge whirlpool in the middle of the sea and were not really pleased to hear that they were going through that and not knowing the outcome. They were very scared because the outcome could result in them dying. When the Odyssey was talking about when Odysseus’ men were getting killed The Odyssey said: “Then Scylla made her strike, whisking six of my best men from the shop. It happened to glace aft at ship and oarsmen and caught sight of their arms and legs, dangling high overhead” (Homer886). This quote is showing that Scylla ate six of Odysseus’ best men while they were traveling by her. This was the aftershock of Odysseus not telling his men that they were going to see Scylla in this journey and most likely get eaten. Yet again all of the me were ate only because Odysseus did not tell his men about the ending that they could of all been dead in the end. In conclusion, Odysseus’ behavior was ironic when he deliberately concealed part of Circe’s prophecy from his men because Odysseus did not tell his men that they would travel though her and get scared and…
In the epic poem The Odyssey, Homer utilizes plot to develop a major motif, the repercussions of succumbing to temptation. One of the most memorable instances when Odysseus gave into temptation was at the island of the cyclops. He gave into his curiosity and he entered the cyclops's home. The aggressive cyclops came home and ate multiple men. Odysseus’s lust for Kleos is also a temptation. He surrendered to it when he reveals his identity to Polyphemus, bringing the wrath of Poseidon upon him and his crew. Only Odysseus survived. Another example of Odysseus giving into temptation is the Siren ordeal, when he insisted on listening to the Siren's mesmerizing song. The crew were made to plug their ears, so that they could sail safely by the Sirens’…
In book 9 when Odysseus impales a burning wooden staff into Polyphemus’ eye then informs the raging cyclops that his name is nobody is an ideal instance in which directly exemplifies Odysseus’ intelligence significantly benefitting him where using his somatic fortitude would not. Before stabbing Polyphemus in the eye, Odysseus gets him drunk first to ensure he would not have enough coordination to attempt to kill him and his remaining crew members. The triumphant plan of intoxicating Polyphemus before impaling him so that his coordination will be disoriented rather than actually fighting him portrays why Odysseus is often times looked at as an respectable character. In attempt to get the cyclops tipsy, Odysseus says, “Three bowls I brimmed and three he drank to the last drop” (9.405). Then, Polyphemus asks Odysseus…
The first example of how Odysseus earns his powerful status is by dismissing the suitors’ unwelcome…
Heroes are characterized by their intelligence and resourcefulness, strength, bravery, and loyalty. Based on this description, Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, is a hero. In the section “The Cyclops”, Odysseus represents these five characteristics in many forms. His bravery is shown when he approached the Cyclops, Polyphemus, while trapped in his cave, to yell about not obeying the gods’ rule of treating guests well, as he was not, to Odysseus and his men. A portion of what he told Polyphemus was, “We would entreat you, great sir, have a care for the gods’ courtesy; Zeus will avenge the unoffending guest.” While hollering at him, Odysseus was very much in danger of being eaten alive, being so close and yelling at…
Odysseus did not want to do anything to the Cyclops because he knew that he was the only one with the strength to move the giant stone. So the next morning he came up with a plan to stab the cyclops in the eye with a wooden stake, when he went to sleep odysseus heated up the stake and jabbed it into the cyclops’s eye. Now since the cyclops could not see the men grabbed onto some sheep and the cyclops lead them out of his cave without thinking anything of it. This event from the Odyssey is similar to what would happen in a real life situation if a soldier were to get captured. Odysseus represents the soldier and Polyphemus represents the enemies that have captured the soldier. This is a scary but very real thing that happens to many soldiers fighting in enemy territory, you venture into an unknown area seeking shelter when suddenly you run into the leader of the enemy force…
On his way home, Odysseus faces a plethora of challenges that extend his voyages. One such example that stands out is his ordeal in a cave with a vicious Cyclops. During this short but life-threatening period, Odysseus and his crew find themselves trapped in the cave with the beast, who had already “lunged out with his hands toward my men and snatching two at once, rapping them on the ground / he knocked them dead like pups - / their brains gushed out all over, soaked the floor - / and ripping them limb from limb to fix his meal / he bolted them down like a mountain - lion, left no scrap” (Homer 9 324-329). Homer creates a vivid image in the reader’s mind, using words like “limb to limb” and “dead like pups” to form an unsavory situation. The…
When they were full the men asked to take more cheese and leave, but Odysseus refused wanting to meet their host and get a guest gift. They waited for the cyclops to return to his cave. When the cyclops returned, Odysseus and his men hid, but the cyclops saw their shadows in the light of the fire. Odysseus demanded a guest gift or else feel the wrath of Zeus. The guest gift they received was quite unexpected, the cyclops swooped down and grabbed two of Odysseus' men, killed them then ripped them limb from limb and ate them. Clever as he was, Odysseus offered the cyclops some of the finest wine he had. The wine put the cyclops to sleep after a few cups, then Odysseus stabbed him in the eye with a steak he had sharpened. Angered, the cyclops sat in front of the door waiting for Odysseus and his men to try to leave. Odysseus keenly hid his men and himself on the underbelly of the flock and waited until morning. When the flock left their pens to pasteurize Odysseus and his men left along with them. They ran back to their ship and set sail, Odysseus taunting the ugly…
Similar to most Homeric heroes, Odysseus wants to obtain glory and recognition for his courageous deeds. Though he would often take it too far and become arrogant, confidence is hugely important in leadership. At certain times, however, he would pompously ignore someone’s advice or act how he wanted, regardless of the consequences of his choices. The best example of this is when he intentionally hollered back to the Cyclops who he was as he was leaving. The result of this is that he brought calamity on himself as well as his men due to the relationship that Poseidon and the Cyclops had. However, once he reaches Ithaca, the way he bides his time and disguises himself as a beggar shows how he has developed and changed. Instead, he could have simply rushed home and declared himself before the extremely hostile suitors (“change”). “He is not the same glory-hungry individual who often committed rash and rather vacuous actions in order to gain kudos(“change”).” More recently, the texts have proved that Odysseus has come a long way, learned a lot from past mistakes, and developed accordingly during the route of these…
It is very important for the people of the ancient world to practice hospitality. In the Odyssey, Athena, disguising herself as a seafaring man, appears at Odysseus’ palace. She is ignored at the front door by the suitors of Penelope. Later, Odysseus’ son, Telemachus, apologizes to her for the suitors’ lack of hospitality. He invites her to have a meal. In return, Athena offers the young prince a piece of good advice that he should go abroad in order to seek his father’s whereabouts. In this case, the host and the guest establish a mutually helpful and respectful relationship that ensures their safety and the society’s stability.…
In The Odyssey the reader learns about what the Greek people valued by learning that they valued hospitality no matter who you are, and lineage. The story shows the reader that if someone is found in a situation in which they do not know someone, the host should be hospitable and help the stranger with what he or she needs. Also, the idea that where someone comes from, who their father is , and who is their family is determines how they should act and what they are like. The Odyssey Shows many examples of these ideas in the text, by making the characters experience these situations.…
In our modern day, there are plenty of different ways that a person can show hospitality towards a guest whether it be a stranger or friend. Having only lived in the United States, I have found myself to be treated most graciously by my friends, but every so often, I do find myself to be lost in a friends house. Every person was taught certain morals as a child that they now use in their adult lives, but for some people, hospitality has been thought to be just letting them come into the house. In the Odyssey, so far, we as the readers have come to see how hospitality can be very well done. Whether it be Telemachus or Odysseus traveling and staying at places, they were served at the finest level even though they were complete strangers.…
Odysseus and his men land on a Cyclopes island, Polyphemus. Polyphemus gets mad at Odysseus and his men so Polyphemus eats 6 of Odysseus’ men. Odysseus uses his strength and his cleverness to blind the Cyclopes. “So with our brand we bored that great eye socket while blood ran out around the red-hot bar” (Homer 666). After they blinded Polyphemus, they used his rams to escape from Poly’s cave. This makes Odysseus an epic hero.…
Citizens living in Peloponnesia would have been ready to welcome a guest to house them for a long stay or even just a simple meal. The features of the ancient Greek times are that the hospitality had to be ready on the spot at almost all times. In modern day times an unscheduled visit from a stranger would be unheard of. For an ancient Greek this would not have been too extremely rare. Even though might be a slight inconvenience the people who lived in this culture were ready and welcoming to a stranger like this.…