The Flaw of Odysseus in the Odyssey and how he overcame his flaw
English 271-80
Monday, March 24, 2014
The Flaw of Odysseus in the Odyssey and how he overcame his flaw After the Trojan war all of the Greek warriors had made it home, except for Odysseus and his men. For them the journey home had many twists and turns that caused them to be away from home for more than 10 years after the war. Their delay was caused because of their inability to follow direct orders and resist the temptation of disobedience. It was for this same reason why none of them made it home, except for Odysseus; although he was the main culprit for heeding to temptation. Homer 's Odyssey chronicles the journey of the great Greek hero Odysseus and the setbacks he encountered on his way home from the Trojan war. Odysseus is known for his many positive leadership traits; he was a great warrior who was skilled in strategic warfare, a master of disguise who was swift in the mind and skilled with his tongue. He could talk his way out of any situation, as well as talking his way into finding favor with kings and queens or anyone he encountered. Odysseus however had one glaring flaw, and unfortunately for Odysseus and his men it had dire consequences. Because of this flaw, his men eventually paid the ultimate price and it was the cause of Odysseus 's odyssey, that lasted over 10 years. Though he is usually a smart and decisive leader, Odysseus was prone to errors, and his most glaring flaw was, temptation, or better yet, his inability to resist temptation. There are many passages in the poem that so clearly document Odysseus 's inability to resist temptation, some may use his stay with the goddess Calypso on her island as one of such instances as a case in point, however on that I would differ. In this case Odysseus was being held against his will. After losing all of his men and being shipwrecked on her island by himself with not a boat nor paddle, it is easily understood that he was at Calypso 's mercy. A goddess with her powers, he had not a chance
Monday, March 24, 2014
The Flaw of Odysseus in the Odyssey and how he overcame his flaw After the Trojan war all of the Greek warriors had made it home, except for Odysseus and his men. For them the journey home had many twists and turns that caused them to be away from home for more than 10 years after the war. Their delay was caused because of their inability to follow direct orders and resist the temptation of disobedience. It was for this same reason why none of them made it home, except for Odysseus; although he was the main culprit for heeding to temptation. Homer 's Odyssey chronicles the journey of the great Greek hero Odysseus and the setbacks he encountered on his way home from the Trojan war. Odysseus is known for his many positive leadership traits; he was a great warrior who was skilled in strategic warfare, a master of disguise who was swift in the mind and skilled with his tongue. He could talk his way out of any situation, as well as talking his way into finding favor with kings and queens or anyone he encountered. Odysseus however had one glaring flaw, and unfortunately for Odysseus and his men it had dire consequences. Because of this flaw, his men eventually paid the ultimate price and it was the cause of Odysseus 's odyssey, that lasted over 10 years. Though he is usually a smart and decisive leader, Odysseus was prone to errors, and his most glaring flaw was, temptation, or better yet, his inability to resist temptation. There are many passages in the poem that so clearly document Odysseus 's inability to resist temptation, some may use his stay with the goddess Calypso on her island as one of such instances as a case in point, however on that I would differ. In this case Odysseus was being held against his will. After losing all of his men and being shipwrecked on her island by himself with not a boat nor paddle, it is easily understood that he was at Calypso 's mercy. A goddess with her powers, he had not a chance
Cited: Matin Punchner, Suzanne Akbari, Wiebke Denecke, Vinay Dharwadker, Barbara Fuchs, Caroline Levine, Piercles Lewis, and Emily Wilson; The Norton Anthology of world Liteature 3rd Edition, Volume A. Norton: USA, 2012. Print.