Who Was Responsible For The Downfall Of Odysseus

Odysseus’ pride consumes his actions towards both the mortals and the immortals, forcing others to suffer the consequences in place of himself. When successfully outsmarting and blinding the cyclops Polyphemos (Parallel PrPP), Odysseus and his men begin to sail away. Choosing to not remain reticent, Odysseus decides to declare with pride details of both his accomplishments and who he is to the monster Polyphemos, exclaiming; “Cyclops, if any mortal man ever asks you who it was / that inflicted upon your eye this shameful blinding, / tell him that you were blinded by Odysseus, sacker of cities” (IX 502-504). He generates rancor in the blinded cyclops Polyphemos at the result of his boastful speech. Eye mutilated, arms flailing (Parallel AbP) Polyphemos curses Odysseus saying; “may [Odysseus] never reach that home
[Ithaka]”, and also curses his companions exclaiming; “let him come late, in bad case, with the loss of all his companions”(IX 530-534).
This starts a repetition of behavior from Odysseus that ultimately leads to the deaths of his “beloved” companions. Another consequence resulting from Odysseus’ rampant pride begins with his refusal to explain to his men what was inside the bag given to him by the wind god Aeolus. He chooses not to tell them before the “sweet sleep came upon [him]” because they could “come home quicker” if he handled the bag himself (X 31-34). Once the men couldn’t hold back their curiosity, they opened the bag hoping it would contain treasure. Unfortunately, due to their “evil counsel”, they open the bag releasing the eastern wind and are blown away from Ithaka’s shores(X 46) . The author’s diction with “the evil counsel of my companions” points to Odysseus’ lack of responsibility for his own actions. Robbed of their homecoming, Odysseus
finds at fault only his followers, even though they had been given no instruction on how to handle the bag. He still manages to think that his actions contrast those of his companions, even though he was the first to fall asleep due to the exhaustion of simply holding (in his case “handling”) the bag of winds. Odysseus again wants to exhibit his great strength to his men and to satisfy his own pride through facing the immortal Skylla, the only concept he knows other than sleeping with goddesses. Ironically, Odysseus ignores the advice of Circe, a goddess, not to “arm for combat”. He predictably “put[s] on his glorious armor” to fight the vengeful beast (XII 255-231). Though Odysseus knew that he would lose men, he chooses to jeopardize their passage home again at their expense. Immediately reproved by Skylla (PaPP), Odysseus watched in horror as she “snatched six / of [his] companions”, who were the “best of them for strength and hands’ work”(AdjSC)(XII 245-246). Odysseus’ pride eventually leads to punishment by the immortals and to the destruction of his companions.