The strive to become the great, powerful ancient Greek empire we came to know reflected in the choice of their heroes. Take Odysseus for example, he fought hard during the war of Troy, ultimately coming up with the master plan to win the war. But that wasn’t it, Odysseus faced even greater dangers and…
The clearest example of hubris in The Bacchae is how Pentheus behaves through the entire storyline. Initially, Pentheus refuses to believe and respect that Dionysis is indeed a god. His remarks are immediately backlashed by the Chorus and is advised by Tiresias and Cadmus to show respect, “Even were this god no god, as you insist, tell yourself he is… (page 90)” Tiresias warns how Dionysis has the ability to possess people. However, Pentheus is too suborn to listen and rejects the advice of these wise men. “I don't want your foolishness wiped off on me.”, Pentheus declares, “Your feeble-minded preacher will reap what he deserves. (page 90)” Thus Pentheus' development as a fool begins.…
Hubris; a definition of excessive pride, which is what Antigone and King Creon both shared. The difference between King Creon and…
Hubris represents the extreme pride and arrogance of a character that often leads to his or her downfall. This foolish pride or confidence describes both the attitude and the often-violent behavior of many characters in classical mythology. Despite the individual nature of this trait, hubris often creates lasting consequences for any group in which the offender takes part, as a result of the wrongful action. In many cases, hubris represents the overconfidence of these individuals in their accomplishments and capabilities, especially when mortal characters go so far as to compare themselves with the gods, which indicates a loss of touch with reality. As Aristotle wrote in Rhetoric, “Hubris consists in…
Honor and glory are central to the Greek character. Since heroes are the essence of the society from which they come from, Greek heroes live their lives according to honor and glory, in all kinds of varied forms. Both traits trigger a magnificent war that takes the lives of numerous men, and shapes its development at every stage. The fall of Troy is “a thing… whose glory shall perish never (Homer, Iliad 2.324)”. The goal of the Greeks is fame that is never ending and lastly even after death, and they let nothing bar their way. The honor of the individual, family, and community guide every action…
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 is first expressed when Creon’s pride refuses to show mercy to Antigone even if they are related. He says, “This girl is guilty of double insolence, breaking the given laws and boasting of it. Who is the man here, she or I, if this crime goes unpunished?” (Sophocles 209). One would say Creon’s arrogant pride will stop at nothing in order to obtain the authority he desperately wants to rule by. Creon is most likely the type of person to always believe his actions are just and is higher than any other because of his pride. Hubris is also expressed when Creon attempts to contradict Teiresias, who was believed to be the smartest man of his time. Creon tells Teiresias, “Teiresias, it is a sorry thing when a wise man sells his wisdom, lets out his words for hire!” (232). This is evidence to prove that Creon’s pride has blinded himself because of his outrageous attempt to go contradict a man who has never been wrong. This event also hints Creon inviting catastrophe to occur when he keeps refusing to believe what Teiresias claimed. Ergo, hubris was one of the main reasons that made Creon the tragic hero of the…
In the novel “Mythology” by Edith Hamilton, The Story of Niobe is a good example of pride that led to destruction. The myth begins with Niobe a mother of fourteen children who had the audacity to compare herself to a goddess. Boasting on the fact that she gave birth to fourteen children while the goddess Leto only bore two children Apollo the god of the sun and Athena the goddess of wisdom. Offended by Niobe’s arrogance the goddess Leto sends both of her children to bring destruction upon Niobe’s children and misery to Niobe. All seven of Niobe’s boys and girls were completely slaughtered and Niobe herself was transformed into a petrified rock that perpetually weeps as a punishment by the gods for her pride in herself.…
One of the “best-known heroes” (History.com, 2012) of all time belongs to Greek mythology’s Hercules. Born into a powerful pantheon, he had already had enemies at his birth. Known, primarily, for his magnificent strength, Hercules is seen as the handsome hero, but he was also a tragic victim of the gods’ relentless battle over power; a pawn in an epic game. As the games of the gods are cruel and harsh, Hercules’ life as he knew it had been altered, sending him on odyssey that give us the great myths in literature today; giving us the epitome of the mythological hero.…
In Homer's epic, The Iliad, there are many great characters, both mortal and immortal. However, no characters seem to match the greatness and importance of Achilles, the mightiest of the Greeks and Hector, Trojan prince and mightiest of the Trojans. Although they are the mightiest of their forces, their attitudes and motives for the Greek-Trojan war are completely different.…
Since the beginning, heroic leaders are well recognized in society for their distinctive qualities, but as time progressed, the standards for heroic qualities become more known for one’s knowledge and willpower rather than their strength. Heroic leaders share common interests of wanting to protect, to inspire, and to bring joy to others. However, some leaders share the flaw of excessive bragging, where every encounter for them would be a chance to comment on how great they are. For instance, Harriet Tubman has taken part in the real-life controversy over slavery by taking action in rescuing over seven hundred slaves towards their path of freedom. Whereas, in the epic, The Odyssey, by Homer, the “heroic” protagonist, King Odysseus guides his…
A myth is a story that is told by people from an earlier time period. They explain what they think to be happening or how they view the world at that point in time. Many of them focus on gods, goddesses, or a mythical creature in order to explain the events that define their culture. The most common myths are within Greek mythology that help to explain culture and gave the world around them a meaning. These were an important part of their everyday life and help to explain religious practices and help influence art and literature years after its…
"There is no safety in unlimited hubris" (McGeorge Bundy). The dictionary defines hubris as overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance. In The Odyssey, Homer embodies hubris into the characters Odysseus, the Suitors, and the Cyclopes. Odysseus shows hubris when he is battling the Cyclopes, the Cyclopes show hubris when dealing with Odysseus, and the Suitors show it when Odysseus confronts them at his home.…
In the comedy epic, The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is not a good leader because his arrogance caused his crew members to pass away and the lack of trust from his crew made him unable to control his crew.…
Arête can be viewed as a captivating quality that can light a fire of patriotism under the hearts of many, while hubris can destroy the reputation of a person and destroy the determination of a rising power. As seen in the Iliad, arête is the main social value of Greek life and is the first spark of patriotism for a civilization that is only beginning. In the Iliad, the rage of Achilles is a perfect example of hubris in early Greek civilization. When Achilles says, “I will not return until Trojans set fire to the ships” (Homer 9.667-78), Achilles is making an attempt to take what he has not yet earned. His aristos has gone to his head and he is no longer thinking of the excellence he might be earning in battle, but the power he could gain over another person or group.…