Odyssey Essay
Odysseus, the classic epic hero from The Odyssey written by Homer, possesses both admirable qualities and faults like any other human being. His cleverness and leadership abilities make him heroic, despite his imperfections. One of his notable flaws is his incredibly curious nature.
Firstly, Odysseus possesses a truly valuable trait of cleverness, crucial in his many difficult situations. During the Trojan War, he employs his cunning by devising the plan of infiltrating and conquering the city of Troy with the infamous “Wooden Horse” trick. This entails concealing his men within a colossal wooden horse and successfully annihilating the city, thereby securing victory in the war. Following the war, Odysseus and his crew set sail for Ithaca but find themselves ensnared on the island inhabited by the menacing Cyclops. Imprisoned by this merciless one-eyed creature, Odysseus ingeniously formulates an escape plan. In Odysseus’ own words, “Now I chopped out a six foot section of this pole and set it down before my men, who scraped it; and when they had it smooth, I hewed again to make a stake with pointed end” (lines 271-275). With this stake, the courageous Odysseus strategically blinds the Cyclops. Subsequently, he exploits the Cyclops’ flock of sheep to facilitate his men’s departure from the beastly creature’s cavern. “Three abreast I tied them silently together, twinning cords of willow from the ogre’s bed; then slung a man under each middle one to ride there safely, shielded left and right” (lines 378-381). Undoubtedly, without Odysseus’ cleverness, his men would have succumbed to becoming the Cyclops’ meal.
Odysseus, a renowned hero, demonstrates his exceptional leadership skills while sailing on the sea. He effectively guides his men through various challenges, such as encountering the Lotus Eaters and the Sirens. Upon reaching the Land of Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus motivates his men, instructing them to heed his orders and face the turbulent seas. Notably, Odysseus refrains from mentioning that some of his men may perish during this ordeal, as he wishes to prevent panic among the others. This omission further establishes Odysseus’ prowess as a leader, as his men continue rowing without fear or distress.
Lastly, Odysseus is known as a classic epic hero in this tale by Homer. Despite the common belief that all heroes are flawless, Odysseus proves otherwise as he possesses faults just like any other ordinary human being. Among his many flaws is an intense curiosity. Upon arriving at the island of the Cyclops, Odysseus allows his curiosity to take over, leading him to venture into the cave of the one-eyed monster. “…So we looked round at everything inside: a drying rack that sagged with cheeses, pens crowded with lambs and kids, each in its class: firstlings apart from middlings, and the ‘dewdrops’ or newborn lambkins, penned apart from both.” (lines 159-163) While inside the cave of the formidable Cyclops, Odysseus finds himself and his men trapped in a difficult situation when his companions express their desire to steal the Cyclops’ sheep without being detected. However, Odysseus insists on remaining until he encounters this unique creature. “Ah, how sound that was! Yet I refused. I wished to see the cave man, what he had to offer- no pretty sight, it turned out, for my friends.” (lines 171-173).
Throughout all of these examples, Odysseus embodies various roles – he is the man who protected his men to the best of his abilities, the soldier who fought tirelessly until the very end, and the husband and father who embarked on a twenty-year journey to be reunited with his wife and son. Despite his flaws, notably an insatiable curiosity, Odysseus is revered as a classic epic hero due to his exceptional leadership skills and his remarkable cunning in protecting himself and his men. Although far from being flawless, Odysseus was destined to be a valiant soldier and relentlessly pursued what he believed to be right, yearning to return to his beloved family.
