In Homer’s Odyssey, there are many themes shared throughout the book. One of the more important topics is self-control. Self-Control is good because it allows the character to be able to restrict themselves at will. Also, it enables the user to of self-control to be calmer and calculated when in dire situations. Both of these examples of self-control are implemented by Homer in Odysseus, who is the main protagonist of books six through thirteen. Odysseus is the one who uses self-control in certain ways to show Homer's belief that self-control is not only vital but also allows Odysseus to be more fast acting and adds to his character. On top of this, it allows Odysseus to preserve his humanity. This is because it brings out his true nature when …show more content…
They now found themselves stuck on the island of the Cyclops. When the men enter the home they find food and start to feast. Then the owner of the cave Pholyphemus found the men in his cave and became enraged and began to kill many of them. Odysseus was able to have enough self-control to not panic. He also planned on killing the giant but stopped himself “I thought at first to steal up to him,-and stab him in the chest-” (9.336-338). This is another example of self-control because even though he is mad he knows that the only way he and his men can escape is if the cyclops removes the rock blocking the exit. In this chapter, Odysseus proves that self-control makes people think about their actions. Another way this is shown is when Odysseus makes the cyclops tipsy who then asks for his name “So you ask me then name I am known by? Cyclops - Nobody- that is my name” (9.408-410). This event shows self-control because instead of proudly declaring his name Odysseus knows that giving his real name could ruin the plans he made so he could escape from the …show more content…
When visiting the land of the Phaecians he participated in many of their sports. Odysseus did not tell them who he truly was as he was worried that they may do something to them once they knew who he was. The Phaecians say they are the best at many sports “so our guest can tell his friends - how far we excel the world at boxing, wrestling, jumping, speed of foot” (8.120-121). Odysseus then competes in the athletic games that have all the previous sports and proceeds to beat the Phaecians at their sports. They then try to make up excuses as to why they lost and bring up other topics. They are also shocked at how good the foreigner is at sports. When talking to them Odysseus tells them what truly mattered “The man who wins through skill and cunning is far superior to the man who wins through brute force.” (8.194-195) This quote shows that Odysseus believes that having self-control is very important and even more important than any competition. This helps us understand what Homer in general was truly thinking and also some of the beliefs that he may have carried when writing the book as a
Why was Odysseus being so resourceful and using so much hubris within the book? In the epic poem ¨The Odyssey¨ by Homer, a key strength and weakness are shown by Odysseus. He shows resourcefulness and hubris in an attempt to save him and his men. This poem by Homer demonstrates Odysseus´ greatest strength, resourcefulness, and his greatest weakness, hubris. He does this to teach his readers that certain actions can have bad consequences.
In life, people tend to focus on themselves and when they win and succeed they begin to drift from humility, this can lead to high egos and too much self-esteem, which can be good and bad. In the odyssey by Homer, the main character Odysseus is shown going around fighting battles and protecting his men, while trying his best to be there for his sweetheart Penelope. Still, through Odysseus's high ego, trouble arises and mistakes start to happen which leads him astray toward his goal of seeing his wife. Odysseus provides examples of high ego by demonstrating poor tactics throughout the story. During the Book, Odysseus is too blind to see how his personality is holding him, hostage, from being a good friend and family member.
This is shown when he doesn't need nature "the gods" and concequently, set back 10 years in his voyage because of his arrogance. The way that homer uses nature, fate and time to make Odysseus learn these values of control is seamless throughout The
In the epic poem, The Odyssey, the hero Odysseus shows many heroic traits, but the most important trait is restraint. The first episode when Odysseus shows restraint is when they land of the land of the lotus eaters. Odysseus could have stayed there and got super high and addicted and been happy on lotus for the rest of forever, but instead he got his men and he went back to his ship because he knew that he had a job to do. He had to have a lot of restraint to stop from trying out the lotus.
Impulsive acts fueled by ego and recklessness are fatal flaws for humanity, causing many tragedies and unsuccessful endeavors. In The Odyssey, Odysseus’s impulsiveness leads to problematic situations on his journey, highlighting how detrimental rash choices can be in life. Odysseus displays impulsivity with egotistical and stubborn behaviors that harm him and his crew on their journey. When they are on the land of the Cyclops’ and go into the cave, his crewmates start, “… pressing round [him], pleading: ‘Why not take these cheeses, get them stowed… and make a run of it?’”
Another time he shows control over his actions was when he docked on the lotus island. He restrains himself from trying the tasty lotus and tells his men, “clear the beach and no one taste the lotus, or you will lose hope of your home” (898). Here Odysseus resisted the temptation that he could be worry free and not care about anything. Likewise,
This is shown first through the taunting of the Cyclops. As stated above, Odysseus taunts the Cyclops who shows that he is more than capable of wrecking their ship and the people on it. Besides that, the crew begs for Odysseus to be sensible and stop with the taunting, but they were unable to “bring [his] fighting spirit round.” The only reason why he does stop is because the Cyclops eventually makes a big enough wave with the top of a mountain thrown in the water to push their vessel to another island (9. 530-608). Due to the pleading of his crew, this shows that Odysseus is inconsiderate because they could have easily died and left their families behind.
Odysseus does this because he is prideful and haughty and wants Polyphemus to know who Odysseus was and that Odysseus defeated him. However, by doing so, he alerts Polyphemus of their location, and the cyclops hurls a massive boulder at the men, causing, “a giant wave that washed the ship stern foremost back to shore” (III: 484-485). This shows that Odysseus’ pride and honor which causes him to boast to others about his victories and their losses, is very dangerous to him and his crew. Instead of taking the easy way out, Odysseus decides to show off to the cyclops, who nearly washed them back to shore and kills them because of Odysseus’ foolish arrogance. Figurative Language: 1.
The Odyssey by Homer is an exemplary story that teaches life lessons to those going on a journey for themselves. It illustrates how the challenges and obstacles one may face can help someone become a better leader. The Odyssey highlights one man, Odysseus, a man filled with excessive pride, experiencing the wrath of the god Poseidon. He expects to arrive at his home, Ithaca, safely to reunite with his wife, Penelope, but unfortunately faces many temptations and setbacks. Due to the challenges he faces, it prevents him from arriving home as early as he thought he would.
He tells them, “I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, know to the world/ for every kind of craft–my fame has reached the skies” (9. 21-22). Odysseus shows his arrogance in this quote. Odysseus is so full of arrogance in the beginning of the book that he cannot let anyone but him get recognition for the stories. Odysseus says himself that he is “known to the world” and his “fame has reached the skies”. These statements show someone who is full of themselves and doesn’t want any point of recognition off of them.
Have you ever felt tempted to cheat on your homework or on a test? Have you been prideful of what your status or accomplishments? In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the brave hero Odysseus encountered these obstacles of temptations and pride that people today still face. Therefore, temptation and pride were Odysseus’ greatest enemy throughout his journey back to Ithaca, as they distracted him on his voyage, prevented him from getting home, and displeased the gods.
In the book called The Odyssey by Homer, it mainly follows the story of a king of a village called Ithaca, hundreds of years ago-This man, is named Odysseus. Odysseus goes through many adventures after the victory of the Trojan War. However, this is where Odysseus, is not being as strong as a great war hero and a king as he should be. Although Odysseus was seen as a very strong person, physically and mentally, he lacks the appreciation and the care of his crew throughout the trials and didn’t think through many of his actions thoroughly and how they would affect not only his crew but people around him.
Naturally, he has much to be proud of: his sexy and loyal wife, his bravery, and his victorious battles from the Trojan War and beyond. However, his arrogance creates a weakness in his character that negatively impacts himself and the people around him. The evolution in Odysseus’s personality turns him from an arrogant flaunter to a humble man, and demonstrates that the strifes he encounters during his journey home is not simply new experiences, but also his beginning of a profound revelation. Starting from the middle of the mountain, Odysseus’s new transformation will allow him to soar to the top with eagle
Self-control led Odysseus’ men to glory, not dying from the first challenge set upon them. To clarify, Odysseus demonstrated that having restraint can be crucial in times of war. For instance, when the trials were done and the king went back home; he saw that his house was filled with suitors. Odysseus then controlled himself and didn’t take foolish actions, but waited and made a plan. This idea was then further elucidated in the words of Homer, “The stool he let fly hit the man’s shoulder.
Just as Achilles is confronted in the Iliad with the problem of balancing his honor with his pride, Odysseus repeatedly faces situations in which self-restraint and humility must check bravado and glory-seeking. In his early adventures, he fails these tests, as when he taunts Polyphemus, inflaming Poseidon. As the epic progresses, Odysseus becomes increasingly capable of judging when it is wise to reveal himself and when it is appropriate to rejoice in his