Leadership In The Odyssey

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In The Odyssey, an epic poem told by the historically renowned poet, Homer, the main character, Odysseus, embarks upon a journey to return to his home of Ithaca. He faces many obstacles during his journey, including how well he can safely lead his shipmates home. Furthermore, Odysseus commits a variety of different actions in The Odyssey, varying from burying his shipmate’s body to committing adultery with multiple women. His few heroic stunts are overshadowed by the simple fact that his leadership skills are atrocious. Although some readers think that Odysseus is a prestigious leader, I believe his dreadful leadership leads to the death of his crew.
According to Christopher Reeve, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Heroism can be …show more content…
Despite all of Odysseus’ attempts to return home to Ithaca with a full crew, his fate is inevitable due to his careless actions. The seer, Tiresias, notes this when he tells Odysseus: “And even if you escape, you’ll come home late and come a broken man—all shipmates lost. Alone in a stranger’s ship” (0 253). In this instance, the seer declares that, even if Odysseus does escape, his careless actions of blinding and later, revealing, his identity to the Cyclops will make his journey to Ithaca treacherous. The seer’s words turn out to be completely true. Odysseus will die a hero, but will be broken and alone by the time of his return. Tiresias’s prophecy also reveals that Odysseus’s actions will cause his men to die in vain. His many unheroic actions can be attributed to his lack of great leadership and decision-making skills. Leaders such as Genghis Khan and Julius Caesar made decisions that benefited their people; however, many of Odysseus actions are selfish and negate the thought of others. Ultimately, Odysseus’ selfish actions as a leader gets all of his shipmates
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