Odysseus As An Honorable Leader In Homer's Odyssey

Words: 937
Pages: 4
Open Document
An honorable man generally achieves great deeds ranging from small to big, with simple characteristics that he or she strongly believes in. Using these qualities, an honorable leader is able to take on great obstacles with his or her principles in order to prudently guide others through these hardships. Similarly, in the epic poem, “The Odyssey”, Homer displays Odysseus to be a steadfast leader for his men through the arduous journey in the mysterious sea, filled with unforeseen dangers and challenges that require a great level of leadership.
Odysseus provides wisdom on leadership by serving his men through the harsh conditions he faces. From each difficulty, he gathers knowledge that ultimately makes him an honorable leader. Despite some of Odysseus’s flaws, such as his impulsiveness, he is able to persevere as an honorable leader through loyalty and sacrifice.

Odysseus, a man of high stature, exhibits his loyalty to his men and Penelope by resisting all the obstacles that come his way Soon after landing on the island of Cyclopes, Odysseus and his men find themselves trapped inside a cave of Polyphemus with two of Odysseus’s men inside Polyphemus’s stomach. Continuing on with his interrogations, Polyphemus questions Odysseus where the rest his men are. And in response, Odysseus lies to him, saying that he and his men “are survivors, these good men and I” (IX.228-232). …show more content…
He takes on the role of being a complex character wrapped around an even more complex environment. Homer makes Odysseus an honorable leader by displaying his most influential and important traits of loyalty and sacrifice through his actions that he conveys throughout his journey. As Odysseus shows his men the unchanging morals of his life through his actions, Homer encourages the readers to see the inner qualities an honorable man has to be an influential
Show More

Related Documents: Odysseus As An Honorable Leader In Homer's Odyssey

Odysseus: A True Leader In Homer's The Odyssey

Introduction A person can be a strong leader without actually having to be strong. Exceptional leaders can use cleverness and strategy to win and achieve greatness for them and their men. In Homer’s the Odyssey, the people of Greece and of Ithaca thought that one man, Odysseus, was a hero. He was a good leader to many people, but to his crew especially. He would try his best to motivate them, protect them, and warn them despite not always being heeded. However, Odysseus played his part and did the most…

Words 1077 - Pages 5

Examples Of Ambition In The Odyssey

In the epic poem “The Odyssey” by Homer the main character, Odysseus exemplifies a Greek basileus as seen by his ambition, persuasion, and skill. The first example of Odysseus showing Greek basileus like traits is when he showed ambition. A Greek basileus must be ambitious to be a great leader because it influences his followers to keep on pursuing the end goal. The first example of his ambition is shown in the epic poem when “Vowing to slaughter my best heifer for them before she calved…..as for…

Words 545 - Pages 3

Female Characters In Homer's Odyssey

In order to understand how female characters are depicted in Homer’s work, it is necessary to look at mortal women and goddesses as two separate groups of people. This is because they are portrayed in two separate ways. For example, the queen of Ithaca, a mortal woman, Penelope, seems to be very attracting considering the fact she has multitudes of suitors pleading for her hand in marriage. However, it is later on in The Odyssey, that we see how low mortal women are in society. This is mainly shown…

Words 349 - Pages 2

Patience In The Odyssey

In retrospect, Odysseus does not evolve remarkably as a leader throughout the course of Homer’s epic The Odyssey. However, this is not to say that Odysseus exhibits no signs of growth. Already starting out as a celebrated war hero, Odysseus continues on his journey home with his prominent title. As the epic progresses, Odysseus displays a strong sense of self-restraint opposed to the rash and rather egocentric leadership skills he exercised in his previous encounters. Instead, he tempers this aspect…

Words 886 - Pages 4

Achilles: The Ancient Greek Hero from the Movie Troy Essay

only too happy to oblige, though Agamemnon's decision comes mostly from his desire to sack Troy. Odysseus (Sean Bean), king of Ithaca and under command of Agamemnon, goes to convince Achilles to accompany them in the conquest of Troy. He finds him sparring with his young cousin, Patroclus (Garrett Hedlund), who is more than eager to join in the fighting. But Achilles refuses to go, despite Odysseus' assurance that this war will go down into history. Achilles later seeks advice from his mother, the…

Words 9856 - Pages 40