Role Of Pride In The Odyssey

Words: 483
Pages: 2

Over the course of “The Odyssey”, Homer has included numerous examples highlighting Odysseus' arrogance and selfishness, leading to hubris, the excess of pride, becoming an integral part of Odysseus’ character. Odysseus is indirectly characterized this way; in Book Nine, he repeatedly provokes a cyclops, despite just narrowly escaping his death and being in an extremely vulnerable position. As Odysseus taunts the Cyclops for the second time, “the men around [him] trying to check [him], calm [him], left and right”, he clearly shows that he values boasting about his victories over the safety of his vulnerable crew (lines 548-549). Just after that, in Book 10 Odysseus sends his crew out scouting despite having knowledge of a dangerous nymph in