The Role Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

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The Odyssey by Homer tells the story of Odysseus, ten years after the fall of Troy. Lost at sea, he wishes to return to his home Ithaka. In his palace, suitors overrun his home, ready to marry Odysseus’ wife, Penelope. Believing that the dead, the suitors endeavor to convince Penelope to marry one of them, even as she remains faithful to Odysseus. Odysseus’ son, Telemakhos, searches at the islands of Odysseus’ old comrades to know the whereabouts of his father. Unknown to the suitors and Telemakhos, Kalypso holds Odysseus, alive and well. Before being stuck on the Kalypso’s island, Odysseus faces many challenges of the gods. Thus, his challenges and goals on his way to Ithaka revolves around the metaphorical journey people take in their …show more content…
Odysseus utilizes his cunning to elude Polyphemos and leaves onto his ship. Except he makes one fatal mistake and tells his name. Polyphemos then curses him, asking his father for revenge. ‘O hear me, lord, blue girdler of the islands, / if I am thine indeed, and thou art father: / grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, / never see his home’ (9.552-555) Through Odysseus’ arrogance, he causes himself to be against a god, in particular, Poseidon. Without humility, one’s arrogance can cause trouble for that person's metaphorical journey through life. One’s egotism makes them not in favor and may even cause the others to go against them. Many people must face this obstacle in their own lives, needing humility. Upon returning to Ithaka, Athena dresses him as a beggar, making face the arrogance of the suitors. They mistreat him, physically and verbally, and he must keep himself quiet or the other suitors would kill him. Odysseus must keep his humility and have self-control when he meets the suitors. The importance of humility proves to be needed because he can’t put aside his own needs or otherwise, his goal to return to his wife Penelope falls apart. This proves to be important in many people's lives, without humility, enemies may arise from it and turn against them. Through Odysseus change from arrogance to acceptance of humility, he illustrates the importance of …show more content…
As one of their first stops after been blown off course by Poseidon, Odysseus meets the Lotus Eaters where one taste of the lotus can make one forget and lose sight of their goal. Some of Odysseus’ crew ate it and forgot why they even wanted to go back to Ithaka. Odysseus must drag them back to the ship to actually get his crew off the island. Odysseus illustrates how one must persevere and not give in to the urge of eating the lotus as well. He demonstrates that if one does not keep sight of the goal, one can can completely lose sight of the goal. In many everyday lives, people must work to complete and not give up at any point of the journey. On their way home to Ithaka, Odysseus find the keeper of winds, Aiolas. Aiolas gives a bag of wind to Odysseus, telling him not to let his other crew members open the bag as it helps him sail all the way back to Ithaka. As Odysseus sails across the sea, his crew are overcome with temptation to open the bag, thinking that gold lies in the bag. Unfortunately, the wind in the bag blows them back all the way back to Aiolas and they need to start over. Because of the crews temptation to open the bag, Odysseus must persevere to get back to where he left off. Many people must face this challenge of their temptation causing them to stop their journey but it takes the will to persevere
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