...THE ODYSSEY Is a good leader classified as one who personally gains a lot or one who benefits his or her community at large? After fighting in the brutal Trojan War, Odysseus travels the sea in hopes of returning to Ithaca, his homeland, and his wife and son, Penelope and Telemachus. Homer’s The Odyssey reveals the struggles and obstacles Odysseus and his men face traveling home. As prophesized, twenty years later, Odysseus returns to a devastated Ithaca, alone, penniless and unrecognizable. Odysseus has hubris, a flaw that costs him, as well his men, excessive troubles. Odysseus does not learn from his and others’ past mistakes, again leading him into traps that could have easily been avoided. Odysseus constantly puts his men in harm’s way for selfish purposes. For these reasons, Odysseus is an incompetent leader, and therefore should be criticized. Odysseus has hubris. This excessive pride and arrogance leads Odysseus and his men into difficult situations that would not have otherwise arisen. Towards the beginning of Homer’s epic, Odysseus narrowly escapes from a Cyclops’ cave. In triumphant victory, Odysseus taunts the Cyclops, Polyphemus. His men advise him against further agitating Polyphemus after the Cyclops starts throwing massive boulders at their ship; however, Odysseus displays hubris and does not listen. ‘Godsake, Captain! Why bait the beast again? Let him alone!’ ‘Aye He’ll smash our timbers and our heads together!’ / I would not heed them...
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...In Homer’s The Odyssey, the author tells us of a magnificent story of lust, deceit, greed, and heroism. The Odyssey is a display of a journey of determination, willpower, patience, and virtue. The author tells the tale of Odysseus, on his voyage home to Ithaka. This is happening after the end of the Trojan War. Odysseus, the main character, goes through a series of many unforeseen trials and tribulations in this exemplary journey. This exemplifies his character and displays him as a hero in the eyes of the audience. During these different happenings, Odysseus makes decisions that do not correspond to his character. Odysseus is displayed as not only a hero but also as a good leader to his men. Throughout all their trials such as the Sirens, Polyphemus (the cyclops), and the enchantress Circe, Odysseus is displayed as clever, patient, cunning, and fearless. Odysseus made decisions not only for himself but also for his men as well. For example, he did not leave his men on the island of the Lotus Eaters when they clearly had no desire to go back to Ithaca; he knotted them onto the boat and left the island. He was determined to get home with as many of his men as he possibly could, though they repeatedly disobeyed him. Odysseus is one of history's greatest leaders and this is a vital part of what makes him such an epic hero Another characteristic that stand out and makes Odysseus a hero is his ability to overcome his obstacles in order to reach his goal. Odysseus is faced by many...
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...Both the Odyssey and the Aeneid describe the journeys of the two Greek heroes –Odysseus and Aeneas, as they struggle towards their goal through the crises and deadly situations caused by the wrath of the gods upon them. In the Odyssey, we see that Poseidon (god of the sea/earth shaker) has a grudge against Odysseus while Athena, god of wisdom, aids him throughout his journey. Similarly in the Aeneid, we see that goddess Juno dislikes Aeneas as he is destined to destroy the city of Carthage loved by Juno during his mission to find a new land- Rome, whereas Aeneas’ mother Venus aids him. In these epics, many points of similarity and differences arise such as the characters of the heroes, how their journeys are delayed by women obsessed with love, what they are destined for and how they achieve the final goal in the end of the epic. The very first similarity we see in both the epics is that Virgil starts his poem in the same way Homer does, that is they both refer to Muses to sing about the epic heroes of Greek mythology- Odysseus and Aeneas. Virgil again refers to Muses for the second time in book six of the Aeneid. Another similarity is the assembly of gods in Olympus described by both Virgil and Homer. As seen in the Odyssey, Odysseus’ character is clever and smart one. He is a learner and later becomes self controlling. His ‘never give up’ attitude shows that he can go through any situation to get what he wants. Also, his character is full of twists and turns. While in the Aeneid...
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...Loyalty in The Odyssey Many human cultures assign values as well as worthiness to the existence of loyalty. As a Classical culture known for its emphasis of loyalty at home as well as abroad, the faithfulness of ancient Greeks in their relationships is exemplified in many Classical texts, such as Homer’s The Odyssey. In both ancient Greece as well as in The Odyssey, loyalty was the social norm because of the egalitarian nature of the city-state as well as because of the typical ancient Greek family structure. Not only because of social expectations as well as traditions was loyalty expected, but there was also an added pressure by one’s religious conviction such that it was believed that if the guests were in any way or manner mistreated, then the ancient Greek deities would punish the offender(s). There are several passages in Homer’s Classical text The Odyssey which illustrate these aspects of ancient Greek loyalty. In illustration of the faithfulness between Odysseus as well as his crew, there is a passage that notes loyalty in the crew-leader relationship: He saw the town as well as learned the minds of many distant men, as well as weathered many bitter nights as well as days his deep heart at sea, while he fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home. But not by will or valor could he save them, for their own recklessness destroyed them all- children as well as fools they killed as well as feasted on the cattle of Lord Helios, the Sun… (651). It would initially...
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...In The Odyssey, Homer tells a tale about the main character Odysseus as goes through many trials and tribulations on his journey home. Homer’s tales shows many important things about the Greeks and their views about life. One of things he shows through his story are the qualities of leadership. The Odyssey shows many important qualities of leadership, three of the most important qualities of leadership are determination, courage and intelligence. The Odyssey shows that one of the most important qualities of leadership is the ability to be determine and not let the bumps in the road stop you from reaching your goal. In book 5, although Odysseus has been stuck on a beautiful island with a beautiful women he still longs to go home. “Yet it is true, each day I long for home, long for the sight of home,” replied Odysseus to Calypso. Calypso tried her best to try and convince Odysseus to neglect his goal, but Odysseus stayed strong and kept his goal in sight. This is an important quality for a leader to have, because a leader must be able to keep his men strong and help them remember why they are still working. A leader has to be able to stand firm even if his men begin to give up hope. The Odyssey show what a determined leader looks like through the character of Odysseus....
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...clearly is a modern representation of Homer’s The Odyssey. There are multiple people and scenes in the movie that are similar to those in The Odyssey. Not only are there obvious similarities but also minor ones that not everyone may catch. Throughout this paper, you will believe the fact that this movie resembles the myth in plenty of ways. To point out the obvious, Homer’s ‘Odysseus is represented by Ulysseus. They both let their pride get in front of them. Also, the way their relationship with their crew is close to exact. Both crews question their leader for some decisions they make get them into trouble. Odysseus and Ulysseus outsmart people plenty of times. Specific times were when Odysseus tricked the Cyclopes into thinking his name was “No Name”, and Ulysseus tricks his ‘crew’ into believing they are going to search for a treasure when really he just wants to get his wife back. Like I just stated, Ulysseus went on his journey to stop his wife, Penny, from marrying a suitor. In resemblance, Odysseus has to make it home to his wife, Penelope, to save her from marrying one of the many suitors that are living in his home, waiting for her to wed one of them. When Odysseus returns to his homeland, his son doesn’t recognize him right away, same as Ulysseus’ daughters deny it’s him because they believe he was dead. As you can see, there are plenty of obvious similarities, but there are just as many non-obvious similarities. When Odysseus is on his way home he meets a man names...
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...The Odyssey is Homer’s epic poem translated by Robert Fitzgerald. It is about Odysseus’ 10-year battle to return home after the Trojan war. While Odysseus battles mythical creatures and countenances the wrath of the Gods, his wife Penelope and son Telemachus stave off suitors vying for Penelope’s hand and Ithaca’s position of authority sufficiently long for Odysseus to return. In the Odyssey, Odysseus demonstrates to be a good leader because he gives a prime case of a homeric hero and he exhibits moral obligation in his actions throughout the epic. Initially, Odysseus chooses to go to war with the Greeks despite the fact that he does not want to leave his wife and son. Odysseus answers, “My lady goddess, there is no cause for anger. My quiet Penelope I long for home, long for the sight of home,” (The Wanderings....
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...In Homer’s the Odyssey, a man named Odysseus spends years and years trying to get home to his family. On his long journey, he encounters a number of different situations that test his true character. The reader finds out who Odysseus really is based on the situations he is put in and how he chooses to handle these situations. From being stuck on an Island with Calypso, a nymph goddess, to almost being eaten by a vicious cyclops, to seeing his wife for the first time in 20 years, Odysseus stays true to his character. Throughout the epic, Odysseus shows constant signs of bravery, leadership, intelligence, cleverness, and wholehearted faithfulness, and these things are what makes him such an admirable character. Bravery and leadership go hand in hand because bravery is a trait that all good leaders have. Odysseus showed amazing bravery and leadership skills throughout the Odyssey. One place where Odysseus’s bravery and leadership are revealed the most is when Odysseus and his men encounter Poseidon’s Cyclops son, Polyphemus. Odysseus used his leadership skills and bravery to help his men escape the wrath of Polyphemus while...
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...Amazing leaders are easy to spot. According to Forbes.com, they are confident, creative, inspiring, and have the ability to delegate, good communication, a commitment, a positive attitude, and intuition. However, that is not the entire story. A leader also must care for those they are leading, they must be trusted to put the goal and the group above themselves. In other words they must be humble and not arrogant. Something the main character from Homer’s Odyssey is not. The Odyssey is the story of a man named Odysseus who is returning back home to his wife and son from a 10 year war. On his way home he must face many difficult trials including monsters and gods. Odysseus may have been a great hero, but he was not a great leader because...
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...constant occurrence in a person’s life, each one having an impact on the next one. Ordinary people make foolish decisions and must face the consequences, just as fictional characters in stories. In Homer’s epic tale The Odyssey, hero odysseus utilizes poor judgement that negatively impacts his journey to Ithaca. After 10 years at war, the victorious Greeks encounter many obstacles, and their leader Odysseus must make many quick, difficult choices. The greeks arrive on Cyclops Island in search of hospitality, and end up getting trapped hostage in Polyphemus the cyclops’ cave. Cunning Odysseus devises a plan of escape that includes telling...
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...Amaya Snyder Philipp English I Honors 16 March 2018 Title There is not a day in ones life where they won't encounter obstacles. It is how one handles these obstacles that defines them. Whether they take the lead, or stay back and follow in the footsteps of a leader. Homer exemplifies this concept throughout his epic, "The Odyssey". Odysseus, the main character, goes on a journey lasting 10 years, as he tries to return home after the Trojan War and reassert his place as the rightful king of Ithaca. During his journey, he is confronted with many dilemmas, revealing his true traits as a leader. In Homer's epic "The Odyssey", Odysseus's bravery and cleverness portray him as a commendable leader and demonstrate how one with these qualities has...
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...Odysseus: Hero or Not In Homer’s epic The Odyssey, Odysseus is a true thinking man’s hero. He faces many obstacles in his journey home from the Trojan War, with a curse from the sea god, Poseidon. Odysseus battles monsters, makes tough decisions, and fights with his integrity to get home, but through what some call “bad luck” and the size of his pride Odysseus finds himself in a pretty difficult predicament. However, like any other heroic tale, in the end he’s able to go home to his wife and son. The question is did he come back as a heroic legend or a selfish punk? Believe it or not, Odysseus is the demanding hero in this poem. Through tough decisions, sacrifices, and his humble attitude…at times; Odysseus shows the reader he is still a human...
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...In the film, Odyssey, the directors utilize characterization, setting, and music to enhance the audience’s experience and portray the theme of Homer’s epic tale. Characterization is one of the most significant tools that the directors used. It compelled the audience to feel sympathy towards the characters and stressed the most prominent theme, vengeance. The directors used emotional scenes in which the characters appeared to the audience as relatable. In the film, the directors redid the part of the text where it said, “Then throwing his arms around this marvel of a father Telemachus began to weep. Salt tears rose from the wells of longing in both men”. Instead of using narration, the directors used indirect characterization to convey the...
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...In Homer’s the Odyssey, Odysseus goes on a long journey for 20 years away from home. During his journey he encounters many challenges along the way. Odysseus encountered storms and monsters but still kept leading his men. Odysseus had to make many hard decisions on his journey. On my journey to becoming a pro football player, I will have to go through hard decisions and challenges. During Odysseus’ journey, he faced a cyclops that trapped them in a cave. The cyclops ate one of his men and Odysseus almost killed the cyclops but stopped himself. Odysseus stabbed the cyclops eye and the cyclops moved the boulder out of the way. My cyclops is the challenge of overcoming the odds of becoming an NFL player. Similarly to Odysseus being trapped in...
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...Comparison of The Odyssey and The Iliad I feel like I can really relate to Achilles and Odysseus in both of the tales. I feel like Odysseus that I am a good leader cares for others, intelligent and cunning. I might not be as strong as him, but that is not my point.. For Achilles he is considered to have one weakness in his body the rest is perfect and untouchable. The term Achilles heel is used because his weakness was his heel. I never quite understood why his mother didn’t just turn him on the heel after or dab some on to cover his heel. I feel like him because and relate to the fact that he has very few weaknesses. I don’t feel that I have many as well. I thought the relationship between Hector and Achilles was pretty. Obviously they did not like each other at all. That is a dead give away while reading. They both fought on separate sides during the Trojan War. I thought it was very rude of Achilles to continually drag Hector’s body around as if he was nothing and not a human. To me it felt like a kid dragging around a toy across the floor. Not a very pleasing sight. I found it interesting how the Gods protected his body either because they thought it was rude of Achilles or because they liked Hector. The fact that they do this seems interesting and very important. The Gods have a great powers so don’t they just smite Achilles for this crude act. Within this there is discussion between the Gods of what they should do about the body. Apollo believes the bod should be...
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