The Odyssey Literary Analysis
Anoushka Divekar
January 15, 2013
English 9 Honors
Mr. Hartwig
The Odyssey Literary Analysis
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 in my glorying spirit, / but let my anger flare and yelled: / Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire / how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him / Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: / Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca!’” (Homer 449, 454- 460). Odysseus’ taunting angers Polyphemus. Polyphemus then asks his father, Poseidon, to make it very hard or impossible for Odysseus to return home. Because of Odysseus’ hubris, he is cursed by Poseidon for the rest of his voyage home. The Odyssey shows how, due to Poseidon, Odysseus’ voyage costs him multiple ships, deaths, and twenty years. Odysseus’ flaw of hubris tarnishes his leadership skills, and because of it, Odysseus is not a good leader.
Odysseus does not learn from his and others’ past mistakes. For instance, during his twenty-year journey, Odysseus falls asleep twice from exhaustion, both times with calamities arising. Early on in The Odyssey, Aeolus, the god of wind gives Odysseus a bag holding the north, east and south winds so that only the west wind would blow towards Ithaca. Odysseus mans the ship for nine consecutive days, and finally, exhausted, falls asleep. “[…]Then / upon me came sweet sleep in my weariness, for I had ever / kept in hand the sheet of the ship, and had yielded it to / none other of my comrades, that we might the sooner come / to our native land […]” (30-34). Odysseus’ men believe the bag of wind is holding secret treasures. They open the bag unleashing the winds, and the ship is set back to where it had started. Odysseus regards this mishap as a tragedy but does not rectify his mistake. Odysseus arrives on an island inhabited by Helios’ cattle. Odysseus was given instructions that neither he or his men were allowed to harm the cattle. Homer writes, “[…] only closed my eyes / under slow drops of sleep. / Now on the shore Eurylochus made his insidious plea: / […] ‘Come, we’ll cut out the noblest of these cattle […]’” (861-868). Odysseus’ men eat Helios’s cattle while Odysseus is asleep. Odysseus did not learn from his previous mistake, and this caused him further setback in his journey back to Ithaca. Because Odysseus does not learn from mistakes made many times in the story, he is not an able leader.
Odysseus continuously puts his comrades in danger for selfish reasons. Odysseus is told he will have to go down a dangerous path in order to reach Ithaca and he knows that he will lose men on his journey. However, instead of telling his men about the possible calamities to come, Odysseus tells his men that his wit would get them out of potential troubles. Homer writes, “’Friends, have we never been in danger before this? / […] Did I not keep my nerve, and use my wits / to find a way out for us?’ / […] But as I sent them on toward Scylla, I / told them nothing […]” (766-786). This quote demonstrates one example of when Odysseus keeps information for his own benefits, causing harm to others. He does not find a way to attempt to save his men, rather he puts them in danger so that he can arrive on Ithaca. Selfishness is an unfavorable quality of a leader, which Odysseus possesses. Because Odysseus puts his life and priorities above his mens’ safety, Odysseus is an unsatisfactory leader.
Odysseus embarks on a dangerous journey on the way home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Homer’s The Odyssey shows all the hardships Odysseus and his men must face. However, many of these hardships are self-inflicted because of flaws Odysseus possesses. Odysseus portrays hubris throughout the epic. Odysseus’ inability to learn from mistakes sets him back further than he started. Odysseus’ selfishness puts his men at stake and eventually kills them. Though Odysseus finally does arrive in Ithaca after twenty years, Odysseus is an incompetent leader, and should be criticized, not praised.
January 15, 2013
English 9 Honors
Mr. Hartwig
The Odyssey Literary Analysis
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 in my glorying spirit, / but let my anger flare and yelled: / Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire / how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him / Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: / Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca!’” (Homer 449, 454- 460). Odysseus’ taunting angers Polyphemus. Polyphemus then asks his father, Poseidon, to make it very hard or impossible for Odysseus to return home. Because of Odysseus’ hubris, he is cursed by Poseidon for the rest of his voyage home. The Odyssey shows how, due to Poseidon, Odysseus’ voyage costs him multiple ships, deaths, and twenty years. Odysseus’ flaw of hubris tarnishes his leadership skills, and because of it, Odysseus is not a good leader.
Odysseus does not learn from his and others’ past mistakes. For instance, during his twenty-year journey, Odysseus falls asleep twice from exhaustion, both times with calamities arising. Early on in The Odyssey, Aeolus, the god of wind gives Odysseus a bag holding the north, east and south winds so that only the west wind would blow towards Ithaca. Odysseus mans the ship for nine consecutive days, and finally, exhausted, falls asleep. “[…]Then / upon me came sweet sleep in my weariness, for I had ever / kept in hand the sheet of the ship, and had yielded it to / none other of my comrades, that we might the sooner come / to our native land […]” (30-34). Odysseus’ men believe the bag of wind is holding secret treasures. They open the bag unleashing the winds, and the ship is set back to where it had started. Odysseus regards this mishap as a tragedy but does not rectify his mistake. Odysseus arrives on an island inhabited by Helios’ cattle. Odysseus was given instructions that neither he or his men were allowed to harm the cattle. Homer writes, “[…] only closed my eyes / under slow drops of sleep. / Now on the shore Eurylochus made his insidious plea: / […] ‘Come, we’ll cut out the noblest of these cattle […]’” (861-868). Odysseus’ men eat Helios’s cattle while Odysseus is asleep. Odysseus did not learn from his previous mistake, and this caused him further setback in his journey back to Ithaca. Because Odysseus does not learn from mistakes made many times in the story, he is not an able leader.
Odysseus continuously puts his comrades in danger for selfish reasons. Odysseus is told he will have to go down a dangerous path in order to reach Ithaca and he knows that he will lose men on his journey. However, instead of telling his men about the possible calamities to come, Odysseus tells his men that his wit would get them out of potential troubles. Homer writes, “’Friends, have we never been in danger before this? / […] Did I not keep my nerve, and use my wits / to find a way out for us?’ / […] But as I sent them on toward Scylla, I / told them nothing […]” (766-786). This quote demonstrates one example of when Odysseus keeps information for his own benefits, causing harm to others. He does not find a way to attempt to save his men, rather he puts them in danger so that he can arrive on Ithaca. Selfishness is an unfavorable quality of a leader, which Odysseus possesses. Because Odysseus puts his life and priorities above his mens’ safety, Odysseus is an unsatisfactory leader.
Odysseus embarks on a dangerous journey on the way home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Homer’s The Odyssey shows all the hardships Odysseus and his men must face. However, many of these hardships are self-inflicted because of flaws Odysseus possesses. Odysseus portrays hubris throughout the epic. Odysseus’ inability to learn from mistakes sets him back further than he started. Odysseus’ selfishness puts his men at stake and eventually kills them. Though Odysseus finally does arrive in Ithaca after twenty years, Odysseus is an incompetent leader, and should be criticized, not praised.
The Odyssey Self Reflection
Title of the Piece
The Odyssey Literary Analysis
Content
This essay about Homer's The Odyssey. It further explores Odysseus' character, and whether or not he is a good leader. Throughout the essay, points are proven to show how Odysseus is not a good leader throughout the story.
What Do You Feel is Good in this Writing?
I think this was one of my better essays overall this year. I definitely liked the arguments made, I think they were very provable, and easy to follow. My quotes in this essay were not abstractly placed in the essay, they added to the argument and helped prove my point, rather than take away from it.
I think this essay in particular was persuasive, and I think someone who had not ever read the Odyssey could easily see why Odysseus is not a good leader.
I feel that this essay was particularly well formatted. I think the essay flowed well from top to bottom, and the arguments were put in a logical order.
What Do You Feel is Poor in this Essay, and How Would You Change It?
Some sentences in this essay were a little bit awkwardly worded. A prime example was my attention getter. It is a little bit hard to say, and probably would have sounded better split up into two different sentences. I could have also used some different words; maybe the word 'classified' could have been switched with something a little less complicated. I also think 'benefits' was probably the incorrect word to use in the context it was in. in some instances, more words need to be added. However at the same time, I needed to be careful not to add so many words that do not add to the important parts of the essay and just make the background information too much.
Another problem with this essay was my supporting points listed in my thesis. Though passive voice was avoided, all the sentences start exactly the same way. When this is read, it sounds monotonous, and a little bit childish. I did not even notice this until after it was graded, but had I read it out loud before submitting it, I would have probably noticed this.
In the second paragraph, there were small problems with parallel structure and not having quite enough information to explain the quote. Lack of parallel structure can easily be fixed by proofreading more carefully, I skill I clearly need to get better at.
Overall, I thought this essay was good, however it could have used some closer proofreading. I need to work on making my writing flow while adding background information, but at the same time not making a summary out of the essay.
The Odyssey Literary Analysis
Content
This essay about Homer's The Odyssey. It further explores Odysseus' character, and whether or not he is a good leader. Throughout the essay, points are proven to show how Odysseus is not a good leader throughout the story.
What Do You Feel is Good in this Writing?
I think this was one of my better essays overall this year. I definitely liked the arguments made, I think they were very provable, and easy to follow. My quotes in this essay were not abstractly placed in the essay, they added to the argument and helped prove my point, rather than take away from it.
I think this essay in particular was persuasive, and I think someone who had not ever read the Odyssey could easily see why Odysseus is not a good leader.
I feel that this essay was particularly well formatted. I think the essay flowed well from top to bottom, and the arguments were put in a logical order.
What Do You Feel is Poor in this Essay, and How Would You Change It?
Some sentences in this essay were a little bit awkwardly worded. A prime example was my attention getter. It is a little bit hard to say, and probably would have sounded better split up into two different sentences. I could have also used some different words; maybe the word 'classified' could have been switched with something a little less complicated. I also think 'benefits' was probably the incorrect word to use in the context it was in. in some instances, more words need to be added. However at the same time, I needed to be careful not to add so many words that do not add to the important parts of the essay and just make the background information too much.
Another problem with this essay was my supporting points listed in my thesis. Though passive voice was avoided, all the sentences start exactly the same way. When this is read, it sounds monotonous, and a little bit childish. I did not even notice this until after it was graded, but had I read it out loud before submitting it, I would have probably noticed this.
In the second paragraph, there were small problems with parallel structure and not having quite enough information to explain the quote. Lack of parallel structure can easily be fixed by proofreading more carefully, I skill I clearly need to get better at.
Overall, I thought this essay was good, however it could have used some closer proofreading. I need to work on making my writing flow while adding background information, but at the same time not making a summary out of the essay.