Odysseus, a Hero Worthy of Praise and Worthy of Following?
A hero is a adult male of distinguished bravery or ability, admired for his brave workss and baronial qualities. ThroughoutThe Odyssey,Odysseus has gone through many adversities and tough tests while following his end of acquiring place. He does non expose features of being a true hero. Along his journey, he has merely thought of himself and what would profit him, non his work forces. Odysseus is non worthy of congratulations and follow because he disrespects his work forces and allows them to be killed, shows selfishness by listening to the Sirens and leting his work forces to put on the line their lives for him, and is unfaithful to his married woman when he sleeps with Calypso and Circe.
By demoing no regard to his work forces at and leting them to be killed by Scylla, Odysseus is non a hero worthy of follow. Throughout the journey, his crew looked to him for counsel, but all they found was a adult male who merely had his head set on his end. Odysseus views his work forces as merely tools to assist him acquire place, instead than friends that he could swear. His work forces would decease for him, but Odysseus could care less about them when he states, “Then I urged them to cut and run, put canvas, but would they listen? Not those mutinous fools” ( pg.87 ) This suggests that alternatively of Odysseus relaying on his crew, he refers to them as saps for non listening to him. It besides so shows that Odysseus believes he is above everyone, so this gives him the power to handle his crew so ill. Because he cared so small for them, when it came clip to give person, his crew would be the 1s to decease. For illustration, when Odysseus and his crew base on balls by Scylla, he states, “She ate them as they shrieked at that place, in her lair, in the desperate grapnel, making for me – and deathlike commiseration ran me through at the sight…” ( pg. 218, lines 331-334 ) . This shows that even though Odysseus had known that when his ship passed through Scylla that six work forces would hold to be sacrificed, he hardly showed sympathy towards the work forces lost. He did experience guilty for what had happen, but he non had told his work forces they were traveling to go through through Scylla and that some of them would decease. Throughout his journey place, Odysseus merely shows regard towards himself, while ignoring his crew. By disrespecting his them and leting them to give themselves for him, Odysseus is non a hero to be praised or followed.
Odysseus’ actions in the book are chiefly egoistic and in the disbursal of his work forces which shows he is non worthy of congratulations or follow. His end is to acquire place and see his household once more, but he accomplishes this through greed and in an crabbed manner. Even though some of his determinations were disputing to do, Odysseus still is unable to maintain his work forces in head when the crew base on ballss by the Sirens. For illustration, when the ship passed the Sirens, Odysseus knows that their angel-like voices will entice him and his crew over to them. He decides to stop up his crews’ ears with beeswax while he is tied to the mast. Before go throughing the Sirens, Odysseus takes Circe’s advice when she says, “But if you wish to listen, allow the work forces tie you in the lugger, manus and pes, back to the mast, lashed to the mast, so you may hear those harpies’ thrilling voices…” ( pg. 211 lines 61-64 ) . This shows that Odysseus received permission from Circe to listen to the “angels” . He takes this chance when he says, “ … yet she urged that I entirely should listen to their song” ( pg. 214 lines 192-193 ) . This proves Odysseus’ selfishness because he does non let his crew to hear the beautiful sound, merely he can.By being brave and weather, Odysseus is known for being a hero. Today, heros are people who put others before themselves, and unlike Odysseus, The writer writes, “My work forces came pressing unit of ammunition me, pleading: ‘Why non take these cheeses, acquire them stowed, come back, throw unfastened all the pens, and do a tally for it? ’ Yet I refused. I wished to see the caveman…” ( pg.151 lines 241-249 ) . This supports the thought that Odysseus shows his deficiency of true leading by denying his crew of go forthing the cave merely so that he can see how the cryptic adult male is. Odysseus’ selfish actions lead the crew to being trapped in the cave. Because this is non a really epic determination, it shows that Odysseus fundamentally says if he dies, his crew is besides traveling to decease. Because Odysseus’ actions throughout the narrative are selfish and egotistic when him and his crew pass the Sirens and see the Cyclops ‘s cave, he would be a adult male non worthy of congratulations or follow.
Odysseus is unfaithful to his married woman when he sleeps with both Circe and Calypso which makes him unworthy of follow and congratulations. In the beginning of the book, Odysseus was determined to acquire place and see his married woman once more. In order to make those nevertheless, he had to kip with both adult females. Though he knew it was incorrect to make, Odysseus stayed for a longer welcome than he would hold thought because both adult females gave him pleasance. While on Circe’s island, Odysseus needs to salvage his work forces when they are turned to swine by kiping with Circe. Odysseus ends up remaining with Circe for a twelvemonth, while his work forces want to travel him. The crew says, “Captain, agitate off this enchantment, and think of place – if place so awaits us, if we shall of all time see your ain well-timbered hall on Ithaka” ( pg. 179 lines 521-524 ) . This shows infidelity to non merely his married woman, but besides his crew because he does non experience the demand to go forth until his crew made him cognizant of the existent ground they were on this journey. A hero ever has his end in head, hence demoing that Odysseus needed to be reminded of his end in order to prosecute it one time more. Penelope, while at place on Ithaka, stays faithful to his hubby by non get marrieding any of the suers. She ever had faith that Odysseus would one twenty-four hours return and she would be united with her lover.For illustration, he remained on Calypso’s’ island for seven old ages before Zeus order her to allow Odysseus travel. The writer writes, “Though he fought shy of her and her desire, he lay with her each dark, for she compelled him” ( pg. 85 lines 162-163 ) . This supports the thought that even though Odysseus was forced to kip with Calypso and knew he should non, he ne’er tried to get away or defy her. He longs for place, yet he accepts the fact he has to kip with Calypso. His infidelity to Penelope is shown here when Odysseus tells Calypso that no 1 amounts to her and that she is the most beautiful adult females of all. While in the Underworld, Agamemnon tells Odysseus the narrative of his tragic decease by his unloyal married woman. Agamemnon provinces, “Let it be a warning even to you. Indulge a adult female ne’er, and ne’er state her all you know. Some things a adult male may state, some he should cover up.” This supports the thought that Agamemnon changed Odysseus’ head into believing he should be careful in swearing his married woman. Unfaithfulness is shown by Odysseus here because he has known Penelope for so long that he can state her anything, but because of Agamemnon, he is holding 2nd ideas. This gives away the thought that Odysseus is non every bit committed to their relationship as he use to be. Odysseus’ is unfaithful to Penelope by kiping with both Circe and Calypso and holding Agamemnon’s advice alteration his head, doing him a hero non worthy of follow or congratulations.
Because he disrespects his work forces and allows them to be killed, is unfaithful to his married woman, and shows selfishness, Odysseus is non a hero worthy of congratulations and follow. Heros are people who are remembered for making great things. In this instance, Odysseus is non a hero for what he has done to the people around him. Sleeping with both Circe and Calypso shows infidelity to Penelope, while killing and disrespecting his work forces while at the Cyclops cave shows selfishness. Odysseus may look like a hero, when truly he is egoistic and crabbed on the interior. Due to Odysseus’ actions throughout the narrative, including kiping with goddesses, killing and disrespecting many of his work forces on their trip back to Ithaka, and his selfishness towards the people around him, he is non a hero worthy of congratulations or follow.
