Holding Out on a Hero

Although Odysseus arrived safely home from his long journey back from Troy, he shows arrogance throughout his journey, he doesnt trust his men which, in turn, cost him many lives and more time on the sea, and he did not think of how his actions will affect others. Odysseus did not act or take on the qualities of a hero, therefore no matter what he accomplished, he is still not a hero. Throughout his journey back to Ithaca, Odysseus acts arrogantly, in that he only cared about getting himself home, no matter how many dead men he left along the way. Cyclops, no weaklings comrades you were destined to devour in the deep cave, with brutal might. But it was also destined your bad deeds should find you out, audacious wretch, who did not hesitate to eat the guests within your house! For did Zeus chastise you, Zeus and the other gods. (Page 88). When Odysseus and his men leave Polyphemus island, Odysseus starts taunting Polyphemus and puts himself and his men in danger. Hear me, thou girder of the land, dark-haired Poseidon! If I am truly thine, and thou art called my father, vouchsafe no coming home to this Odysseus, spoiler of cities, Laertes son, whose home is Ithaca. Let if it be his lot to see his friends once more, and reach his stately house and native land, late let him come, in evil plight, with loss of crew, on vessel of a stranger, and may he at his home find trouble. (Page 89). Because Odysseus is so absorbed in getting himself home safely, he does not think of how his arrogant actions affect the members of his crew and others around him. Odysseus has a very cooperative crew that is always there to bail him out, but he completely took them for granted. He did not trust them, and that cost him a lot. When Odysseus is given the bag of winds by King Aeolus, he did not tell his men what the bag contained, and wanting a reward for their toil, his men open the bag thinking it is treasure that Odysseus is hiding from them. The fact that his men would even think that Odysseus was keeping treasure from them tells about the lack of trust and communication between Odysseus and his men. Courage is nothing;

flight is best. For if you arm and linger by the rock, I fear that, issuing once more, she may attack you with her many heads and carry off as many men. Therefore with zeal speed on; and call on Force, for the mother of this Scylla, who bore her for a bane to mankind; she will restrain her from a second onset, (Page 116). Odysseus is told of the monster Scylla, and he knows how dangerous she is, but he does not tell his crew members. He doesnt tell his crew members because he does not want them to, cease to row, and huddle all together in the hold, (Page 118). Odysseus doesnt tell his men about this because he does not want them to chicken out and turn the ship around. Since Odysseus doesnt tell his men this, which even though is wrong, served him well in the long run. This is one example of where not telling his crew was better than telling them, six men was a price to pay if everyone else got home safely. At the time Odysseus thought that everyone would make it home safely after Scyla, but even after Odysseus tells his crew not to eat the sacred kine of the sun, they go ahead and kill one. But come, all swear me now a solemn oath that if we find a herd of cattle or great flock of sheep, none in mad willfulness will slay a cow or sheep; but be content, and eat the food immortal Circe gave, (Page 119). Since Odysseus has kept so many things from them and lied to them, they feel as though what he says doesnt matter anymore and they can eat the Kine of the Sun without punishment. This time this lack of trust cost all of Odysseus crew their lives. Odysseus is a great man, who accomplishes a lot on his journey back home to Ithaca, but he does not think of how his actions will affect others. . Hear me, thou girder of the land, dark-haired Poseidon! If I am truly thine, and thou art called my father, vouchsafe no coming home to this Odysseus, spoiler of cities, Laertes son, whose home is Ithaca. Let if it be his lot to see his friends once more, and reach his stately house and native land, late let him come, in evil plight, with loss of crew, on vessel of a stranger, and may he at his home find trouble. (Page 89). When he is taunting Polyphemus, he does not think of how Polyphemus will react to his jeers, and how his reaction will affect the members of his crew. Even when his crew begs him to stop, Odysseus keeps on teasing Polyphemus and eventually tells the Cyclops his name, which is the root cause of many of the setbacks that Odysseus and his crew come across. Cyclops, if ever mortal man ask you the story of the ugly blinding

of your eye, say that Odysseus made you blind, the spoiler of cities, Laertes son, whose home is Ithaca, (Page 88). When Odysseus says this, he is putting not only himself, but the men that have helped him get through everything leading up to that point This later leads to the ship that took Odysseus home getting turned into stone before it returns home. Because Odysseus acted so foolishly, he endangered his men and the people that carried him safely home, and he was too absorbed in his own world to notice or acknowledge any of it. Odysseus is a great man that accomplishes a lot, but he acts arrogant throughout his journey home, disrespects and doesnt trust his crew, and does not think of how his actions will affect those around him. He completed his journey, but he does not act like a hero along the way, and that is why Odysseus is not a hero, because of his lack of moral courage and sense of comradery.