Homer, the ancient writer and legend, wrote tales of cleverness and trickery, many of which can be found in The Odyssey. It a well debatable question whether the acts of deception in The Odyssey had justification and necessity, or if it was just “extra spice” Homer chose to add for flavor to appeal to the ancient Greeks’ yearn for adventure. From a well interpreted assumption, though, it can be clear that the characters of this ancient epic really were dependent on their peace of mind to get through the obstacles they went through. These Greek heroes needed to use deception to overcome a copious amount of antagonists, including Polyphemus, Circe, and the suitors.
Odysseus is the primary protagonist in this tale and coincidentally the character who shows the most quick-witted nature. As he tries to return to his wife after the Trojan War, Odysseus is met with obstacle after obstacle, including the great cyclops, Polyphemus. When Odysseus’s ship hits the shore of this monster’s island, he is not met with the hospitality he and his shipmates were hoping for. Instead, no “pity came from [Polyphemus], but in one stride he clutched at my companions...and beat their brains out” (9. 277-80). Recognizing that the cyclops was too strong for Odysseus to take down with force alone, he uses
…show more content…
In fact, his wife, Penelope, acquires much of the same cleverness, which is displayed in how she fends off her suitors who want to take her husband’s fortune. In her scheme, she tells her suitors she is “weaving a shroud..for Laertes, her father-in-law” (Holt 697), and that she would marry one of the suitors when she finished. Penelope, not intending on being unfaithful to her husband, wove the shroud everyday and “every night by torchlight..unwove it” (Holt 697). For three years, she convinces her suitors that she is not quite done, stalling, as she waits for her husband to return to
This shows that Odysseus’ self-serving nature extends beyond material greed into the equally sinful realm of pride. In a classic display of hubris, Odysseus taunts the Cyclopes fulfilling the sole purpose of stroking Odysseus’s ego. At first it appears that our hero is lacking foresight, but Odysseus tells Polyphemus his name in hopes that tales of his cunning will spread throughout Greece: a very selfish goal, directly resulting in the endangerment of the lives of both him and his men throughout the remainder of their travels.
Odysseus’ recklessness and resourcefulness are predominant traits apparent in the Cyclops episode. When trapped in the Cyclops’ cave and after four men have already been devoured, Odysseus comes up with a cunning plan to escape. They cannot simply kill Polyphemus while he is sleeping and run away, due to the ‘huge boulder rolled across the mouth of the cave. Instead, he uses the resources available to him by getting Polyphemus drunk before sharpening the Cyclops’ staff, heating it in the fire, and stabbing it in his eye, blinding him. This is an extremely reckless undertaking, as it further enrages Polyphemus.
Odysseus and some of his men went to investigate to see what these Cyclops were like. Unfortunately, they stumbled upon a Cyclops that had no intention of being nice. His name was Polyphemus who was the son of Poseidon. He took Odysseus’s men and ate them every night and would keep Odysseus and his men hostage. Odysseus made a clever escape and blinded the Cyclops. When Odysseus finally made it back on the ship with the remaining men that went along with him, Odysseus got a little too angry and shouted from the ship to Polyphemus and insulted him. Polyphemus prayed to the god, Poseidon and cursed Odysseus. This was on page 77, lines 526-533, book
Gentle waves lap against the Ithacian shore line as Odysseus has finally reached his native homeland. Rumors of the great turmoil that has rocked Odysseus' home land and house has reached him abroad. After hearing the news, he decides to don a beggar's disguise and so forth begins the great test. When the disguised Odysseus in Homer's great epic poem, The Odyssey, converses with her wife Penelope in Book nineteen, he tests her loyalty to her husband' s honor and her love of her missing husband.
Homer’s Odyssey challenges the common view on deception as employed only maliciously. Both a mortal, Odysseus, and one of the most revered goddesses, Athena, have the common noble goal of bringing Odysseus back home to his family after nearly two decades of absence. To achieve that goal, they mainly use deception and disguise in various forms that their physical and mental powers allow. Odysseus is famous for wittily deceiving others through verbal means, fact noted by Menelaus and Helen of Troy (Book 4). He even doubts Athena, as his own skills have made him doubt other’s honesty. Athena states after realizing Odysseus’s disbelief, “Would not another wandering man, in joy, make haste home to his wife and children? Not you, not yet” (8. 420-422). Odysseus wants to make sure that Athena gives him substantial evidence regarding his family and being back because “empty words are evil” (4. 891). After this exchange, when Odysseus knows him and Athena are on the same team, they use those skills to uncover the truth of matters or people’s character and return home.
The utilization of lies assists Odysseus in executing the plans he creates to get revenge on the Suitors. In “Chaos, Order, and Cunning in the Odyssey,” the author mentions the lies Odysseus states and their importance throughout the rest of the epic. As Odysseus returns to Ithaca, he tells lies to Penelope, the Suitors, his loyal servants, and numerous others. Heatherington mentions how The Odyssey is “a poem so much concerned with the questions ‘Who are you? Where do you come from?’ since, if he answers wrongly, the disorders he is trying to right can only get worse, not better” (Heatherington 229). Therefore, Odysseus has to be careful with what he chooses to tell certain individuals in order to keep his identity a secret. If Odysseus says one thing wrong the Suitors could become angry
Like Jacob, Odysseus connived, manipulated, and deceived. On his journey home from the Trojan War, Odysseus uses his trickster ways to get himself out of trouble. One famous tail was his encounter with the one-eyed Cyclopes Polyphemous. Odysseus and his crew landed on the land of they Cyclopes. They made themselves at home, eating the cheese and goats of the Cyclopes, fully expecting him to be hospitable. Instead, Cyclops began eating then men as though they were animals themselves. Odysseus and his men were trapped in the cave and Polyphemous rolled a stone over the entrance so no one could exit. Odysseus connived a plan and gave the Cyclopes some wine. When he got drunk and passed out, Odysseus poked out the eye of Polyphemous and completely blinds him. Odysseus and his men escape the cave by clinging to the bellies of sheep (Odyssey, Ch. 9). He also disguised himself as a veteran of a Trojan war to Eumaios, a loyal servant, and as a beggar to his wife and son.
To begin with, Odysseus is an intelligent and clever man. He is a hero because he has the capacity to understand the situations and think through the struggles they are going to face. Odysseus is put against all the odds possible, and at times it seems like the gods are against him. Odysseus tricks the Cyclops, Polyphemus, in a very strategic way and handled the situation effectively. “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, / everyone calls me Nohbdy (Homer 498). Odysseus’ cleverness is brought out because he conceived an idea that would be adequate enough to trick a Cyclops. Later when Polyphemus is stabbed, he screams, “Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked
Odysseus displays his desire for glory through his careless actions during his encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus. The desire for glory Odysseus displays is shown through the words he speaks to Polyphemus. He is a clever character but makes rash decisions that affect the outcome of his original goals and intentions. While Odysseus is trapped inside of the cave of the Cyclops, he begins to taunt Polyphemus. “I called back to the Cyclops, stinging taunts: So, Cyclops, no weak coward it was whose crew you bent to devour three in your vaulted cave—with your brute voice! Filthy crimes came down on your own head, you shameless cannibal” (Fagles, 226). Odysseus was insulting the Cyclops, and those insults caused the rage of the monster to boil over. The Cyclops was already angry with Odysseus blinding him, and was even more demoralized and angry when Odysseus began to taunt him. As Odysseus goes on with his insults and as his anger rises, he says, “Cyclops—if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed—say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, La...
To start, within the course of The Odyssey, Odysseus displays hubris through many of his actions. The most prominent instance in which Odysseus shows hubris is while he and his men are trying to escape from the Cyclops Polyphemus. They drug the monster until it passes out, and then stab him with a timber in his single eye. Polyphemus, now blinded, removes the gigantic boulder blocking Odysseus’ escape, and waits for the men to move, so he can kill them. The men escape from the cave to their boat by tying themselves under flocks of rams, so they can easily slip by. Odysseus, now proud after beating the giant, starts to yell at Polyphemus, instead of making a silent escape. Odysseus’ men ask him to stop before Polyphemus would “get the range and lob a boulder” (436). But Odysseus shows hubris by saying that if they were to meet again, Odysseus would “take your life” and “hurl you down to hell!” (462; 463). Polyphemus, now extremely angry with Odysseus, prays to his father, Poseidon, to make Odysseus “never see his home” again, and after which, throws a mountain towards the sound of Odysseus’ voice. (470). Because of Odysseus’ hubris after blinding Polyphemus, Poseidon grants the prayer, and it takes Odysseus 20 years to return home, at the cost of the lives of all his men.
According to a study conducted by the University of Massachusetts, 60% of people cannot hold a ten-minute conversation without lying at least once (Benjamin). Whether these lies are crucial to the discussion or not, they can ultimately impact the outcomes people hope for. The Odyssey, written by Homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald is a timeless tale full of dishonor and lies, many of which positively impact a man’s fate. The epic entails an archetypal hero, who is on the journey of a lifetime, fighting to get back to his home. Through his characters, Homer illustrates that lies and dishonesty is pivotal to many of the desirable outcomes found throughout the story.
In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus fails as a leader by prioritizing his reputation over his crew’s safety after defeating the cyclops Polyphemus. In the story, Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, travels to Troy to fight against the Trojans. On his journey back to Ithaca, a string of damaging incidents lead him to a mysterious island, which he later discovers is inhabited by the murderous cyclops Polyphemus. His crew manages to escape the cyclops, but not before Polyphemus kills several of Odysseus’s crew. Odysseus escapes and could have sailed away peacefully, but he calls out to Polyphemus to suggest that “if anyone, any mortal man, asks you how you got your eye put out, tell him that Odysseus the marauder did it,” (IX, 500-502). This prompts Polyphemus to lob a rock, nearly destroying Odysseus's ship. It is odd that this was
Polyphemus had strength that was no match for men. Odysseus had physical strength, but his real strength is the mind. Odysseus would find himself in many predicaments in which he would have to choose how he will tackle the situation. One such occasion happens to be when Polyphemus captured Odysseus and his men and would not allow them to leave the cave. The boulder is placed in front of thee opening so that none of the men could budge it. The only way out would be to have Polyphemus push the boulder back out of the way. Odysseus must think of a way to make this happen. Odysseus tricked Polyphemus into opening the door by through a series of events. First, Odysseus filled him with wine making him sleepy. Once asleep Odysseus poked his eye with a hot spike. He then tells Polyphemus that no man has tricked you. “And I was filled with laughter to see how like a charm the name deceived them.” (Page 907) Odysseus was well pleased with the way he handled this situation. As an epic simile this line shows how Odysseus must rely on something other than strength, and that he tricked him, like a charm had been used into doing what he needed Polyphemus to do. He used intelligence to get the Cyclops to do as Odysseus would want. Just as Ody...
To begin, one feature that makes Odysseus and epic hero is his intelligence. In order for him to have survived through his journey, he has to have a massive amount of intellect. To have survived a Cyclops is an accomplishment of its own. His ability to think on his feet and to plan situations and ability to make a right decision in horrid environments has helped him survive throughout his disastrous journey. When he is trapped by the Cyclops, Polyphemus, he has to carve, smooth, and sharpen a gigantic spear-shaped-pole out of a large tree that he and his strongest men would then use it on the Cyclops to blind it. In order to follow through with his plan, Odysseus has to sedate him. He gives Polyphemus an extremely strong wine, in which Polyphemus asks him his name. Odysseus replies: “My name is Nohbdy; mother, father, friends, everyone call me Nohbdy”(9.274-9.275) When the Cyclops passes out, Odysseus and four of his strongest men stab Polyphemus in his eye with the sharpened pole that he and his men ...
Homer’s The Odyssey is a Greek story that follows the journey of its primary character, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus encounters many challenges in his journey home, from encounters with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the witch Circe and even the ghosts of dead Greeks. Meanwhile, his household in Ithaca is being threatened by suitors of his wife, Penelope, all wanting to inherit Odysseus’ possessions in the belief that he was already dead. Like many epic heroes, Odysseus possesses many admirable qualities. Three good characteristics of Odysseus are—cleverness, bravery and strength—here are some supporting instances from the epic that demonstrates Odysseus possession of such characteristics.