The Free Will Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

The name Odysseus means “he who gives or receives pain”, is this name true for the character Odysseus in The Odyssey by Homer? Odysseus exemplifies this definition in numerous ways, first by blinding the Cyclops, killing the suitors as well as being separated from his family for twenty years. In this epic Odysseus is not exempt from pain and clearly inflicts pain on others. In the Odyssey by Homer, portions of the Call including divine intervention, the Challenge where he faces Polyphemus, and the Return when he comes home to face both his dog and the suitors, all of which have the deepest impact on Odysseus as an epic hero.

Divine intervention decides Odysseus’s fate in returning home to Ithaca to restore his rule and save his son, Telemachus.

After escaping the wrath of the Cyclops, Odysseus boasts, “Cyclops- if any man on the face of the Earth should ask you who blinded you , shamed you so- says Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca!” (Homer 227). Odysseus’s hubris and hamartia are evident when he boast to the cyclops that he, Odysseus blinded him exemplifying his ignorance and greed. Odysseus wants everyone to know that he beat the mighty Cyclops that tried to eat him. His hubris ends up causing him to face further hardships down the road. When Odysseus uses the phraseology “raider of cities”, it again shows his hubris. Odysseus is especially greedy and believes that he is superior to others. He believes that every man on the face of the Earth should know about his ultimate battle win, proving his overbearing pride. Challenges allow his bad qualities to shine through even though many would change and step up to the game. He goes against the theme of the cliche motto, “treat others the way you want to be treated” and treats the poor, lonely Cyclops like the gum on the bottom of his shoe. What further makes this hardship even worse than just the Cyclops himself is the father of Polyphemus, Poseidon. When Polyphemus tells Poseidon that Odysseus blinded him, Poseidon acts rather rashly and harshly.

Both of these confrontations leave a lasting impact on him. Odysseus is faced with the ultimate emotional struggle, seeing his old dog after twenty years while staying hidden so no one can know his identity. The description of the poor old dog on page 363 states, “It was Argos, long-enduring Odysseus’ dog...he lay there, castaway, on piles of dung from mules and cattle… infested with ticks, half-dead from neglect...but the moment he sensed Odysseus standing by he thumped his tail, nuzzling low, and his ears dropped, though he had no strength to drag himself an inch towards his master” (Homer 363-364). Argos held loyalty very close to his heart which was absolutely outstanding. We see by the picture produced by Homer’s words that specifically show how strong this loyalty was. “Only Argos, who is not human, is unquestionably able to recognize the disguised Odysseus”. This piece of literary criticism helps the readers understand how strong the loyalty and bond is between Odysseus and Argos. The bond between them is unbreakable and undoubtedly strong. After being tested for twenty years it remains as strong as ever. Argos stayed alive while being abused and in terrible conditions just to see his master one last time. From Argos laying on “piles of dung” to “thumping his tail” after showing no signs of happiness until Odysseus comes home. A man’s best friend is truly a man’s