The Odysseus Reaction

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Odysseus Reacts
(A discussion of how Odysseus reacts to the three souls he meets) Odysseus seems to react to everything and sometimes not in a positive way. When Odysseus escapes from Polyphemus, he gets on the boat and starts shouting at him and screaming his name which was a complete over reaction. Also, when Odysseus is trapped in the cave with the cyclopes he gets mad and demands that they be let go or Zeus will punish Polyphemus. Odysseus’ reacts to the three souls, Elpenor, Anticlea, and Tiresias different and the somewhat the same and he displays that he is compassionate. When Odysseus meets Elpenor, he weeps for him and shows compassion. After Elpenor first shows up, Odysseus weeps for pity. “Now when is saw him there I wept for …show more content…

Anticlea is Odysseus’ mother and before he left on his journey, she was alive. It was somewhat horrifying to Odysseus to see his mother dead. “Now came the soul of anticlea, dead, my mother, daughter of Autolycus, dead now, though living still when I took ship to Troy.” Textbook 2 pg. 1067. When Anticlea spoke to Odysseus he just wept and never replied. Unlike Elpenor, Odysseus doesn’t speak too his mother. Although, He does feel sorrowful with both spirits. Again, Odysseus shows his compassion to the spirit by weeping for them. Going to the underworld was easier for him then leaving it because the things the spirits tell him and the things he feels. To a degree, it can be claimed that Odysseus is bitter towards Anticlea because he puts his head down at the sight of her and refuses to speak even a word. Odysseus’ reaction to Tiresias is quite different from the other two. Tiresias makes Odysseas feel hopeful and that everything will turn out fine in the end. A special out of the ordinary sacrifice was made to Tiresias from Odysseus. “. . .as for Tiresias, I swore to sacrifice a black lamb, handsomest of all our flock.” Textbook 2 pg. 1065. Not only does Odysseus offer that sacrifice, but he listens and believes what Tiresias foretells. Tiresias brings out good qualities in Odysseus. Odysseus shows that he is caring, hopeful, intelligent, and a couple other things that he only

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