The Odyssey Argumentative Essay

376 Words1 Page

Michael Cafone
Mahoney/Hardenburgh
English 9-8
14 November 2017
Odyssey Summative Writing Odysseus is an epic hero because he is like a “superhuman”, he is far superior to a regular man. He is very intelligent, strong, and clever. He is so much like a god that the gods have taken notice of Odysseus. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, all the gods favor Odysseus, but Poseidon. Poseidon dislikes Odysseus because he harmed his son cyclops. During Odysseus’ fight with the cyclops, Athena helped Odysseus by giving him, “The pike of olive, green though it had been reddened, and glowed as if about to catch… So with our brand we bored that great eye socket” (Homer The Odyssey 279-289). Athena’s is the goddess of wisdom, her symbol is an olive branch. Since she is smart, she knew Odysseus would need something to blind the Cyclops, but not kill him, since they needed him to move a big boulder out of the way to escape that only he can move. When Athena places the olive branch near Odysseus, he knew exactly what to do right away because he is very intelligent. He stabs the branch into the cyclops eye, and baits him to move the boulder out of the way. This displays Odysseus’ …show more content…

This hubris causes Odysseus trouble on his journey home. Odysseus did not tell the cyclops his name during his time on the island. While leaving the island his hubris gets the best of him and he shouts, ‘Cyclops if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus raider of the cities took your eye: Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca!’ (Homer The Odyssey 408-412). The cyclops now knows Odysseus’ name and asks his father to make his journey home impossible. Poseidon is the worst god to anger, he is the god of the sea and the god of the earthquake. This was bad for Odysseus since his only way home is by boat. This represents how Odysseus’ hubris causes him major trouble on his way

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