Although Odysseus possesses many heroic attributes, he also possesses characteristics detrimental to himself and the people around him. Odysseus, a strong and admired warrior, tries to return home after fighting in the Trojan War for over 10 years. However, Odysseus’ journey home is catastrophic for his men and is prolonged because he can’t overcome his excessive arrogance, anger, and stubbornness. These characteristics are intertwined with each other blinding Odysseus’ judgement. Although these characteristics are required in a heroic figure, they cannot be all-consuming and control a person’s actions as it does with Odysseus. Because of the immense hardship and unnecessary danger on his journey home, one would think a so-called “hero” would change, although he does not. Even after returning home to Ithaca, Odysseus repeatedly displays these flaws. Odysseus’ character flaws are like the protective armor he wears in battle. Although many people perceive Odysseus as a hero, his arrogance, anger, and stubbornness cause him to be stripped of the name hero.
Throughout the epic poem, Odysseus displays an immense amount of arrogance. His wanting for kleos and fame has caused him many hardships and prolongs his journey. Odysseus does little to control his arrogance throughout the epic poem and thus he develops little in this area. Odysseus’ excessive arrogance is portrayed many times in this epic poem. Homer vividly illustrates the arrogant nature of Odysseus in the encounter with the Cyclops. At the beginning of Odysseus’ long journey home, he and his crew are captured and held captive in the Cyclops’ cave. Odysseus, being a great mastermind, was able to escape with most of his crew.
As they are escaping in their ship, Odysseus, like a moth drawn to a flame, cannot resist the temptation to taunt his foe and gloat his glory. Odysseus with an arrogant tone says, “I called back to the Cyclops, stinging taunts: “So, Cyclops no weak coward it was whose crew you bent to devour there in your vaulted cave-you with your brute force! Your filthy crimes came down on your own head, you shameless cannibal daring to eat your guest in your own house-so Zeus and the other gods have paid you back!” (236).Odysseus uses words that he knows will enrage the Cyclops, “no weak coward it was”, indicating how the foolish Cyclops underestimated Odysseus’ greatness and how guests should be invited for dinner, not the main course.
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Odysseus continuously taunts the Cyclops. Odysseus, with his final taunt states with great satisfaction, “Cyclops if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shame you so –say Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye” (227). Odysseus wanted the Cyclops to live knowing who took his eye and by doing so will gain kleos. In addition, Odysseus states, “shame you so” which indicates that Odysseus thinks he is smarter than the Cyclops by taking his prized possession, his eye. Odysseus also glorifies himself by stating, “Odysseus, raider of cities” (227). Odysseus thinks he has “won” the battle against the Cyclops, although he didn’t think about the possible consequences.
The Cyclops is Poseidon’s son. As a result of the taunting, the Cyclops knows who took his eye and requests Poseidon to prevent Odysseus from reaching Ithaca or return him as a broken man, his crew lost, and alone without his own ship. By taunting the Cyclops, Odysseus puts himself and his crew in unnecessary danger. Odysseus’ arrogance prolongs his journey home back to Ithaca. After Odysseus and his crew escape from the Cyclops, they find their way to Circe’s island. Circe, a great goddess, gives Odysseus advice about his journey home. Circe sees two possibilities. One path is to sail by Scylla, a six-headed monster, and lose some of his crew or go to the path with Charybdis, a deadly whirlpool, and lose all of his crew. She advises him to sail as quickly as he can pass Scylla, and not fight her. His arrogance prevents him from listening and taking the advice and he chooses to do things his own way.
Odysseus states with great pride, “But now I cleared my mind of Circe’s orders-cramping my style, urging me not to arm at all. I donned my heroic armor, seized long spears. In both my hands and marched out on the half-deck” (278). The word cramping suggests that Odysseus is stubborn arrogance and doesn’t want to listen to the advice of a goddess. Odysseus opts to do things his own way and not take the advice of the goddess. The word heroic suggests Odysseus believes his armor is a hero’s suit. “seized long spears. In both my hands” symbolizes Odysseus’ aggressive arrogant nature and how he felt invincible. Normally, a warrior would carry a spear in one hand for offense and a shield in the other for defense. Homer’s depiction of Odysseus grasping two spears and putting on his armor provides the reader with a vivid picture of his arrogance thinking he is invincible. Unlike a true hero, Odysseus’ arrogance places his men in jeopardy.
Odysseus displays uncontrollable anger throughout his journey. Odysseus displays intense angry when it may not be appropriate for the situation. After Odysseus returns home to Ithaca, he encounters over a hundred suitors seeking his wife’s hand in marriage. The suitors have intruded on his estate eating his food, drinking his wine, and living in his house. Odysseus’ disgust for the opportunistic suitors grows into an uncontrollable rage. Odysseus devises a plan to do away with all the suitors. Although one could argue that the suitors’ deaths were justifiable, Odysseus’ plan to brutally kill the suitors and dismember their bodies go far beyond being justifiable. While trying to sleep one night, Odysseus’ anger overwhelms him. Homer expresses the scene in a Homeric simile.
Homer states, “But he himself kept tossing, turning, intent as a cook before some white-hot blazing fire who rolls his sizzling sausage back and forth packed with fat and blood…” (411). Homer’s words provide a clear picture of Odysseus’ anger. When Homer writes, “white-hot blazing” reflects the intensity of Odysseus’ anger. Odysseus’ anger is so intense that it was as if his bed was a grill, his anger was the white-hot flame, and Odysseus was the sausage being rolled back and forth on the grill in the fat and blood of his suitors. Odysseus’ anger is uncontrollable. A true hero controls their anger and makes sure their actions are appropriate for the situation. In addition, Odysseus is not satisfied with killing his enemies, he must brutally dismember their bodies. Homer provides a very graphic picture, “They hauled him out through the doorway, into the court, lopped his nose and ears with a ruthless knife, tore his genitals out for the dogs to eat raw” (454).
To cut-off someone’s appendages out of anger is immoral and unlike a characteristic of a true hero. Although Odysseus wanted the suitors to feel the pain that they have caused him. However, the immense pain and indignity Odysseus inflicts on his enemies because of his anger is unjustifiable and inhuman. The word ruthless suggests that Odysseus’ anger is so great that he cannot show any pity or compassion. Also, Odysseus does not consider the possible ramifications of his actions. The disrespecting of a person remains may invoke retaliation and revenge by the person’s relatives. This could jeopardize Odysseus, his relativities, and his friends. Odysseus’ lack of common sense and control of his anger is another un-hero like characteristic.
Odysseus’ stubbornness causes the death of many of his men and places himself and his men in unnecessary danger. Odysseus stubbornness is a constant theme from the beginning of the epic poem to the end. Prior to the physical contact with the Cyclops, Odysseus’ men begged him to take the cheeses and lambs and leave the Cyclops’ cave but Odysseus will not listen. Odysseus’ men states, “Let’s make away with the cheeses, then come back—hurry dive the lambs and kids from the pens to our swift ship, put out to sea at once! But I would not give way—” (216).
Odysseus’ stubborn nature will not let him leave. He is driven to see the inhabitant of the cave although he knows it a monster and his staying will put himself and in men in unnecessary danger. Reflecting back, Odysseus knows his stubbornness made him make a poor decision. Odysseus states, “But I would not give way—and how much better it would have been—not till I saw him, saw what gifts he’d give. But he proved no lovely sight to my companions” (218). Homer’s reference to “gifts he’d give” and “no lovely sight to my companions” referrers to the Cyclops brutally killing then eating two of his men. Although Odysseus acknowledges that his stubbornness has caused the death of his men and prolonged his journey, he does not learn to temper his stubbornness. Odysseus again shows excessive stubbornness as he continues his journey home.
Homer displays this in a scene between Circe goddess or Aeaea and Odysseus. Circe states, “So Stubborn!’ the lovely goddess countered. ‘Hell-bent yet again on battle and feats of arms? Can’t you bow to the deathless gods themselves?” (275). Odysseus is so stubborn and set in his ways, he will not listen to others. The word hell-bent suggests the intensity of Odysseus’ stubbornness to fight the monster. Odysseus although given advice by a goddess, an entity superior to a mortal, will not change his mind even for the gods. A hero would listen to the advice of others and use that to make a decision.
In the epic story of the Odyssey, Odysseus is often thought of as a heroic figure, but is he? Throughout this epic poem, many characters refer to Odysseus as a hero. Although his achievements are great, the flaws in his character distort his judgment. Because Odysseus is so self-consumed he does not consider the wellbeing of others. Odysseus’ excessive arrogance, anger, and stubbornness prolongs his journey home and places him and his men in unnecessary danger. His leadership and orders are unduly influenced by these character flaws. As Odysseus journeys home, his poor decisions cost him the lives of his men. Because he cannot change and learn from his previous mistakes, all his men are eventually lost prior to reaching Ithaca. Important elements of a hero are selflessness, humility, and patience which are lacking in Odysseus. Odysseus’ lack of heroic characteristics does not categorize him as a hero.
