In Homer’s “The Odyssey”, Odysseus goes through a twenty year struggle to return back home to Ithaca. Poseidon delayed Odysseus’ homeward return from the Trojan War. Through his long journey to return to his home, his people, and Penelope and Telemachus. Odysseus reveals many virtues and vices, that he struggles with. His men also struggle with vices, which at the end costs them their lives. Vices are immoral and wicked behaviors, things that every human struggles with in their everyday lives. Virtues are high moral standards. All heroes have their positive and negative attributes, that they show through their own Hero’s Journey, and so does Odysseus in “The Odyssey”.
One of Odysseus’ many vices was in (991. 455), after he blinds Polyphemus …show more content…
Odysseus has many virtues that are very helpful on his long journey back to Ithaca. For Odysseus to arrive closer to Ithaca, he and his men would have to sail past the Siren’s island. Odysseus offers to be tied to the mast to hear the sirens, as the men row the boat with wax in their ears. On (1006. 710-715) Odysseus says, “They tied me up, then, plumb amidships, back to the mast, lashed to the mast, and took themselves again to rowing. Soon as we came smartly within hailing distance, the two Sirens, moting our fast ship off their point, made ready, and they sang.” This shows that, Odysseus proved a great deal of loyalty to his men, sacrificing himself so that they could sail passed the Sirens island successfully. Another example of Odysseus using his virtues was when Athena, the goddess of wisdom and courage disguises Odysseus as a beggar and he uses his patience, so he can get his kingdom and Penelope back without being killed by the suitors. On (1026. 1120-1125) the narrator says, “Before long they will stand to right and left of us in combat, in the shouting, when the test comes our nerve against the suitors’ in my hall. Here is your part:at break of day tomorrow home with you, go mingle with our princes. The swineherd later on will take me down the port-side trail a beggar, by my looks, hangdog and old. If they make fun of me in my own courtyard, let your ribs cage up your springing heart, no matter what I suffer,
One of Odysseus’ many vices was in (991. 455), after he blinds Polyphemus …show more content…
Odysseus has many virtues that are very helpful on his long journey back to Ithaca. For Odysseus to arrive closer to Ithaca, he and his men would have to sail past the Siren’s island. Odysseus offers to be tied to the mast to hear the sirens, as the men row the boat with wax in their ears. On (1006. 710-715) Odysseus says, “They tied me up, then, plumb amidships, back to the mast, lashed to the mast, and took themselves again to rowing. Soon as we came smartly within hailing distance, the two Sirens, moting our fast ship off their point, made ready, and they sang.” This shows that, Odysseus proved a great deal of loyalty to his men, sacrificing himself so that they could sail passed the Sirens island successfully. Another example of Odysseus using his virtues was when Athena, the goddess of wisdom and courage disguises Odysseus as a beggar and he uses his patience, so he can get his kingdom and Penelope back without being killed by the suitors. On (1026. 1120-1125) the narrator says, “Before long they will stand to right and left of us in combat, in the shouting, when the test comes our nerve against the suitors’ in my hall. Here is your part:at break of day tomorrow home with you, go mingle with our princes. The swineherd later on will take me down the port-side trail a beggar, by my looks, hangdog and old. If they make fun of me in my own courtyard, let your ribs cage up your springing heart, no matter what I suffer,