Arrogance Quotes In Odysseus

Improved Essays
Have you ever spent nearly 20 years trying to reach one goal? Have you’ve heard the great story of The Odyssey by Homer? This is a heroic story of a man and his determination to return to his homeland and to his family. Odysseus, the heroic man, that endures different obstacles that are in his way in order to return home to the life he once had. Throughout his journey, Odysseus loses friends and encounters Greek gods. Odysseus’ bravery and strength helped him overcome his arrogance in order to overcome the obstacles that prevent him from returning home. Odysseus shows arrogance as one of his characteristics in the story, The Odyssey by Homer. One example of this is when in part 1 of the text, Odysseus and his crew encounters a Cyclops on …show more content…
When Odysseus was in the underworld he needed his strength to go on after seeing his mother was there. He endured physical pain from the heat and burning there as shown in the movie. Through the story more obstacles come about and at one point Odysseus’ crew asked him about how he still has strength saying, “Are you flesh and blood, Odysseus, to endure more than a man can? Do you ever tire? God look at you, iron is what you’re made of. Here we all are, half dead with weariness, falling asleep over the oars…” (Line 162-166, Part 2) They’re saying that they don’t understand how Odysseus still has strength after all they have gone through and how he still has the energy to be super determined to get home. An example of his strength is when in part 2 of the story Odysseus’ ship was hit by Zeus’ lightning bolt and Odysseus managed to survive for 9 days by himself while holding onto a piece of his wrecked boat until he washed ashore an island. In order to survive, he had to drift past Scylla and across the sea. This required a lot of strength in order to hold onto the piece of wrecked boat for 9 days. Finally, when Odysseus was returned to his homeland of Ithaca with help from the island people he had met when he washed up on to their island he hadn’t gotten his life back yet. Odysseus was gone for a long time and during that time rude suitors for his wife moved into his house. In order to get his life back he needed to get rid of the suitors so he could have his family back. When Odysseus reunited with his son they made a clever plan. Odysseus was disguised as a beggar and a Bow competition was held in Odysseus’ house hold and whoever won would marry his wife. Before the competition Odysseus removed all weapons from the room and during the competition when it was his turn the suitors all laughed but “Odysseus in one motion strung the bow. Then slid his right hand down the cord and plucked it...”

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    In “The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus, King of Ithaca, goes through several obstacles on his journey home after a long fight in the Trojan War. The “Hero's Journey” by Jason Campbell represents an outline of what Odysseus must go through to deem himself a king and hero. Through the epic, readers learn how important each stage of the Hero's Journey is to Odysseus and his need to become a hero. There are three main events Odysseus goes through to meet requirements of the “Hero's Journey.” These requirements are: Entering the Unknown, Allies/Helpers, and he is put through Tests and Supreme Ordeal.…

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus demonstrates bravery as a trait of exceptional leadership when he fearlessly rescues his crewman from Circe’s potion. Despite seeing the “blinding tears” and “dry lips” of one of his crewmen, Eurylokhos, after returning for Circe’s hall, Odysseus decides to visit anyway and rescue his crewman from the unknown. When Eurylokhos arrives in a frantic state near the ship where Odysseus awaits the return of his men; Odysseus remains calm after he discovers his men are in danger, he “ [sees] nothing for it but to go” and rushes to the rescue (Homer 173, line 300-301). He “ [takes] the inland path alone” to arrive at Circe’s hall in the most effective amount of time where his men are held captive by…

    • 190 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Shared Characteristics of Odysseus and Everett In O Brother, Where Art Thou, the main character Ulysses Everett goes through a journey with two of his friends to find his way back home. Everett expresses that he is full of pride and arrogance based on the actions and choices he makes on his journey. Odysseus, the protagonist from the Odyssey, shows that he is controlling and full of pride when he accomplishes his goals and becomes a hero. Everett is a worthy representation of Odysseus because they are both arrogant, controlling on their journey, and loyal to their men.…

    • 720 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Odysseus's greatest fault was his pride which first gets him in trouble at the beginning of the book. When he refuses to give credit to the Gods after defeating Troy, this angers the Gods which leads to his trip home being extended by almost 20 years. During his journey home, Odysseus encounters many monsters and Gods that teach him a lesson on the sin of pride. The sin of pride leads to many of Odysseus mishaps some of these most significant and humbling misshapes where, when some of his men ran into the lotus eaters, when he encounters the Sirens,and his encounter with Scylla and Charybdis.…

    • 739 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Odysseus needs to look like a beggar so he can go into his manor unnoticed from the suitors. If the suitors were to find him they would surely kill him because there are 40 suitors and only one of him. “God! What evil wind blew in this pest?” (XVII 585-586) Antinous says this to Odysseus while he begs in the palace.…

    • 579 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Essay On Odysseus Journey

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages

    “Odysseus’ Journey” The epic poem we all know shows much detail of struggles that is being thrown at the ‘Teller of Tales’ Odysseus. “The Odyssey” by Homer shows that Odysseus goes through so many things to get back home to his wife Penelope on the land of Ithaca, but which part is most importantly impacted on the hero? A hero’s qualities are most defined by his journey and adventure, not the end of it. Through the book, beginning to end Odysseus mostly shows Loyalty, Intelligence and Leadership.…

    • 746 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    Odysseus Bravery Analysis

    • 1452 Words
    • 6 Pages

    He first shows us his intellect by demonstrating his ability to comprehend the supremacy of the gods. Even though in the beginning of his hero’s journey Odysseus’s flaw was his hubris, he came to realize his weakness and modify his attitude to have more piety. One instance when we see this change in his faith with the gods is when he trusts Aiolos to not open the bag of winds. Then he listens to the advice of Tiresias to not eat the flock of cattle of the Sun God on Thrinakia, which ultimately saves his life. The fact Odysseus is able to realize the gods are the almighty beings to mortals is key to his survival.…

    • 1452 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    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.…

    • 788 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    We see Odysseus pride when he taunts Polyphemus and subsequently Posidon sending storms Odysseus way relates to the biblical principles that pride goes before destruction. We see when Odysseus crew members eating Helios cattle relates to the biblical principle on falling into temptation brings ruin and…

    • 47 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Greek epic, The Odyssey, is a story of Odysseus, a war hero whom, after the Trojan War, had to find his way home to Ithaca. On his journey, he comes upon many perils, afflicting his crew and himself. His journey lasts twenty years, and the story consists of many different islands. The Odyssey can be interpreted as an allegory for the curiosity and temptations people face in life, as Odysseus must keep himself and his men from the Lotus Eaters, and Sirens, who lure them away from their voyage, and the Cyclops, who Odysseus meets out of curiosity.…

    • 878 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Along the expedition home, Odysseus displays his glory by showing off his pride and confidence. While the Trojan War was beginning to die down, Odysseus formulated a plan to spark the war back and leave victoriously. This action lead Odysseus to act in a more positive and self-assured way, which he reveals in the poem. For example, Homer says “of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy” (1.2-5). This quote reveals that Odysseus had the idea to give a wooden horse to the Trojans, as a gift, when it was really used to end the war.…

    • 950 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The gods all know Odysseus is impulsive and arrogant, so they allow Poseidon to test him, and becomes Odysseus’s biggest enemy because of that. Odysseus’s narcissism and egotism makes Odysseus stumble upon many obstacles and fail before he succeeds in his return to Ithaca, and as he tells the story of his wanderings, he finally realizes…

    • 1566 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In The Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, shows many characteristics that help him throughout the story. He shows strength by overcoming hard obstacles. He shows courage by never giving up. He also shows clever by figuring out a way to escape many obstacles. Odysseus has many other characteristics, but in my opinion, these are the most important.…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    When Odysseus was traveling past the sirens his men were the ones who were being lured down to their own deaths, but Odysseus withstood them. “I had stopped the ears of my crew with wax, and I alone listened while lashed to the mast, powerless to steer toward shipwreck.” This means that he became a hero by strapping himself to his boat so he couldn't steer, all after filling the ears of the men on his crew with wax so they could not hear…

    • 451 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    While the men were heading back to Ithaca, Zeus sent a massive storm to wreck their ship. Odysseus described this by stating, “Zeus… with thunder and lightning together crashed on our vessel… my men were thrown in the water… and the god took away their homecoming,” (XII: 415-419). This scene is significant because Zeus completely changed the companions’ fate. Instead of letting them sail back home safely and reunite with their families as they planned to, Zeus broke apart their ship and let the men drown. However, this scene is also significant because Odysseus was able to use his godlike strength to change the fate the gods planned for him.…

    • 1767 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Superior Essays