When braving the sea and facing throngs of daunting tasks while leading a crew, one must be an excellent leader. Odysseus, the Greek hero featured in Homer's the Odyssey, has to find his way home after a ten-year Trojan War. Along the way, he encounters many ferocious beasts and arduous challenges that he must triumph over. With the trust of his crew, he has a responsibility to get them home safely. Overall, Odysseus is an unsuccessful leader because he puts their lives in danger, does not stop them from making bad decisions, and he cannot prevent any casualties.
Numerous times, Odysseus endangers his crew for his own selfish desires. When entering the Cyclops' cave, his men suggest that they should quickly take supplies and leave, but Odysseus refuses because he "wished to see the cave man, what he had to offer – no pretty sight, it turned out, for my friends" (153). In the same story, Odysseus wants to once again bask in his own ego by informing him of the men who his defeater was. Once out of the cave, Odysseus sours his sweet victory by turning back, taunting the Cyclops and saying "'Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquires how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes' son, whose …show more content…
When the men need to pass through Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus "sent them towards Scylla" and he "told them nothing, as they could do nothing" (620). Similarly, Odysseus knows the danger of stopping at Thrinacia, Helios' island, but he gives into his men. When they come across the island, Odysseus says they should pass it, but eventually "hunger drove them to scour the shore" (687). To be a strong leader, one must make the right decision, even if it is the harder one. Conclusively, Odysseus could not protect his crew. He knew that the men were likely to get killed in both circumstances, yet he let them go through with
Numerous times, Odysseus endangers his crew for his own selfish desires. When entering the Cyclops' cave, his men suggest that they should quickly take supplies and leave, but Odysseus refuses because he "wished to see the cave man, what he had to offer – no pretty sight, it turned out, for my friends" (153). In the same story, Odysseus wants to once again bask in his own ego by informing him of the men who his defeater was. Once out of the cave, Odysseus sours his sweet victory by turning back, taunting the Cyclops and saying "'Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquires how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes' son, whose …show more content…
When the men need to pass through Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus "sent them towards Scylla" and he "told them nothing, as they could do nothing" (620). Similarly, Odysseus knows the danger of stopping at Thrinacia, Helios' island, but he gives into his men. When they come across the island, Odysseus says they should pass it, but eventually "hunger drove them to scour the shore" (687). To be a strong leader, one must make the right decision, even if it is the harder one. Conclusively, Odysseus could not protect his crew. He knew that the men were likely to get killed in both circumstances, yet he let them go through with