Odysseus Is A Bad Leader Essay

Throughout history our world has seen its fair share of bad and awful leaders. From ones who are unfit to rule, such as Louis XVI; to cruel dictators who use their power for evil, such as Kim Jong Il. Atrocious leaders let their arrogance get in the way of protecting their followers, they also use violence and fear to control others. Odysseus in The Odyssey by Homer is a perfect example of an arrogant ruler, while Jack in Lord of The Flies by William Golding is an example of a leader who uses violence and fear to control others. Odysseus and Jack may be very different, but there is no mistaking that each of these boys are examples of bad rulers.
Throughout the novel Odysseus shows countless characteristics of a bad leader. Poor leaders …show more content…
Odysseus had used intelligence and quick thinking to get out of a tricky situation, his accomplishments made him very arrogant. Because Odysseus said this, he and his crew were cursed. This curse causes harsh winds and rough seas, which prohibit Odysseus and his crew from returning home. If he just left without revealing any of his personal information it seems more than likely that he and his crew could have made it home safely. In this case Odysseus let his arrogance get in the way of protecting his followers, which in turn makes him a lousy leader. Correspondingly Odysseus let his arrogance get the best of him in book twelve. When he ignored the advice from Circe about fighting Scylla, he put his men at great risk. Odysseus chooses not to warn his men about the monster they will be facing, which leaves them greatly unprepared. Soon after Odysseus and his men encountered the monster “‘Scylla pounced down suddenly upon us and snatched up my six best men. I was looking at once after both ship and men, and in a