‘Odysseus is motivated only by his desire to return home (nostos).’ How far do you agree with this view? (45 marks)
Overall, Odysseus is motivated only by his desire to return home. This is shown in different parts in The Odyssey along with Odysseus’ alternatives motivations.
On the one hand, Odysseus has alternative motivation other than nostos. Odysseus becomes distracted by wanting to gain gifts and rewards from his stopping destinations in the epic. This is clearly seen in Book 9, where he told his men that he wanted to stay to collect gifts and allow the owner of the home to provide good xenia for him and his men. Unfortunately for Odysseus and his crew, this lead him into danger as some of his men were killed by Polyphemus and he endangered the rest of his journey home by chanting words of abuse to Polyphemus. However, it can be debated that without Odysseus receiving gifts from his stopping destination, he may have not achieved nostos. For example, in Book 13, the Phaeacians provide Odysseus with a crew and ship along with treasurable gifts to …show more content…
He relies on their good xenia in order for them to provide him with help. Calypso provides Odysseus with directions and advice along with physical essentials such as food and clothes. She advices him on how to pass Scylla and Charybdis with losing a little amount of men as possible. He received help from Alcinous in book 12, who provided him with a ship and treasures once he told his famous tale of how he arrived in Ithaca. However, at times he abuses xenia for example in Polyphemus’ cave in book 9, where he and his men ate the Cyclops’s cheese before he arrived. Also Aeolus gave him a bag of wind to help him and his crew be on their way, but his men opened the bag which blew them further from Ithaca and back to him. And this time he wasn’t so respectful to them. With the help other, Odysseus was motivated to return
Overall, Odysseus is motivated only by his desire to return home. This is shown in different parts in The Odyssey along with Odysseus’ alternatives motivations.
On the one hand, Odysseus has alternative motivation other than nostos. Odysseus becomes distracted by wanting to gain gifts and rewards from his stopping destinations in the epic. This is clearly seen in Book 9, where he told his men that he wanted to stay to collect gifts and allow the owner of the home to provide good xenia for him and his men. Unfortunately for Odysseus and his crew, this lead him into danger as some of his men were killed by Polyphemus and he endangered the rest of his journey home by chanting words of abuse to Polyphemus. However, it can be debated that without Odysseus receiving gifts from his stopping destination, he may have not achieved nostos. For example, in Book 13, the Phaeacians provide Odysseus with a crew and ship along with treasurable gifts to …show more content…
He relies on their good xenia in order for them to provide him with help. Calypso provides Odysseus with directions and advice along with physical essentials such as food and clothes. She advices him on how to pass Scylla and Charybdis with losing a little amount of men as possible. He received help from Alcinous in book 12, who provided him with a ship and treasures once he told his famous tale of how he arrived in Ithaca. However, at times he abuses xenia for example in Polyphemus’ cave in book 9, where he and his men ate the Cyclops’s cheese before he arrived. Also Aeolus gave him a bag of wind to help him and his crew be on their way, but his men opened the bag which blew them further from Ithaca and back to him. And this time he wasn’t so respectful to them. With the help other, Odysseus was motivated to return