In “The Odyssey”, Odysseus’s hubris is an advantage because it tricks individuals into viewing the almighty epic hero as more of an iconic and courageous figure. When Odysseus and his crew, cleverly fight off and get past the horrendous cyclops Polyphemus, Odysseus bravely taunts the beast to make sure he knows never to attack him or his crew again. In fury, Polyphemus pounds out to Odysseus’s boat, forcing Odysseus to get the “longest boat hook out” and begin “fending off” his crew (95-96). This act of fearlessness shows Odysseus’s crew that he’s willing to protect them for the future, even if that means sacrificing his own safety. Any other person would’ve taken that get out of jail free card, and quickly got off the island, waiting like bait for Polyphemus to strike again.
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Later on in their journey, on the island of Aeolia, Aeolus, the wind God, gives Odysseus a bag of all the stormy winds to prevent any potential harm to the Ithacans. Odysseus doesn't tell his crew about the bag of winds, for he doesn't want them to have anything else to worry about except for getting home. Foolishly, “the suspicious and curious sailors open the bag, and the evil winds roar up into hurricanes” (pg. 757). This act of stupidity, on the crews part, only makes Odysseus look like a greater hero. No one would ever find out that Odysseus knew about the bag of wind; he could just say a massive storm hit. This event just adds more to Odysseus's impressive resume. He already won the Trojan war, defeated a massive cyclops, and survived for years going from island to island. What else did this great hero have to offer? Well, it didn’t end there; Odysseus's hubris just kept making the epic hero look even more epic. Ready to finally go home, “the Ithacans set off. But Odysseus never reveals to them Circe’s last prophecy-that he will be the only survivor of their long journey”
Later on in their journey, on the island of Aeolia, Aeolus, the wind God, gives Odysseus a bag of all the stormy winds to prevent any potential harm to the Ithacans. Odysseus doesn't tell his crew about the bag of winds, for he doesn't want them to have anything else to worry about except for getting home. Foolishly, “the suspicious and curious sailors open the bag, and the evil winds roar up into hurricanes” (pg. 757). This act of stupidity, on the crews part, only makes Odysseus look like a greater hero. No one would ever find out that Odysseus knew about the bag of wind; he could just say a massive storm hit. This event just adds more to Odysseus's impressive resume. He already won the Trojan war, defeated a massive cyclops, and survived for years going from island to island. What else did this great hero have to offer? Well, it didn’t end there; Odysseus's hubris just kept making the epic hero look even more epic. Ready to finally go home, “the Ithacans set off. But Odysseus never reveals to them Circe’s last prophecy-that he will be the only survivor of their long journey”