Summary Of Odysseus Trojan War

Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus’ Trojan War comrades return home and celebrate Odysseus as a hero and leader, while mourning his loss at sea. According to his fellow commanders, like Menelaus, Odysseus demonstrates strength, courage and restraint. In Ithaca, preceding the war, Odysseus enjoyed a reputation of being a kind and merciful king, adored by his people. However when voyaging home after the war, Odysseus displays his stubbornness when faced with decision making, and his overarching need for self-glory and prestige.
Following a daring escape from the cyclops’ lair, Odysseus and his men flee the island. Odysseus tricks the cyclops, by referring to himself as ‘Nobody’ to avoid being caught by other cyclopes. However, he is so proud of …show more content…
On the island of Aeaea, Eurylochus, Odysseus’ second in command, questions Odysseus’ leadership and blames him for the death of the men lost to the cyclops. Furious at being publicly challenged, Odysseus wishes to punish Eurylochus and has an urge to “slice his head off, tumbling down in the dust, close kin that he was.” The violent act of decapitation that Odysseus considers in response to his authority being questioned, reflects how highly Odysseus values his own reputation. Not only does he want to kill Eurylochus, but also he wishes to disgrace Eurylochus by leaving his head in the ‘dust’. Odysseus may not act on his grisly impulses, but the fact that he does not hesitate to slaughter a family member shows how fiercely Odysseus will protect his reputation. It is never dignified, and even shameful for a commander to lose men. The loss of men on the cyclops’ island is one reason behind Odysseus’ ferocity when being held responsible for the lives of those who died at the hands of the cyclops. Unlike the previous interaction with his men, when sailing away from Polyphemus, Odysseus allows his men to prevent him from hurting Eurylochus. But Odysseus’ docile nature is not a sign that he has become any less stubborn. The sole reason Odysseus does not kill Eurylochus is that he does not want to seem cruel, or taint his reputation as a leader and a person. Once again, Odysseus’ actions are rooted in his quest …show more content…
Fixated on earning glory, Odysseus makes a series of questionable decisions, such as taunting the cyclops and ignoring the warnings of powerful Circe. Odysseus is both stubborn and impulsive when trying to secure fame for himself, endangering his men one moment and then attempting to protect them the next. With an intense craving for prestige that is even visible to the Sirens, Odysseus truly displays his motivations within this stint of his journey. It is clear that the iron-willed Odysseus desires power and is persistent on his quest to obtain