The paper examines the charcter of Odysseus as it is portrayed by three specific tales that he (Odysseus) relates.
Written in 2007; 1,423 words; 1 sources; MLA; $ 47.95
Paper Summary:
This paper contends that Odysseus is an exceptional orator, telling many stories in the course of his homecoming and constantly adapting his tales to suit his purposes, such as deception or gaining sympathy or glory. The paper further contends that, despite a lack of complete truth in the majority of his yarns, these tales provide the reader with insight into odyssesus' character, pointing out not only his cunning and his wide range of abilities, but also his greed, arrogance, and egocentrism. They also explain his restless, untrusting nature through a combination of island and betrayal motifs. To illustrate this contention, the author discusses three of Odyssesus' stories in particular: Odysseus attempting to secure Alcinous's pity after arriving in Alcinous's palace, Odysseus trying to gain praise by telling the Phaeacians about his journey, and Odysseus speaking to Eumeaus whilst trying to obtain passage into Odysseus's house under a fake identity.
From the Paper:
"These stories also throw light on Odysseus's character, intentionally showing him to be cunning and multi-talented, and unintentionally conveying his greed and arrogance. He displays his ingenuity, recounting his use of the name "Noman" (9) to keep the other giants from helping Polyphemus, and proves himself to be multi-talented by adding sailing to his repertoire of mastered skills: he single-handedly sails his ship for nine days because he "wanted to make good time" (10). In addition to these good traits, however, a darker side of him is inadvertently revealed. Throughout his journey, Odysseus repeatedly makes mistakes that result in the death of his men. Rather than accept the blame for his mistakes, however, he unconsciously reveals his arrogance by redirecting the blame either to his men or to the gods. For example, Odysseus decides to stop along the way to pillage the Cicones because he is too greedy to simply sail home with the loot from Troy, and this pillaging results in the death of many men. His arrogance, however, doesn't allow him to accept that it was his own fault that they died. Therefore, he first blames the men because they didn't pull out fast and then accuses the gods, claiming he and his crew were "cursed by Zeus/To suffer heavy losses" (9). Odysseus's greed and conceit get him in trouble again when he visits Polyphemus. Even though his men say they should "make off with some cheese/And then come back for the lambs and kids,/...and sail away" and despite "a strong premonition" (9) that doing so would be a good idea, Odysseus insists on waiting for the giant, hoping Polyphemus "would give [him] a gift of hospitality" (9). After narrowly escaping death, Odysseus then has the arrogance to yell back, "Cyclops, if anyone, any mortal man,/Asks you how you got your eye put out,/Tell him that Odysseus the marauder did it" (9). It is this arrogance and greed that is at the root of his suffering, sentencing his entire crew to death, and Odysseus to many more years of suffering."
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