What Was Odysseus's Fatal Flaw in the Odyssey by Homer: Essay

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What Was Odysseus’s Fatal Flaw in the Odyssey by Homer: Essay

Envision a world where everyone is flawless, and it is rare to see errors and flaws in this world. What will that world be like? Many people of the world have adored Greek mythology for centuries. Homer, the author of the Odyssey, displayed a series of entertaining stories with a twist. To understand Greek mythology, you must understand the protagonists and their behaviors. Homer creates a significant leader named Odysseus. Odysseus is a human figure who has close relationships with other Greek Gods. In the story, those little fundamental details reveal how Odysseus handles problems, the outcome of the consequences, and the character flaws of Odysseus.

During the presentation, the notion of Xenia symbolizes importance in the Odyssey. The law of offering protection and hospitality to people connects them, forming bonds and relationships. As discussed, Odysseus and his men vowed to leave by morning, had a party, and drank a lot. Elpenor and the men feasted on the Island every day, but he pushed himself beyond his limits and drank more than he could handle the night before they left. Drunk with wine and finally excited to go home, Elpenor climbed the castle’s roof in Circe, where he fell asleep. He awoke to the sound of a man preparing to leave and hurried back to the ship. He forgot his whereabouts and tried to get up, but he fell and broke his neck. This passage of Elpenor’s death in book X remarks that if Odysseus and his men did not overstay on the Island, would the end of Elpenor be avoided? Was it Elenor’s fault that he was drunk and fell to his death? Why did Odysseus and his men leave without a thorough search? The role of Xenia would be the Host would provide a warm welcome to the place, offer great food, and drinks, and bathe the guests. As a guest, you should honor the Host, bring a present to the Host, and never overstay your visit. Odysseus remained on the land for a year which was more than an extended visit to the Host. Every day, the host had to provide a lot of food for the men to consume. Living on the Island every day meant feasting and partying with the men who had not contributed anything to the Host in return. Another example of wrong Xenia would be the Cyclops as I think the Cyclops were bad hosts by eating Odysseus’ men and asking Odysseus questions when he was uncomfortable. This breaks the rule of generosity and hospitality because, in Greek customs, it was essential to making the guests feel welcome. As projected, the Cyclops is not a heartwarming welcoming creature. Unfortunately, Odysseus and his men were eager to leave due to his extended stay on the Island. Also, they were too excited to see if they had left anything or someone behind because the men were homesick. The themes of events in book X portray Odysseus’ lack of judgment when encountering problems like when he carelessly falls asleep, and his men open the bag of wind gifted by Aeolus, blowing them off to a foreign land and allowing his men to be eaten by the cyclops. It comes back to Xenia that Aeolus has done his job as a host and already tried Odysseus. Odysseus made the careless mistake of creating these sticky situations for future events.

When the men left the Island to seek another journey, Elpenor’s spirit had asked Odysseus to return to the island of Circe, bury his body in his full armor properly, and make an anonymous burial in oars, a sign of his tomb. He asked Odysseus to save his pride. He wanted to kill a prestigious sailor rather than accidentally labeled a drunken man who died. There was no more humiliating death for a warrior than a false death. Elpenor did not die well as a soldier, but he preferred to die like a sailor rather than a drunk man. In ancient Greek tradition, death was not seen as a large partition but as another world people belonged to. It was considered a reward for the deceased. The Greeks believed that the soul embarked on a journey into the underworld after death. A Proper burial ensured a peaceful journey for the dead. Without proper burial, the deceased would not continue their peaceful journey into the underworld. The view of hell comes from ancient Greek literature like the Odyssey, which is a comfortable place. Due to the Greek belief that when a spirit leaves the body, it becomes a slight breeze ready to travel to another world at the moment of death. Going to another world meant going to the underworld. The crew could not find him and left him on the Island. He then reappeared in an ancient ritual performed by Odysseus. The return of Odysseus shows Xenia not only in the living world but also in the underworld. Leading a young man to seek burial to join the other souls of the underworld peacefully. The death of a young man enabled the reform of Odysseus fulfilling his responsibilities as a leader, king, and soldier. Odysseus had many responsibilities as the captain of the crew. As a leader, he must have ensured that his men were adequately guided in their attempts to return home. Of course, Odysseus could have protected at least all his sailors to the best of his ability. In the Elpenor case, he failed. The close reading proves Odysseus’ reaction to Elponor’s death ‘So I spoke, and their proud spirits consented. Yet not even from there could I get my comrades away without loss. The youngest, Elp?n?rneither outstanding in battle nor yet particularly bright-mindedhad lain down apart from his comrades in Kirk?’s house in search of cool air, being heavy with wine, on the roof. Hearing the noise and clatter of his comrades stirring, he got up suddenly, and, quite forgetting that he should make his way back down by way of the long ladder, fell headlong off the roof: his neck was snapped through at the spine, and his ghost went down to Had’s’ realm.’ (Book X 550-555) In this passage, Homer projects to the audience that Odysseus mourns the death of Eleanor unwillingly. The tragic death of Elpenor was a result of Elpenor being too drunk and climbing up the roof. As in Odysseus’ mind, he had caused some part of his death. Other men who died during Odysseus’ journey did not have a proper burial, so why does Elpenor deserve one? I believe that Odysseus saw a reflection of himself that there is too much partying and feasting and that the death of Elponor occurred at the right time. It pulled his attention back to doing the actual business and continuing his journey. He can not stay on the Island forever because he still has a wife and children at home. A king of a ruling kingdom that the people and subjects saw as the future of their prosperity.

Odysseus is glorified for his victory. He wants to make sure he knows that he is the hero. But this sense of pride undermines his goals and has dire consequences for Odysseus. When people are in a fantasy, they forget the potential danger around them. When they realize that the threat is beside them, it is too late to act, and it hits them in the face hard. It is understandable to ignore a person’s minor flaws, but Homer describes Odysseus as having a heroic flaw in Odyssey. This mistake is arrogant and affects his ability to return home. The most extraordinary event caused by his arrogance, which most disturbed Odysseus’ journey, was the encounter between Polyphemus and the angry Poseidon. Another important event was when Odysseus’s men turned into pigs when Odysseus refused to listen to Eurylochus’ warnings. And finally, Odysseus believes he is on top of his crew and is too good to listen to them, which causes many problems. These significant events delayed his journey for an entire year because he stayed at Circe’s Island. Odysseus is controlled by his Hubris, which is why it took him many years to return to his wife and son, who needed him. The most significant impact of Odysseus` Hubris having limited achievement but, liking getting pleasure out of it. This happened because of extreme arrogance and fame that Odysseus had. The last drawback of Odysseus is his stubbornness. Odysseus refuses to hear the words of his companions. Eurylochus warned Odysseus about the dangers that would arise if Odysseus proceeded to go to their Island, but Odysseus went anyway and endangered the lives of his crew. Odysseus betrayed his wife and son and extended his journey home. Odysseus makes him her lover for a year while his companions mourn the house. Odysseus considered only his own needs and needs, not his crew’s requirements and needs. Odysseus also guides his men through dangerous lands facing the same problems. Odysseus loses more and more companions. Odysseus was very flawed, but Odysseus was an excellent hero. Odysseus may be very flawed, but all humans are flawed. This story has shown us that even the best heroes have flaws that make it easier for them to identify with us. Odysseus is flawed, but Odysseus should not be underestimated as a grand hero. Its characteristics of Odysseus are different from human attributes.

Odysseus’s achievements would not have been possible without a subject that helped him along a difficult path. We have seen him act with false authority throughout his adventures: he blames his subordinates, often abusing them, but he makes them on their journey. Odysseus was the man of his word and the captain loved by his men. He was their example and ensured their safety as much as he could. When he buried Elpenor’s body, he proved his value as a leader. The leader’s commitment to reflecting on his losses and mistakes enables the improvement and honor of his subordinates. Odysseus escaped from the harsh lands and mourned the deaths of those around him. Still, he had a clear idea of ?? sharing power and responsibility by forming alliances and cooperating with others. Odysseus’s constant spirit shows his extraordinary dedication and commitment toward his men in exchange for his pure loyalty. Overall, he showed brave friendships, and he took care of his men when Circe forced them to lock themselves in the pig’s body and restore them to their original state. When Odysseus returned to Circe and fulfilled the wishes of the young Elpenor by burying the body of a young man in peace, we witnessed the reform of Odysseus. After all, Homer created Elpenors’ role in Odyssey as a critical hint for the audience to portray Odysseus’s responsibilities as captain and king.

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