In the epic poem, “The Odyssey”, which is generally attributed to Homer, is about the journey of Odysseus. The protagonist, King of Ithaca and wife of Penelope, Odysseus has not returned from his homeland after the sacking and destruction of Troy. It took Odysseus 20 years, 10 from the Trojan War and another 10 years voyaging through the seas, he finally reaches home. Throughout his adventures, he has learned many lessons. Some about himself and some on the aspects of life.
Three lessons I have chosen are: respect of the hubris, respect for the gods, and patience The first lesson Odysseus learns is hubris. On the island of the Cyclopes, after Odysseus and his crewmates blind Polyphemus and hide under his sheep, they escape when Polyphemus opens the ponderous stone door.
Furthermore, they finally reach their ship while avoiding the gargantuan Cyclops. While sailing on to their next destination, Polyphemus, enraged, makes one desperate last attempt to stop Odysseus. He hurls a hulking stone at Odysseus’ ship but it fell short. Because of his hubris, Odysseus reveals his true identity to Polyphemus.
Knowing this information, Polyphemus prays to his father, Poseidon, god of the seas, to curse Odysseus and make his travels as worst as possible. As you can see, Odysseus’ pride and hubris almost cost him his life. On page 574, lines 457-460, Odysseus tells Polyphemus,”Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son whose home’s on Ithaca.” As we hear this from Odysseus, we think to ourselves what a bad mistake Odysseus has commited. On the other hand, an example of when Odysseus is humble and respectful is when he doesn’t eat the Cattle of the Sun God.
The blind, dead prophet Tiresias tells Odysseus to not eat the Cattle of the Sun God Helios. Once they arrive at Thrinicia, Odysseus falls asleep, while his crewmates find the cattle and eat them. Because of this, Helios tells Zeus to destroy Odysseus’ ship, which he does. Everyone is killed but Odysseus.
The second lesson Odysseus learns is Respect for the Gods. In the Odyssey, Odysseus, after the defeat and fall of Troy, is boastful and tells the gods that he doesn’t need their help. “Without the gods, man is nothing” is a phrase said by Poseidon in the miniseries, “The Odyssey.” The gods greatly help Odysseus on his journey home. Moreover, Odysseus learned from his mistakes. Athena, divine counselor to Odysseus guided him wherever he went. She took care of him and was there,
