Odysseus Loss Of Honor In Homer's The Odyssey

Throughout Homer’s “The Odyssey,” Odysseus’ actions and choices are the driving point of the plot. When he and his crew encounter Polyphemus the Cyclops, he tries to secure his legacy by shouting his real name, and giving other important information away. The Cyclops prays that a curse befall him and his friends and Poseidon hears him. After this, half of Odysseus’ men are turned into swine when they encounter an enchantress and give into temptation, and though no men are killed, the crew is again delayed in their journey by a year. Misfortune and death are prevalent throughout the consequent chapters, where men are constantly lost, and those that survive begin to lose faith in their leader. By the end of chapter 12, all of the men have died, …show more content…
In book 9, he claims that the Cyclopes are “louts”, and then says“A wineskin full I brought along… for in my bones I knew some towering brute would be upon us soon.” The above quote demonstrate that he knew the Cyclopes were dangerous and unreasonable, but regardless of the risks, he chose to meet the Cyclops. After the he and the crew escaped, only a handful voted that he get the prized ram as his meal, which proves that they felt his leadership was lacking. Their trust is continually lost as ships and crew members are lost, and the men finally decide to ignore him. They are not to blame however, after being put in danger so often, it was only logical that the men began thinking for themselves. To them, Odysseus had failed as a captain because he didn’t tell them all he knew, he purposefully kept information to himself. After learning of the three beasts, the Sirens, Scylla, and Charybdis, he only tells them of the Sirens, believing that “They would have dropped their oars again, in panic, to roll for cover under the decking.” This was a tremendous mistake, the men had been loyal to Odysseus for nearly twenty years, and he didn’t trust them to fight to return home. Since the men didn’t know of the beasts, they assumed he recklessly led them towards their deaths, which was not far from the truth. Odysseus considered disobeying Circe and fighting Scylla, which led them …show more content…
When Odysseus offers Zeus a prized Lamb’s thighbones, he refuses them, and Odysseus realizes his mistake. He states that “Zeus disdained my offering, destruction for my ships he had in store and death for those who sailed them.” He wanted absolutely nothing to do with him, which told Odysseus that he would have no guidance or protection from him; they would have to take the journey on alone. It was then that Odysseus knew that the voyage home would be difficult, and that he would have to prove himself by adhering to the god’s advice. The fact that Odysseus does not have Zeus on his side is extremely important, it means that Odysseus would have to prove himself by acting with restraint, the men’s lives depended on it. When Odysseus had a chance to return home with the remaining crew, he was still inclined to disobey the gods thinking that he could fight his way out of his destiny, something for which Circe berated him, saying, “Must you have battle in your heart forever? The bloody toil of combat? ...will you not yield to the immortal gods?” Odysseus is a fighter, and believes that he is above all, which shows that he still will not “yield”, or admit he’s not equally great. This trait is the root of the issues that arise in the epic tale, and causes the gods to be filled with disdain towards him. It is also the cause of the men’s demise, because of his arrogance, he ruins his chances of