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Student McCormick
Mrs. Dobbs
English Pre-AP 9
6 February 2013
Odysseus’s Lessons
The Odyssey is one of two great Greek epic poems told by the Rhapsode, a bard of
storyteller, Homer. The story he tells happened around 1200 B.C. but when he tells the story it is
around 800 B.C. The Odyssey is about Odysseus, a hero of the Trojan War. The Trojan War is
told in Homer’s other Epic the Iliad. Odysseus was the main reason the Achaeans, the Greek
army as a whole, won the Trojan War. They won because Athena, the Goddess of War and
Wisdom, told Odysseus how to build the Trojan horse to win the war, but after they had won
Odysseus had a moment of hubris and took all the credit for the horse and winning the war.
Athena then decided to teach Odysseus a lesson about respecting the gods by making his trip
home to his kingdom a long Journey, also known as an odyssey.
Throughout Odysseus’s Journey he was unmotivated to continue home to his Kingdom
and wife. In His odyssey he learned about three major Greek themes that would help him be a
better king. In his journey he learns about Greek Hospitality, how he should welcome all
strangers into his home. Second he learns about Loyalty, how he should be more loyal to his wife
and to not get distracted from his journey home. Third he learns how a hero claims his right full
place, he has to learn how to reclaim his kingdom and learn to be a better king.
Odysseus’s first stop was at Ismarus, the city of the Cicones, who were allies of the city
state of Troy which he conquered. Odysseus lands with his men and thinks that since he just beat
the Trojans that he can beat the Cicones too. He in that moment he had hubris, which is like
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selfishness or bragging. He and his men were not at war with the Cicones but they attacked them
anyways completely disregarding Greek Hospitality. The Cicones retaliated and killed seventytwo of Odysseus’s men. Odysseus leaves with his mane with learning two things. He learned
about Greek hospitality, how he should be more cordial and he learned that he needs to be more
loyal to his home. So at the stop at the Cicones he learned about Greek hospitality and loyalty.
His second stop was the island of the Cyclopes. Cyclopes are giant creatures with only
one eye. Odysseus lands because he needed to resupply his ships. But he does not display loyalty
to his wife because he takes twelve of his men and goes to explore the island. He runs into a
Cyclops by the name of Polyphemus, who is a son of Poseidon, Who is the god of The Sea,
Earthquakes and Horses. ”We Cyclopes care not a whistle for your thundering Zeus!” Pg. 1216.
Polyphemus locks Odysseus and his men inside his cave and eats a couple of his men, before
Odysseus escapes by blinding the Cyclops and then running to his ship that was waiting for him.
As he sailed away Odysseus yells his name back to Polyphemus as an act of Hubris. Because of
this when Polyphemus prays to his father, Poseidon, he tells him Odysseus’s name and Poseidon
Extracts vengeance on Odysseus for blinding his son by making his trip home take ten years and
by killing all of his men Eventually. At this stop Odysseus learns that curiosity is not always
good thing and that he needs more loyalty towards making it back home to his kingdom.
The next stop at which he learns a lesson is the stop at Circe’s island. Circe was known to
be a witch, but Odysseus sends out scouts to see if they can locate her. ”In the entrance way they
stayed to listen there: inside her quiet house they heard the goddess Circe, Pg. 1224 They find
her but she turns the men into pigs. Odysseus finds out what has happened and goes to free his
men from her. On the way Odysseus is met by the God Hermes, God Of trade, travel and theft.
Hermes gives him a plant that protects Odysseus from Circe’s sorcery. He goes and frees his
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men from her, but she tricks him into staying with her for one year. This is the first of many
Femme Fatale that Odysseus runs into on his Odyssey home. A Femme Fatale is basically a fatal
female, a woman that is dangerous and can be fatal to men. Circe is one of a few femme fatales
that Odysseus runs into on his Journey; At Circe’s island Odysseus learns that his Loyalty to his
home and wife are not that strong. So at this stop he learns more about Greek Hospitality and
Loyalty.
Odysseus’s next stop on his Journey home was at the island of Calypso. Calypso was a
nymph, or a spirit, she was stunningly beautiful and immortal. By the time that Odysseus washes
up on the shores of her island he has lost all of his men and ships to islands of cannibals and
countless monsters. She saves him from drowning but the keeps him at her island for seven long
years before the Gods interfere and tell Calypso to send Odysseus on his way home. At this stop
Odysseus really realized that he wanted to go home. At the end of his stay he is crying for his
home. Luckily for him when he leaves the island of Calypso, the nymph he is almost home!
His finale stop is at the island of Ithaca, his Home. He is the king of Ithaca, but in his
Journey home and the War with Troy, he has been gone twenty long hard years. When he left he
had had a child Telemachus who now is twenty with really no recollection of his father.
Odysseus returns home to find One Hundred young suitors trying to get his wife Penelope’s hand
in marriage. He finds two faithful servants and kills all of the One Hundred suitors with the help
of only Telemachus and the two servants. He then convinces his wife that he really is Odysseus
and he is home. He then with the help of Athena takes control over his country of Ithaca once
again. At this stop at home Odysseus learns about how a hero claims his rightful place. He had to
fight to get back what was his and to be able to sit in his rightful place.
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When Odysseus got home he was a changed man. Not only was eh twenty years older but
he had learned a few lessons. He learned many things that would help him be a better king and
many that made him just a better man. He learned about Greek hospitality and how it is what he
should do. About how hubris is bad and just hurts him and does not help him, about how he
needs to be more loyal and many other things. Odysseus learned many things on his Odyssey
that made him a better king of Ithaca.