Blog Question #1

Is Odysseus a hero for modern times?

In our modern times, Odysseus should not be considered considered a hero for us to emulate. During his ten year journey home from the Trojan War, he is constantly betraying his family, putting himself before others, feuling his pride, and lying to gain what he wants. Although in The Odyssey, these actions hold very few consequences and ultimately lead to the accomplishment of his goal, we should know better today than to follow Odysseus' example.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus always thinks of himself before the members of his family and his friends. When several of his crew members are transformed into pigs by Circe, Odysseus goes to attempt to save them. After he tricks Circes with the help of Hermes, Circe invites him to her bed. She says, "Come, sheathe your sword, let's go to bed together, mount my bed and mix in the magic work of love- we'll breed deep trust between us" (240). Without protest or thought of his wife and family that he hasn't seen in over 10 years, Odysseus readily accepts her invitation. He follows this pattern with several other women, all while his wife, Penelope, has remained unerringly faithful to him. Later, as Odysseus attempts to guide his ship and crew past the terrible monster, Scilla, six members of his crew are grabbed and eaten alive. This does not seem to concern Odysseus, as he and the rest of his crew have made it past Scilla. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus is constantly shown to be a less than heroic man through the ways that he betrays the trust of the people closest to him.
Other ways that Odysseus shows his cowardess is through the ways that he fuels his pride and lies to gain the things that he wants. Odysseus is a man who always needs to tell others who has defeated them. After he has escaped from the Cyclops, Polyphemus, and has stolen all of his prized sheep, Odysseus shouts back his name so that Polyphemus will know exactly who has vanquished him. He calls to the Cyclops, "Cyclops- if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so- say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye" (227). Odysseus risks the lives of his crew in order to feul his pride and increase his ego. Odysseus also lies to those he comes in contact with to achieve his own means. In the very first line of The Odyssey, Homer describes Odysseus as "a man of twists and turns". This means that it is impossible to ascertain when he is telling the truth and when he is lying. In the Cyclops' cave, Odysseus lies to the Cyclops and tells him that his name is Nobody. The Cyclops believes him and it ultimately leads to Odysseus' escape. As Odysseus enumerates his adventures to the Phaeacians, we cannot be sure what has actually accomplished and what he is embelishing upon, especially because he is the lone survivor of these events. Through the examples of his deceit, pride, betrayal, and self-centeredness, we should not look up to Odysseus as a role model in our modern times.