Pyda 1 Srikar Pyda Mr.

Heyes English 1 19 November 2010

Through fighting monsters increasingly fantastical and harder to defeat, from Charybdis to Cyclops, Homer, in The Odyssey, demonstrates Odysseus development as a character throughout his journey to Ogygia. Odysseus finishes looting Troy and loses his crew one by one on their encounters while returning home, and he eventually becomes shipwrecked, the lone man to survive from Athenas grace, trapped on conniving Calypsos island, Ogygia. A prophet dictates that if Odysseus and his crew want to live, they have to learn to curb their wild desire (11.119). Throughout their travels from war-stricken Troy to isolated Ogygia, home of the glamorous sea nymph Calypso, Odysseus and his men experience the pitfalls of greed and the lust for kleos, and Odysseus is the only one able to restrain his desires. From their victorious battle, the Achaeans feel entitled to plunder and gain kleos before going home; rather than going immediately, Odysseus makes detours for gifts and gold, battling monsters and plundering cities, often angering the gods, and as a result losing morale and eventually, Odysseus is the lone survivor of his crew. After returning from Troy, they raid the Cicones, the allies of Troy, on Odysseus' orders to plunder, his first mistake. After a while when he orders his crew back, they refuse, greedy for kleos in the form of more plunder. Eventually, they are beaten back and are hurt by the Cicones. Then, Odysseus ventures to the land of the Cyclops, where he stays even though his crewmates tell him not to: Lets make away with the cheeses, then come back.But I would not give way (9.253-6). His own lust for kleos leads him to losing men and almost his own life. It is only his keen wit that keeps him and the surviving men alive. His greedy behavior for kleos does not end there; so that people know that he was

Pyda 2 the one who tricked Polyphemus, he shouts his name out to the Cyclops, against his crews advice, and he earns Poseidons curse upon himself. As his final mistake, Odysseus stays at Circe's island for a complete year, in bliss. His self-indulgence prevents him from his nostos, the focus of his trip. It is through his own indulgence that his nostos is delayed this time, not through the gods or monsters. As in the Cyclop's island, it is his own crew that brings him to the right state of mind, without them, he would have stayed there, challenging his loyalty towards his wife, son, and family at Ithaca. Odysseus and his crew both earn trouble through their greed for kleos, however Odysseus is the only one to learn from it, resulting in only his survival. In order for him and his crew to survive, Odysseus slowly learns to think ahead, and listen to the opinions of others, ultimately resulting in his resistance to temptation. Set on returning home, Odysseus receives advice from Calypso about his nostos, first of which regarding the Sirens he was bound to pass. Calypso tells him to put wax in his crew's ears, and tells him to bind himself to the mast of the ship, with his crew tying him tighter when he asks to be released from his bondage. Implicitly following her directions, he is able to put wax in the crew's ears, illustrating his new ability to manage his men. He also does not try to achieve a new feat by trying to resist the lure of the Sirens, he just follows her orders to tie himself to the mast. His willingness to learn and obey in order to keep him and his crew safe is exemplified. Calypso's next piece of advice was about Scylla, a man-eating monster with six heads, which Odysseus has to pass. Odysseus begs Calypso to allow him to fight the beast: Cant I possibly fight Scylla off when Scylla strikes my men? (12. 124-5). Circe tells him to stop being a fool, and Odysseus obeys, only donning his armour, and restraining his crew from fighting the beast. Odysseus holds himself back in a manner that changes a readers perspective of him, as a mature, responsible man. He thinks for others, not only himself, and sees the world in a pragmatic manner. Lastly, both Tiresias and Calypso tells him that there is danger at landing at Threnacia, and that he has to control his crews actions in order for them to live. They both however do not specify for him not to land there; Odysseus considers their

Pyda 3 advice, and takes it a step further, considering avoiding landing the island. He exemplifies his ability to listen to people, but also take it a step further, thinking of others and himself. He observes his crews actions, and has seen that they cannot hold themselves back. He also diminishes his craving to plunder the island. It is only the threat of mutiny from his crew that makes him land there. Odysseus exemplifies his maturation, through thinking of his companions, holding back his temptations, and listening to people. Through all the trials and tribulation he goes through, Odyesseus develops as a leader, maturing as an adult, able to restrain himself. All the qualities that he gains help him in Ithaca, where he is both a father and a husband, both of which require his acquired development. He has to have the ability to hold his temptation in order to hold out against the suitors' insults later. With all of these acquired skills, he develops into a man capable of leading Ithaca.