Odysseus Is Responsible For His Subsequent Predicament

Odysseus is responsible for his subsequent predicament, because he believes that his cleverness entitles him to a double standard of treatment. While this double standard is the cause of his punishment, Homer shows that the pursuit of kleos makes these beliefs justifiable. Odysseus expects others to respect major Greek traditions, yet throughout the episode with Polyphemus, he violates the tradition whenever he feels necessary. Greeks believe that food crimes are some of the worst possible crimes people can commit. Since the Greeks equated meat to status, stealing meat meant robbing someone of their status. Odysseus does not respect this custom when he tries to steal the cyclops’ livestock, which is how he ended up trapped in the cave in the first place. Yet when Polyphemus eats some of the men, an act that cyclopses do not identify as wrong, Odysseus is appalled. â€Å"We flung our arms to Zeus, we wept and cried aloud, / looking on at his grisly work—paralyzed, appalled† (9.331-332). Odysseus expects Zeus to uphold this double standard by punishing the cyclops, who was merely acting on instinct, while condoning an intentional food crime. Similarly, Odysseus expects Polyphemus to respect xenia, while Odysseus mocks the all-important tradition. He asks the cyclops to give a gift to his guests, guests he customarily eats, yet Odysseus mocks the tradition himself by giving the cyclops an ironic and harmful gift. Odysseus gives the gift of wine with the intent toShow MoreRelated Achilles Vs Odysseus Essay example3811 Words   |  16 PagesAchilles Odysseus Homers two central heroes, Odysseus and Achilles, are in many ways differing manifestations of the same themes. While Achilles character is almost utterly consistent in his rage, pride, and near divinity, Odysseus character is difficult to pin down to a single moral; though perhaps more human than Achilles, he remains more difficult to understand. Nevertheless, both heroes are defined not by their appearances, nor by the impressions they leave upon the minds of those aroundRead MoreEssay on The Odyssey21353 Words   |  86 PagesThe Odyssey Set in ancient Greece, The Odyssey is about the hero Odysseus long-awaited return from the Trojan War to his homeland, Ithaca, after ten years of wandering. The current action of The Odyssey occupies the last six weeks of the ten years, and the narrative includes many places - Olympus, Ithaca, Pylos, Pherae, Sparta, Ogygia, and Scheria. In Books 9-12, Odysseus narrates the story of his travels in the years after the fall of Troy, and this narrative includes other far-flung