Odysseus: Master of His Own Fate

On my honor, I have neither given nor received aid on this work. Amber Lai

Amber Lai
February 21, 2014
Final

The Man, the Myth, the Legend… a True Master of his Own Fate Monsters. Storms. Temptations. One must be pretty strong to overcome all that. In Homer’s epic, the Odyssey, the main character Odysseus is faced with all of those and suffers for many years due to his struggles with the gods. After winning the Trojan War, he is desperate to return home to his family in Ithaca, but the gods who want to control him are disrupting his voyage. However, throughout his journey, Odysseus makes many decisions, which proves that he controls his fate and is not a puppet of the gods. His decision to return to Aeaea, his failure to keep watch of his crew at Thrinacia, and the revealing of his identity to Polyphemus are all moments when Odysseus is the master of his own fate. One argument in favor of Odysseus controlling his own destiny occurs when he makes a major decision that affects his journey, to return to Circe’s Island, Aeaea. In the episode of the Sirens, Circe, a goddess, sends Odysseus to meet the ghost of the blind prophet Tiresias. Instead of going on with his journey following Tiresias’ advice, “Odysseus returns briefly to Circe’s Island.” (Homer 506). The act of Odysseus going back to Aeaea is a prime example of him shaping his own journey by making his own choices rather using other’s advice. He decides to return, which turns out to be beneficial for him since Circe warns him of the dangers ahead and gives him suggestions as to what to do. This enables him to bell prepared when he encounters the unavoidable sea serpents, Scylla and Charybdis. In addition to Odysseus’ decision to visit Aeaea, another instance that serves to identify him as a master of his own fate takes place when he falls asleep at Thrinacia. Thrinacia is the land of the sun god, Helios, and is home to many cattle that Odysseus and his men are forbidden to harm. Eventually, they run out of food and a crew member, “Eurylochus made his insidious plea” (514) encouraging the men to eat the cattle. It may seem like the crew’s downfall has nothing to do with Odysseus, and it is true that Eurylochus is responsible for the men’s deaths, but Odysseus is partly to blame. Unfortunately, Odysseus goes away to pray while this is happening, and stops to close his eyes “under slow drops of sleep.” (514). Because Odysseus leaves his crew alone and falls asleep, Eurylochus is able to talk the men into eating the cattle since no one is there to stop him. Odysseus’ actions lead to the death of his comrades. This evidence is yet another notable example because Odysseus’ carelessness is partly responsible for the destruction of his men. In the same way that the examples demonstrate how Odysseus’ own actions affect his adventure, so does this last piece of evidence that proves Odysseus paves his own path by revealing his identity to Polyphemus, the Cyclops. After Odysseus escapes from Polyphemus’ cave and gets to his ship, he is hit with a sense of pride and despite the men’s protests, he lets his “anger flare.” (503). This is a huge mistake on Odysseus’ part because his anger and pride are what cause him to make rash decisions. Unfortunately, the decision Odysseus makes is not inconsequential and it marks the start of many challenges ahead. He shouts, “Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca!” (503). When Odysseus yells out his name and home out of pride, it reflects a failure to control his anger and hubris. This dramatic event is what alters his trip from a short journey home to a ten-year living nightmare. Odysseus’ actions anger Polyphemus even more and “at this he stretched his hands out” (503) and places a curse onto Odysseus making his voyage ten years longer. Although Odysseus’ journey is already difficult since Zeus is mad at him for destroying the city of Troy, Odysseus makes it more problematic by angering Polyphemus and getting a curse set on him. Odysseus’ long journey is a result of his own actions and judgment, and he is not just a playing piece in a game of chess of the gods. Subsequently, in today’s world, there are plenty of examples and situations where a person’s behavior determines their fate. Decisions, whether they are good or bad, reactions to events, actions, and even the lack of actions are all factors that make up one’s fate. For example, in sports, it is not uncommon to see players getting ejected from games for lashing out at referees out of frustration when fouls are called. Not only is it bad for the player, the whole team’s performance could be affected. This example is similar to Odysseus’ revelation of his identity out of anger, which ultimately leads to his and his crew’s prolonged hardships.