Arrogance In The Odyssey

Epic heroes are ones who go on long journeys, also known as an odyssey, and bring with them the values and beliefs of their society and civilization. The Odyssey by Homer is a story about an epic hero named Odysseus, who is not only a brave, wise, and strong leader as well as a warrior, but he is also an arrogant and vengeful man, who’s downfall is beautiful women. Epic heroes contain characteristics of loyalty, bravery, and arrogance as they are believed to be more than a mortal but less than a god. Odysseus proves his loyalty, bravery, and arrogance as he continues to fight the challenges he obtains from island to island, cursed by Poseidon never to return home. Loyalty plays a key factor in Odysseus’ ten-year journey to return to his homeland of Ithaca. After escaping from the land of the Laestrygonians, Odysseus and his crewman reach Aiaia Island, the home of the witch Kirke, who turns her guests into pigs after she drugs them; he and his crew live there for a year in luxury after Odysseus overpowers her and becomes her lover with the help of the god, Hermes. The epic hero requests
Arrogance is an extreme factor in Odysseus’s journey as he has an alter ego bigger than he; Athena is the cunning and positive side of Odysseus’s alter ego while Poseidon makes up his arrogance and negative side. After the Trojan war, Odysseus begins to make Poseidon turn against him in all ways possible – not only does Odysseus exclaim that he does not need the gods but the hero also stabs the god’s son in the only eye he has as he is a Kylops. Odysseus and his men escape the island of the Kyklops and as they are sailing away, Odysseus calls out and exclaims, “O Kyklops! Would you feast on my companions? Puny, am I, in a caveman’s hands? How do you like the beating that we gave you, you damned cannibal? Eater of guests under your roof! Zeus and the gods have paid you!”