The Mental And Physical Journey Of Odysseus

Joe Strehlow 2/16/09 4°

The Mental and Physical Journey of Odysseus In the complex and intricate epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer illuminates that one’s experiences and encounters with others throughout life contribute to one’s moral values. Odysseus, King of Ithaka, who has been unable to return to his home after the Trojan War, has been away from his homeland for twenty years. Odysseus’s revelation from his journey is subjective to his encounters with many characters who are foreign to him, such as the cyclops Polyphemos and the prophet Teiresias; the distinguishing attributes of Odysseus being able to control himself are revealed when Odysseus buries Elpenor, in addition to informing his men of the ostensibly beautiful and innocent Sirens. Odysseus reveals his uncompassionate morals through his perspective, in addition to exposing his negative portrayals of others. For example, when Odysseus brags of his defeat of the Kikonians, he boasts, “‘I sacked their city and killed their people, / and out of their city, taking their wives and many possessions…” (IX.40-41). Odysseus believes he is superior to the Kikonians just because he emerged victorious against them. He feels that since he is a superior being, he may strip their souls of all they possess and what’s important to them, which conveys that Odysseus is a vain and an individual who has no respect for beings he believes are lesser. Furthermore, when Odysseus describes the cyclops Polyphemos, he expresses it as “‘a monster of a man… / for he [does] not range with / others, but [stays] away by himself; his mind [is] lawless… / like a wooded / peak of the high mountains seen standing away from the others’” (IX.187-192). Odysseus refuses to tolerate the mere sight of the cyclops, as he is much unlike than any creature he has ever laid eyes on; however, he takes note that he is diverse not only in his appearance, but in his sociality, which is perceived since he lives alone. Odysseus noticing

that he is antisocial by human comparison implies that Odysseus greatly values his social life, which may be because of his high social status in his homeland. Although he gains an immediate disliking for the cyclops, he still perceives him as mighty, which is illustrated when he compares him to a high wooded mountain; Odysseus relating him to something wooded reveals that he does not completely understand the cyclops, yet he chooses to label him as an inferiority in spite of it. Odysseus discovers that his moral values seem to be dissolute and unfitting for himself. For instance, when Odysseus speaks to the blind prophet Teiresias, the prophet proclaims that if Odysseus “‘can contain [his] own desire’” and if he “‘[keeps his] mind on homecoming,’” as well as preventing himself and his men from harming Helios’s cattle, he might reach Ithaka (XI.105-111). Teiresias informs Odysseus of his flaws, yet he does not outright tell Odysseus that if one knows one’s own flaws, it is less difficult for one to prevent them. Odysseus’s willingness to listen to another for advice reflects his decrease in his own egocentricity, which, if he chooses to heed the advice, may help him reach Ithaka, as it may make him long more for his family. The cattle of Helios resemble a sanctimonious and a nearly irresistible temptation from the heavens, which is why Teiresias states that if Odysseus and his men can resist the enticement, they have a higher chance of being successful; if Odysseus passes this life-changing trial, he will not only be farther along on his journey home, he will realize the importance of respect to all, and that humility is inevitable if one wants to lead a life loved by many. Moreover, after the seductive goddess Kalypso offers Odysseus an eternal and relaxing life, he declines the proposition, because all he wants is to “‘go back to his house and see [his] day of homecoming.’” Odysseus also states that if “‘some god batters [him] far out on the wine-blue water, / [he] will endure it, keeping a stubborn spirit inside [him], / for already [he has] suffered much…’” (V.220-223). Odysseus begins to learn that one must be faithful to oneself and that one must always finish

what one starts, especially if it concerns the things one values most. Odysseus begins to realize the true importance of loyalty to oneself, as if one always follows one’s heart, one will never truly be lost; one will always have what or those who are closest to one. Odysseus concludes that he must change his attitude towards others in order to feel fulfilled. He demonstrates this during his visit to Hades, where his ghostly companion Elpenor requests for a proper burial; following the request, Odysseus and his shipmates returns to where his comrade deceased. They then take the body of Elpenor and “[bury] him, sorrowful, shedding warm tears for him… / [they plant] the well-shaped oar on the very top of the grave mound” (XII.12-15). The burying of Elpenor represents the burial of Odysseus’s previous self; burying the dead is a sign of respect in Greek culture, which conveys that he finally discovers that all others must be respected, as well as ascertaining that nobody is a lesser being, even if that person is of a lower status. As oars assist one in reaching a destination, the well-shaped oar symbolizes Odysseus’s journey, as well as the reshaping of Odysseus, who transforms from an egoistic individual into more of an altruist. His placing of the oar on top of the grave is a physical commemorative of his journey he has undergone. Another example is when the ship begins to near the island of the Sirens, Odysseus tells his men that Circe informed him that he must listen to the Sirens, but that he must be tied “‘hard in hurtful bonds’” and that if “‘[he supplicates his men and implores them] to set [him] / free, then [they] must tie [him] fast with even more lashings’” (XII.160-164). The Sirens represent temptation, as they coax onlookers to their deaths; Odysseus’s resisting the inducement of the entrancing Sirens and his willingness to endure pain and anguish for his men signifies that Odysseus has gained respect for his fellow man and that one’s duty is to help another. The hurtful bonds bear a resemblance to self-sacrifice, as one must put oneself under strain in order to save others. Odysseus realizes that in order to

truly be a philanthropist, one must value and respect all human life, as well as seeing all people as equal. Odysseus learns that if one persists to reach one’s true life goal, one will not only reach that goal; the accomplisher’s morals will be influenced by obstacles he or she had to fight through and other people that individual encountered. Moreover, he becomes conscious of the fact that one’s values and outlooks change when one has been stripped of nearly everything; only then one realizes what truly is of importance.