Strengths and Weaknesses of Odyssey Essay Example

Like many other heroes I can see in a story such as Hercules, Theseus, or especially Odysseus they all are heroic but all heroes and normal people have their weaknesses. Through Odysseus story he fights and goes through the lotus eaters, the Cyclops, Scylla and charybdis. The Odyssey is an imaginative tale of Odysseus as he fights his way through the seas and on islands in order to get home to Ithaca. 

While reading I almost immediately figure out his first strength, knowledge. Seeing this strength is pretty quickly as he fights through the monsters of his world. The first being the lotus eaters he and his men reach the island and discover that these flowers are so addicting that his men wanted to stay on the island forever and die never wanting to come home or seeing family ever again. Odysseus being the great thinking soldier that he is decided to drag his men off the island which would have been very difficult and bound them beneath the benches on the boat. After the men have came back to their senses they head to the island of the cyclops.

Once he got there to meet the cyclops I found out his curiosity is a weakness as this leads to a demise of 12 men and almost getting himself killed as they went to see the cyclops to see what they were all about, however cyclops are obviously one of those beings no one should be around. Going into his cave thinking that they can just eat his food and introduce themselves and expect not to be attacked. However we again see that odysseus had another idea to give the cyclops a very potent wine that put the cyclops into a deep sleep but before he did this he mentioned his name was no man instead of Odysseus to keep his identity secret that will help very soon. Once the cyclops was on the ground they stabbed a stick in his one eye his men turning and odysseus pushing down like an auger. Polyphemus ended up blind so They quickly fled to a safer location. as polyphemus is the cyclops name called for other cyclops to assist him saying no man is there hurting him.

For him saying this the other cyclops though polyphemus hurt himself and didn't do anything about it. Then Polyphemus opened the boulder and went outside to graze his sheep and Odysseus and his men got underneath sheep and escaped to the boat unharmed. His pride however go the best of him as another weakness for odysseus stated loudly back at the island saying his real name and where he lived causing the cyclops to throw a top of a mountain at them which didn't do much but then the cyclops sent a prayer for disaster toward Odysseus. This prayer sent to Poseidon stated that Odysseus come never home but he should see his fate of his friends and be alone on his way home. Odysseus other strength would be courage as he helped fought beside his comrades through scylla and Charybdis. Overall heroes always have weaknesses and strengths and how they use them it up to them. Odysseus using his skills of knowledge however very outweighs his pride and curiosity.