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.