To what extent is Odysseus responsible for his own suffering throughout his journey?

On the one hand, it could be argued that Odysseus' suffering is caused by the monstrosities he faces. The forces of Scylla and Charybdis attack a multitude of his' men, resulting in overwhelming feelings of grief for Odysseus the contributes to his overall suffering. Moreover, the Cyclops brutally murders many of his men too exacerbating his anguish and also instilling fear into Odysseus, a further form of his suffering. Polyphemus' curse on Odysseus greatly adds to his suffering: he ensures the deaths of all the rest of Odysseus' crew as well as his delayed nostos, fuelling his desperation and thus suffering across his journey.
Nevertheless, it could be argued that the men themselves are responsible for Odysseus' suffering. Throughout the epic, they refuse to listen to the hero's advice: despite Odysseus' warnings they open the bag of Aeolus's winds just before reaching Ithaca, blowing them back to Thrace and greatly delaying their return. Moreover, in the Cicones episode the men prioritise their greed by choosing to stay on longer after their attack of the city in order to continue feasting. This leaves the Ithacans susceptible to an ambush from the Cicones, who raid the men of all their spoils and catalyse the ensuing delay of the rest of the journey. On the island of the sun-god, his men continue to ignore Odysseus' instructions by eating the sacred cattle which results in all their deaths, further upsetting and hindering Odysseus and adding to his suffering.
Ultimately, however, Odysseus' hubristic nature is often the cause of his own suffering. Rather than heed the advice of Circe to stay clear of Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus wants to showcase his heroism and decides to attempt to attack the monsters. This results in the death of many of his men, and thus he can be seen as being responsible for the suffering he feels as a result. Moreover, in the Cyclops episode, Odysseus cannot help but reveal his identity (to increase his kelps) to Polyphemus after keeping it hidden so effectively. This allows Polyphemus to set the curse, which he would not have done had he not known Odysseus' name. Thus, in angering the Cyclops, Odysseus is responsible for his delayed return, the ultimate deaths of all his men and all the storms he faces (as Poseidon is angered with Odysseus for harming his son, Polyphemus). Therefore, whilst there are other contributing factors, Odysseus is primarily responsible for his own suffering due to his hubris.

Related Classical Civilisation GCSE answers

All answers ▸

'Whilst many female characters in the Odyssey are shown in a negative light, Penelope is the only woman portrayed without flaws'. To what extent do you think this is true?


How significant of a role do the gods play in deciding the fate of Odysseus?


How far do slaves contribute to the success of Greek and Roman comedy?


What is the most effective way to tackle a 30 mark question within the time limit?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2024

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences