Death and Odysseus
Though Odysseus is fated to make it
safely home to Ithaca, his men sadly do not share the same destiny. This is
shown through their trials as they trek from Troy to their homeland. Each
island on which they land holds new adventures and dangers for Odysseus and his
company.
Odysseus shows concern for his men
most explicitly in book 10 after the death of Elpenor on Circe’s island, Aeaea.
“But not even there could I get them safely off without a loss…” Though Elpenor
was not the oldest, bravest, or smartest of the bunch, he was one of Odysseus’
men who shared in their victory at Troy. Odysseus isn’t shallow in the same
vein as Agamemnon is who would exploit every man and opportunity he had to win
and achieve his goals. Odysseus from this point on shows explicated care and
concern for his dwindling comrades. Odysseus journey was more than selfish it
was concentrated and shared by all who were with him, the return home.
(P.S. I commented on Brian Burkhardt’s “Stuck Between a Rock
and a Vicious Six-headed Monster”)
I definitely agree that Odysseus, for the most part, had the best interests of his men at heart. I think his plight also gives us a huge amount of insight into the struggles that leaders face. As the leader of his men, Odysseus is responsible for the well being of his men. Being the good leader that he is, he takes this responsibility seriously. This is why we see that he experiences real sadness and real regret whenever he loses men.
ReplyDeleteLike Sam says, Odysseus looks out for his men, for the most part. But I agree, he does not try as hard as he could to make sure most, or any, of his men make it home. Like Schuler said today in my group, he's like Curious George, he can't help but check every little thing out, even if it could mean trouble. He's reckless, but he's still a hero because he never gives up. He is always fighting to get back home to his family.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Meghan the most. It is clear that Odysseus loves to discover new things, and will stop at nothing to gain more knowledge. The is why the Sirens tempt him with the promising of the knowledge of everything, because it is his greatest desire in life. I believe that if Odysseus had the choice of a nice, easy-going, almost boring cruise across the sea to home, or a thrilling journey throughout many oceans, facing all sorts of beasts, monsters, and exciting adventures, he who choose the later readily. I believe Odysseus enjoys the dangerous and challenges parts of his journey, because while he longs for home more than anything else, he also takes many detours along the way, sometimes by choice. For example it takes Odysseus a year to leave Circe's island. With all of this in mind, I don't think Odysseus always has the best interest of his crew in mind. I believe he would rather risk their lives to gain knowledge and wisdom than not.
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