Skip to main content

What makes Odysseus a good leader?

Odysseus is a good leader because he is clever, brave, and he cares about the men whom he leads.  When his men are trapped in Polyphemus's cave, Odysseus tells the Cyclops that his name is "Nobody"; that night, he gets the monster really drunk and then the crew blinds the monster when he's passed out.  Then, when the other Cyclopes rush to his aid, he calls to them that Nobody is hurting him.  So they...

Odysseus is a good leader because he is clever, brave, and he cares about the men whom he leads.  When his men are trapped in Polyphemus's cave, Odysseus tells the Cyclops that his name is "Nobody"; that night, he gets the monster really drunk and then the crew blinds the monster when he's passed out.  Then, when the other Cyclopes rush to his aid, he calls to them that Nobody is hurting him.  So they leave!  It is a good plan, and Odysseus is very cunning in his execution of it.


Further, Odysseus bravely goes to the Underworld to find the prophet, Teiresias, who can tell him and his crew how to get home.  Despite his own terror, he is successful here.  He also leads his crew past the Sirens, bravely leaving his ears unstopped so that he can hear their songs.  He even sails past Scylla, knowing that he could be one of the six men the monster eats.  If more of his men would have ultimately listened to his leadership (especially at Thrinacia), it seems likely that some of them might have actually made it home.


Finally, Odysseus really cares about the men he leads.  At the land of the lotus-eaters, three of his men eat the lotus and no longer wish to return home.  He physically drags each one back to the ship because he knows that, in their hearts, they still want to return to their families.  Then, after Elpenor dies at Circe's house, his spirit asks Odysseus to return and dispose of his body correctly, which Odysseus does out of respect for his crew member.  Odysseus doesn't seem to look on his men as just a crew to be managed but as individuals who matter and deserve the best he can give them.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What are the cobra's physical features in Rikki-Tikki-Tavi?

There are two cobras that Rikki-tikki faces off against.  Nag is the male cobra and Nagaina is the female cobra.  The first snake that Rikki-tikki sees is Nag, and he is a rather imposing figure. Then inch by inch out of the grass rose up the head and spread hood of Nag, the big black cobra, and he was five feet long from tongue to tail. … he looked at Rikki-tikki with the wicked snake's eyes that never change their expression, whatever the snake may be thinking of. Nag raises himself up and shows off his great hood.  On his hood there is a “spectacle-mark on the back of it that looks exactly like the eye part of a hook-and-eye fastening.”  Rikki-tikki is only intimidated for a moment, and is not tricked when Nagaina tries to come up behind him. Nag and Nagaina know that a mongoose is very bad news for them.  As the new house mongoose, it is Rikki-tikki’s job to kill all of the snakes.  The cobras would definitely be on his hit-list, and this worries them because they have a family...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more