“Your looks are outstanding. Not even a god could improve them. But your mind is crippled. And now you’ve got my blood pumping with your rude remarks.” (Line 193-197 from Book VIII of the Odyssey)
This passage is quite unique even when looked at by itself and not in the context of the epic. Here we see Odysseus compliment and insult someone in equal measure within 2 lines. The main element being used in this passage is contrast/juxtaposition. The looks of Euryalus is being juxtaposed with his crippled mind. It could also be argued that there is contrast between what Odysseus is saying and the way he says what’s on his mind. He states that his blood is pumping, someone who is enraged usually doesn’t take the time to eloquently state his emotions. He even takes the time to compliment the person who enraged him. It might seem unnatural to be this calm while angry, but this passage might gives a little glimpse of the kind of world this story takes place in. It might be possible that losing composure and control of yourself is looked down open in this society, which is why Odysseus’s “anger” is still very well spoken and calm.
This passage stands out even more when the context is considered. This is the first time that we ever see Odysseus get mad and lose his temper. As I mentioned before, he still sounds calm, but he end up participating in athletic events because of the taunts that were thrown his way. In order to get a better glimpse inside Odysseus’s mind and find out why he did this, the dialogue that provoked him should be looked at. Euryalus tells him “You know, stranger, I’ve seen a lot of sportsmen, and you don’t look like one to me at all.You look more like the captain of a merchant ship, plying the seas with a crew of hired hands and keeping a sharp eye on his cargo,greedy for profit. No, you’re no athlete” This gives a lot of information about Odysseus and the society he lives in as well. Odysseus was always described as someone who was very witty and smart. It might seem out of character to react this way, but this poem takes place in a time period where honor was a very important virtue, and Euryalus questioned the honor of Odysseus. Odysseus quite simply had to defend it.
While I agree that losing your composure might be looked down upon in this society, I believe what sticks out is the repeated theme of Odysseus being wise and full of wit. When he insults the man he does it in such a way that was not outright disrespectful, in order to avoid backlash from Alcinous. Odysseus recognizes that it is rude to insult guests who are generally treated with respect and thus takes this opportunity to respond. He also saves face by doing so and ensures his own survival by paying respects to his host. Through the lens of societal norms we can also assume that it would have been important to preserve appearances and pay tribute to those who have a higher social ranking even when openly insulting or slighting others of equal or lower rank.
I found your comment on the possibility of being looked down on by society if you lose your composure and control of yourself. I’m not sure if I agree with you seeing as we’ve witnessed men openly weeping in front of others several times throughout the books we’ve read so far. We’ve seen strong men like Odysseus cry and several others have cried in the same room together. However, perhaps the reception one receives is different when it comes to feelings of anger and how that is viewed by this society at the time.
I find the chosen passage is interesting and so your observation on contrast/ juxtaposition, especially when Odysseus says his blood is pumping while appearing calm. Though, I would interpret it somehow differently. By initially complimenting “your look is outstanding. Not even a god can improve it”, Odysseus wants to dramatize his insult “your mind is crippled” after the “but”. The insult stand alone wouldn’t carry the same weight as it pairs up with prior compliment, just as effective as the cunning Odysseus.
Finally, I don’t entirely agree with you about the idea of losing composure is being looked down. I personally think it’s a matter of individual perception and it also depends on the physical context of each situation.
Hi Jakub,
This is an excellent choice of a passage! You do an excellent job of describing the lines’ complexity: they involve praise and insult simultaneously. There’s a slight wobble, in your analysis, between the claim in the first paragraph that Odysseus’ maintains calm even in anger, and the claim in the second paragraph, that he loses his temper. I’m inclined towards the former view–that his anger is under his control, rather than out of it, and that perhaps it even has a calculated performative element. He is, after all, doing this publicly, in view of all the Phaeacians.
That said, I think you are absolutely right to note that his sense of honor seems to have been touched. As a reader, I’d love to hear more about how Odysseus’ sense of his own and Euryalus’ honor, in this passage, relates to other moments where honor is at issue–where it is won, or lost, or compromised.
Some further thoughts: one of the odd things about the larger speech in which this passage shows up is the way it starts versus the way it ends. Odysseus begins by musing that the gods grant different people different abilities and qualities; the speech reads at first almost like a hymn to human *variety*. It is only when he turns from the general to the specific, and focuses on himself and Euryalus, that we see that something else is at work: a denigration of purely physical beauty and a valorization of mental acuity (NEITHER of which, it must be said, is primarily at issue in the matter at hand: an athletic contest!). The speech seems to do two things–to address the specific situation, and function within it, and to link up to the Odyssey’s larger thematic interest in variety itself.
Strong work overall.
Best,
Prof Kolb