- Homer uses the idea of spiritual growth as one of his underlying themes in the Odyssey. He relates this massage through various situations, characters their adventures or actions. Spiritual development is brought on by rough times, long journeys and restrictions. One of the examples of the underlining idea about of personal development, pride and spirit, Homer express when Odysseus encounters the Cyclopes.I would like to focus my analysis on book 9, which, as i think , perfectly demonstrate this idea. After out-smarting the Polyphemus , Odysseus shouts out his name . These were his words to Polyphemus “ if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you , shamed you so- say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye.”(B. 9, p227) Instead of being humbled by the experience, Odysseus tries to brag about what he has done, while in reality, it was the gods who blessed him with the ability to escape his situation.
- Therefore, Homer raises important questions by this passage? Is the Odysseus really a hero, or he is just selfish, arrogant human being with the lack of spiritual sense? What moral lesson teaches us this demonstration of human weaknesses? And what Homer was trying to say by this passage?
- Homer presented to us two-sided image of Odysseus personality in order to lead us to the road of many personal transformation, spiritual odyssey; and show how Odysseus become the man of words, who is capable, brave, sensible, modest and patient.
Cyclopes is just exaggerated image of human weaknesses. This monster characteristically is depicted as deformed image of humanity, his distorted human features corresponding to a defective inner nature that possesses certain negative human traits while lacking other positive ones, as example, lack of hospitality, religion, abusing of his physical strength lack of intelligence and enormous arrogance. But Odysseus, like Cyclopes, also has paid the price for the folly of arrogantly boasting. After blinding Polyphemos and escaping from his cave, he cannot resist the temptation to assert his own power. Like Cyclopes he cannot control his appetite for recognition, pride and appreciation of his intelligence. By revealing his own name, in a deeper sense, his error lies in forgetting the power of the gods and claiming to be the sole author of his own success. In Book 9 Homer plants numerous clues that the hero’s success has depended on divine assistance. It isn’t only that Odysseus prays to Athena for guidance before he plans his escape. He also acknowledges the stroke of luck that the Cyclops drove all his flocks into the cave that night, speculating, “or god led him on” (9.p.222). When it comes time to undertake the fearsome attack on the sleeping monster, “as some god breathed enormous courage through us all” (9.223), he says. And finally, there is the testimony of the other Cyclopes, who tell Polyphemos that his blinding must be “ a plague sent here by mighty Zeus and there ‘is no escape from that” (9.224). Overcome by pride in the success of his trickery, Odysseus misses the truth, which only repeat his earlier statement that “Respect the gods, my friend . We re suppliants –at your mercy! Zeus of the Strangers guards all guests and suppliants: strangers are sacred- Zeus will avenge their rights” (9.220). The power of Odysseus own intelligence makes him arrogantly forget the temporary nature of his own victory. When Odysseus’s clever scheme of giving his name as “Nobody” works and the other Cyclopes are mislead, he is so overjoyed with his own intelligence that he spurts out laughing, but this self-delight paves the way to his arrogant boasting once he thinks he is safely away.
Homer is obviously signifying that the intellectual side of humanity coexists only with tension of moral basis and in equal proportions. In other words, Odysseus not better then Cyclopes, his inner monster, pride and arrogance, hide the truth from him, mislead and curse him. Only when he was able to fight his own inner monster he became a man worth a legend. Later, in his journey he was able to strengthen his spirit. As an example, resistance to siren songs and on the island of Thrinakia where Odysseus demonstrates this self-control, refusing, despite the most extreme pangs of hunger, to eat the cattle of the sun god.