Odysseus the creator

In every story there is a hero who at first seems useless and plays the role of the ” victim” but he finds the way to become the ” creator” and play that role really well. Odysseus plays the role of the creator very well in the odyssey. By creating instantaneous lies when encounters with people that question him or he gets in trouble. Odysseus is a creator in the Odyssey by getting his men out of rough situation and as his journey back to Ithaca become more challenging he find the courage and inner guide to get himself back home. Odysseus is the master of schemes but it gets to his head and thinks that he’s greater than the gods in the skies he gets curse. When he make one of the gods mad and Athena asks Zeus; ” Olympian Zeus, have you no care for him in your lofty heart? Did he never win your favor with sacrifices burned beside the ships on the broad plain of troy? Why, Zeus, shy so dead set against Odysseus” and Zeus replies; ” what nonsense you let slip through your teeth. Now, how on earth could I forget Odysseus? Great Odysseus who exels all men in wisdom, excels in offerings too he gives the immortal gods who rule the vaulting skies? No, it’s the earth-shaker, Poseidon, unappeased….” (Book 1 line 72-84). What Zeus is saying is that Odysseus isn’t the man who everyone thinks he is and explains why Poseidon has put a curse on his trip back to Ithaca. Odysseus was a man who used his creator mind to get himself and his crew out of trouble and he never gets himself trapped when asked a question. As Odysseus and his crew get caught by the Cyclops he starts by saying how he was sent by Zeus; ” 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!” (Book 9 line 303-305). By saying this to the Cyclops Odysseus thinks he’s going to get his way at first, but the Cyclops counter attacks by saying; ” you must be a fool, stranger, or come from nowhere, telling me to fear the gods or avoid their wrath! We Cyclops never blink at Zeus and Zeus’s shield of storm and thunder, or any other blessed god—we’ve got more force by far” (book 9 line 307-311). By saying that he was greater than the gods and that he didn’t fear anyone he beats out Odysseus out for a second. As the Cyclops rambles on and ask Odysseus if his ship was up the coast or close in his quick and smart thinking says to the Cyclops; ” my ship? Poseidon god of the earthquake smashed my ship, he drove it against the rocks at your island’s far cape, he dashed it against a cliff as the winds rode us in. I and the men you see escaped a sudden death.” (Book 9 line 319-323). Odysseus is so smart by saying this because he doesn’t put the crew that’s waiting for him in the ship in danger and he wants the Cyclops to feel sorry for him and his crew and will grant Odysseus and his crew with food and supplies for his trip back home. Odysseus is a creator because he makes a plan to kill the Cyclops and in such an intelligent way. By getting the Cyclops really drunk and tricking him to move the rock from his cave then stabbing him in the eye leaving him blind and escapes where he his ship and the other half of his crew waiting for him he escapes from being killed by the Cyclops and make his way to his native land. Odysseus has much success with his wicked lies but that made him a little bit arrogant and that was the only thing that is keeping him to get back to Ithaca. Trough out the book Odysseus gets of course because of his smart mouth For example he made many comments about the gods and how he was greater than the god so Poseidon the god of earthquakes got really annoyed with that comment and blew him of course. If Odysseus wasn’t so big mouthed he would have been home sooner. When Odysseus stabbed Polyphemus in the eye he should just made away with his crew and sailed off back home. Instead he rambles on saying how the Zeus made him pay the price for not taking care of his guest; ” so, Cyclops, no weak coward it was whose crew you bent to devour there in your vaulted cave—you with your brute force! Your filthy crimes came down on your own head, you shameless cannibal, daring to eat your guests in your own house—so Zeus and the other gods have paid you back!”(Book 9 line 531-536) I think that was unnecessary for Odysseus to talk like that because it only make him look arrogant to the gods because the gods never sent him to do that and could get him into a lot of trouble down the road. The other comment he made was by giving his real name out to the Cyclops; ” Cyclops if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shame you so—say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, Laertes’ son who make his home in Ithaca!”(Book 9 line 559-562). By doing that Odysseus gives away his identity and therefore makes his and his crewmembers lives in danger. His arrogance level went up really high when he decided to tell Polyphemus his name. Odysseus Is a great man with a creators mind. If it wasn’t for his arrogance he would have got home a lot sooner. Other then that Odysseus way of lying his way out of trouble and save his life at different times even though he sometimes cause it, helped him and most of his crew to get back home to Ithaca where his kingdom was waiting for him. Odysseus made himself a creator by the adventures and problems he faced and accomplishing his journey made him the most creative character in the Odyssey. Homer. The Odyssey. Translation, Robert Fagles New York; Penguin, 1996 Downing, Skip. On course. Fourth edition, Houghton Mifflin company Boston; 2005