Review of 'The Odyssey': a Hero's Transformational Journey

The experiences of Odysseus prior to book 13 are instrumental to his transformation as a leader and hero, ultimately providing him with the ability to successfully return home and defeat the suitors, culminating in his nostos. In 'The Odyssey' through his hero's journey in the essay we can see each challenge that Odysseus faces and his subsequent failures. How he work towards the transformation of Odysseus from arrogant and brash to a wise and composed individual, with an understanding of the consequences he may face due to his actions. In his development as a leader and tactician, Odysseus' encounter with Polyphemos marks the beginning of this change. His later actions during his confrontation with Cerci can be used as a stark example of the changes Odysseus has undergone. Through his continued suffering and humiliation before his return home, Odysseus comes to embody a type of Greek hero, 'Aethlos', finalising his transformation and allowing for his eventual success.

While always portrayed as an intelligent individual, this intelligence is often hindered by Odysseus' lust for glory and fame over even his own wellbeing, particularly highlighted through his experiences at the island of the cyclopes. This hindrance is one that must be overcome in order for Odysseus to successfully return home. Odysseus' arrogance through this lust is observed when he enters Polyphemos' cave and begins to eat his food, going so far as to demand gifts when they are discovered. This quickly leads to the deaths of several of his men, trapping the survivors in the cave and requiring Odysseus to find a way of escaping his situation. Odysseus' aforementioned intelligence and more importantly, suppression of his ego, allow him to sacrifice his dignity in becoming 'nobody', in order to secure the escape of himself and his men. In suppressing his pride and ego and instead relying on his wit, Odysseus has shown that he is taking the first steps towards becoming a more 'traditional' Greek hero, developing himself as a leader by favouring not just his own life, but those of his men, as his journey of self-reflection and improvement begins. While his actions in the cave suggest he has begun to show development, his later taunting of Polyphemos, and by extension Poseidon, when leaving the island, to the danger of both himself and his crew, convey that Odysseus has not yet overcome his hubris, and must continue to develop and change in order to succeed.

After some time has passed following his experience with Polyphemos, Odysseus' encounter with Circe is used to highlight the way in which his experiences have changed his way of thinking and approaching challenges, proving to be a stark comparison to his earlier actions. When learning that some of his men have been turned to swine by the sorceress, Odysseus wastes no time preparing to confront her, deciding against bringing any of his men. His immediate desire to face the challenge alone may be seen to signify a regression towards his previous ideals, Odysseus does so not out of a desire for glory, but a concern for the lives of those he leads. In this action, we see that he has come to a greater understanding of the consequences his decisions may have on those he leads, demonstrating a significant development in his leadership and empathy when compared to his actions when approaching Polyphemos' cave. Odysseus' greater reliance on cunning and intelligence, rather than brute force, is especially seen in his encounter with Hermes and subsequent confrontation with Circe, as he accepts the advice of Hermes, allowing him to come to an arrangement with Circe that is beneficial to both himself and his crew. This encounter solidifies the fact that Odysseus has shown himself capable of overcoming his earlier Hubris in order to achieve a beneficial outcome, even if his actions are not seen as 'heroic', as he clearly desired.

Odysseus' early transformation into 'nobody' in Polyphemos' cave albeit only temporarily, proved to be a key point in the development of Odysseus' character. This moment allows Odysseus to understand that his traditional views of heroism would not always be his best course of action, as in this particular scenario, killing Polyphemos, while 'heroic', would have resulted in the 'unheroic' deaths of himself and his men as they starved. In becoming 'nobody', Odysseus has begun to favour this alternate way of thinking, imparting a greater reliance on intelligence and trickery rather than brash heroism. This type of heroism, 'Aethlos', forms the core of Odysseus' experiences during his journey as well as characterising him and the challenges he faces. The same lesson learned from this experience is translated to his success in returning home, disguised as a beggar. In enduring the humiliation of his transformation following the suffering he already endured in his travels, Odysseus has now become heroic, not by strength, but through his continued hardship and determination to return home.