The Odyssey by Homer Literary Analysis Essay

"The reason most people fail instead of succeeding is that they give up what they want most for what they want at the moment," I can prove this statement through the characters, and the actions of the characters in Homer's "The Odyssey." The Odyssey is a poem about Odysseus’ journey across the world to get back to his home on the island of Ithaca located in Greece. Odysseus succeeds in his journey by doing the antithesis of this statement.

Throughout the first part of his adventure there are many moments where Odysseus could just give up on his journey and make his current conditions suffice. The first main example of this is the Lotus found on the Land of the Lotus Eaters. Members of Odysseus' crew eat the Lotus, but something happens to them after they eat it. The poem states “... But those who ate this honeyed plant, the Lotus, never cared to report, nor to return, They longed to stay forever, browsing on their native bloom, forgetful of their homeland.” (97-100) These men failed because they wanted to try the tempting Lotus. They now were stuck in the Land of the Lotus-Eaters, with no longing for home. Odysseus, who still saw the bigger picture of wanting to get home, told his men to not try the intriguing Lotus so that they could get what they wanted most–to go home.

Next, Odysseus is on Circe's island when he has to make a choice between temptation and his primary goal of reaching home. The Sirens have a voice so incredibly powerful it could make any sailor get lured to destruction. Odysseus knows that he cannot fall for the sirens so he tells his men “...you are to tie me up, tight as a splint, erect the mast, and if I shout and beg to be untied take more turns on the rope to muffle me.” (695-698) Odysseus takes extreme precautions to make sure that there is no way he could hear the voice of the Sirens. Odysseus put wax in his ears to make it absolutely certain that he wouldn’t hear the enticing voice of the Sirens. If he heard the Sirens voice he would give in and do whatever the Sirens wanted him too. This would, once again, be an example of him focusing on what he really wanted in the long term instead of succumbing to temptation.

Eventually, Odysseus will make it home to the land of Ithaca, but before he can be reunited with his wife Penelope, he has to get rid of the suitors who have been chasing after Penelope in Odysseus’ absence. There is also a plot to murder Odysseus’ son, Telemechus, so that the suitors can try to get the land that he is about to inherit. Before Odysseus can be recognized again, Athena changes his appearance to look like an old beggar. Although back on the land of Ithaca, he is not yet home.

Consequently, Odysseus is faced with meeting his wife while in his disguise. What Odysseus wants most in this moment is certainly to reveal himself to his wife and live happily ever after. Deep down though, Odysseus knows that his journey won’t be complete until he gets rid of the suitors. When Penelope asks the beggar who he is, Odysseus tells her “ O my dear lady this being so, let it suffice to ask me of other matters-not my blood, my homeland. Do not enforce me to recall that pain. My heart is sore; but I must not be found sitting in tears here, In another's house: It is not well forever to be grieving.” (1298-1303) As demonstrated in the quote, Odysseus stays strong so that he does not fail in his journey when he is so close to the end. He tells her to not ask about his family or his homeland because it is too painful (which is far from a lie,). When asked again about himself he tells her that Odysseus will soon come to her. Finally, Odysseus' journey will be made complete. 

Odysseus' journey comes to a close, and furthermore he is reunited with his wife. This would never have happened if he gave in during his journey. If he had followed in some of his crew's footsteps and tried some of the delicious Lotus he would have given up on his journey home. If he had listened to the voices of the sirens he would have been whisked away to misery and destruction and most likely would never have made it back home. Moreover, if he had told Penelope that he was really Odysseus, he could have lost his son and his wife.  All in all, Odysseus' actions support that he stays strong and does not give up what he wants most for what he wants in the moment. Odysseus knows that the people who give up and get distracted from  what they want early on will fail, and this knowledge is the precise reason why Odysseus succeeds.