The only account we get of Odysseus' full journey is from Odysseus himself as he sits among the Phaeacians. This presents two problems: 1. Odysseus does not know whether he is surrounded by friends or foes, and 2: Odysseus is known for being cunning, manipulative, and a "great teller of tales" (Book 9, line 1). When he describes some of the situations he and his men get into, he constantly refers to them as fools, and he blames the men for situations such as opening the bag of winds in book 10 when, in reality, he could've saved the trouble if he would've told them what was in there. He also claims he grieved as the men headed to scout out Circe's land, but he had just mentioned that he had planned to send his men first anyway. He paints his men in a negative light, all while painting himself as a great, fearless leader. This points to the untrustworthiness of Odysseus' tale.
However, on the other hand, if he was trying to only put himself in a positive light, he would not have told the Phaeacians about his mistake of telling Polyphemus his real name as he and his men escaped. It was this bout of arrogance that turned Poseidon against Odysseus, which cost his men their lives, and delayed his return home. Does this add to the credibility of his tale, or does his skill of being a "great teller of tales" make this story even more suspicious? I feel like Emily Dickinson's poem "Tell All the Truth but Tell it Slant" applies...
(P.S. I commented on Charis' and Brax's)
I love the fact that you bring in the idea of deceit, even in the telling of the tale. That is a great thought.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I believe that poem has perfect application to this situation, the idea of truth not being withheld but slightly obscured then revealed gradually. Perhaps Odysseus wants to appear trustworthy and full of leadership in order to receive support from the Phaeacians. His inclusion of some of his mistakes could simply be a way to make him seem more realistic and honest.
Is it a true hypothesis? There is no way of knowing. Is it worth considering? Definitely. Thanks for the thoughts.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with Nathanael on this. Odysseus was known for his cunning- but sin will never go uncovered. Odysseus almost seemed to be trying to be someone he wasn't in order to gain allies. In his acts of deceit, he did more damage to himself than good.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways, we have all been in similar situations as Odysseus, where we can choose to lie and attempt to make yourself look different, or be honest. I think that there is always the sinful thought pattern that over analyzes all of the possible outcomes if we come clean and don't dress yourself up in valor and strength. Yet we tend to quickly come up with a lie that makes us look better and save us from possible discomfort, not taking into account what might happen if its uncovered. We can also see this type of pattern bleed into other areas of our lives, which has people questioning everything we say. (Meaning I agree with Nathanael)
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely an interesting question you raise. It is fully possible that Odysseus is either making all these things up or changing a few key details to make himself seem more heroic or simply a better person. However, I do not think that to be the case, because despite his arrogance and his skill at deception, as seen later on, he is still an honorable man and lying about the nature of his journey home would be dishonorable.
ReplyDeleteRelating back to his trustworthiness, he doesn't show it. Yes the situation on Polyphemus was a slip of the tongue, some could say. Odysseus seems to shield everyone from the actual truth of upcoming events, such as the situation between Scylla and Charybdis. If he told his men that at least six of them would die to Scylla, then his crew mates might not have complied with his decision. This might have unraveled into choosing the path of Charybdis and everyone being killed. In some ways, being untrustworthy hurt him, but it's helps him in many ways too.
ReplyDeleteRelating back to his trustworthiness, he doesn't show it. Yes the situation on Polyphemus was a slip of the tongue, some could say. Odysseus seems to shield everyone from the actual truth of upcoming events, such as the situation between Scylla and Charybdis. If he told his men that at least six of them would die to Scylla, then his crew mates might not have complied with his decision. This might have unraveled into choosing the path of Charybdis and everyone being killed. In some ways, being untrustworthy hurt him, but it's helps him in many ways too.
ReplyDelete