The feeling of self-confidence is a positive feature as long as it does not turn into arrogance. Hubris is one of such traits when people have too much pride in themselves, and this leads to disasters or problems. Odyssey is a great example of a character whose actions are sometimes ruled by his hubris. It is true that this man is strong and influential, but his arrogance deprives him of seeing some situations as a whole. Odyssey shows this negative trait at its greatest benign during the battle with the Cyclopes. Another example of this trait of character can be found in the Polyphemus’ behavior.
When the protagonist appears to be in the cave caught with his friends, he makes a creative plan to escape. When the monster gets to sleep, the men prick it with a stick in one eye to make him blind. However, the Cyclopes is not ready to give up. He stands up and waits for the culprits to show the sign. He wants to kill them after hearing any steps. The Odysseus decides to tie himself to the ram so that the monster does not understand where people. The hero’s friends do the same. If Odysseus were not so self-assured, he would escape the island without any problems. However, he decides to show his strong character by yelling at the creature. The Cyclopes is outraged because of such disrespect and teasing. The giant begs his father to do everything possible to take revenge. It happens that his dad is the god of the sea Poseidon. He feels angry at Odysseus and causes troubles to people while they are on the sea. Unless the protagonist were calmer and guarded, he would come home earlier. Because of his hubris, it takes 20 more years to overcome the difficulties which Poseidon prepares.
Polyphemus is another instance of showing hubris in his attitude to others. He believes in personal importance and invulnerability. He is convinced that nobody will ever overbear him. This creature does not respect gods, and they are not satisfied with this. Because of his overconfidence, Polyphemus has to remain blind for the rest of his life. Moreover, he ignores gods when he decides to eat the friends of the Greek king. All these irresponsible actions lead to disaster for this monster.
In all those books which tell stories about gods, heroes, monsters, hubris is an indispensable part. Although it makes the characters look stronger and confident, most ill-considered actions lead to real disasters. It means that the authors try to show that both intelligence and strengths should be equal in balancing the heroes’ characters. Homer’s Odyssey depicts hubris in a clearly negative way on the examples of the Greek king and Cyclopes. The writer encourages readers to be reasonable, proactive, and never overconfident.
Author: Arnold Campbell