All of us are faced with choices and forced to make decisions each and every day. Some choices can be simple like which pair of shoes to buy, whether or not to go to the gym, or deciding on watching TV or finishing Ms. Stephenson's homework. However other choices are much more difficult, like which college to attend or how to spend our money. After reading about Odysseus' journey home to Ithaca, we learned that he was faced with several choices that not only affected his life, but also the lives of his crew members.
Analyze the choices that Odysseus makes throughout the epic. Were these the best decisions? What would you have done if you were Odysseus? How might you have handled some of these perils and obstacles differently? Do you think Odysseus demonstrates the qualities and characteristics of a strong leader? If so, is Odysseus responsible for the actions and decisions of his crew? Be sure to provide specific examples from the epic that supports your thoughts and opinions.
The best decision Odysseus made was the decison to listen when people told him about dangers and how to avoid them. If I were him I would've done the same thing. Here I am in dangerous waters with crewmen who are all counting on me and I have no idea what I'm doing myself. I wouldn't have handled anything differently. His choice to listen to the warnings were what saved them most of the time.
ReplyDeleteOdysseus does demonstrate characteristics of a strong leader. In the situtation with the cyclops, Odysseus quickly and cleverly divised a plan that got most of his men out safely. Anyone else would have prepared themselves for death.
I don't think Odysseus was responsible for the actions and decisions of his crew. He couldn't make them do anything all he could do was lead them in the right path. It was their choice if they wanted to listen or not. In the end Odysseus was the only one who survived and that was for a reason. -VBethea2A
The best decision Odysseus made was to act against Polyphemus, the cyclops. If it wasn't for Odysseus him and his men all would of been dead. I wouldn't have done the same thing as Odysseus, because I wouldn't have enough courage to act against such a threatening creature. I think Odysseus does display characteristics of a strong leader, because he's brave and not afraid to risk his own chance of survival for his crewmen. On the Land of the Lotus Eaters, Odysseus quickly got himself under control and then quickly snapped his crewmen back to reality. If it weren't for him acting this way they would have never made it back home to Ithaca. Odysseus isn't responsible for the actions of his crewmen, because it was just his job to guide them back home. It was every mans personal choice whether they wanted to obey Odysseus and make their way safely back home, or disobey Odysseus and die before getting a chance to tell their families goodbye. -NSmith2A
ReplyDeleteI would not change anything Odysseus did. All his decisions are the reason why he is alive and returned home. For example, when he posed as a begger. He got to see who was truly behind him and who was betraying him. He came out on top and did revenge slowly but surely. Odysseus lead his son, and two others and the fight against the pretenders. They won and everyone got what they deserved because of his leadership.
ReplyDeleteQuierand Bentley
ReplyDeleteThe best decision Odysseus made was getting his men away from the witch craft of Circe. If Odysseus did not reuse his men from Circe it would have been the greastest lost faced by Odysseus and his crew. The reason being is Odysseus took all his men and spilt them up into two group. One half of them were tricked by Circe and were turned into swine. If Odysseus did not go back to go get his men it may have very well been their greastest lost because they would have lost so many men,but fortunately he was able to save them and form a friendly bond with Circe. If there was something I would have done differently it would have been to keep a open book policy with my men. Their were slot of things Odysseus did not tell his men and there was a lot of things the men did not tell to Odysseus. Odysseus never told his men of the profceices that Circe and Tiresias told him. He never told them that when they were passing Syclla nine men were probably going to be eaten. He never told the men that the bag he had was a bag of winds and let the men go in a frenzy on what was in the bag. By leaving all this information away from his men it made them not trust him as much.
Odysseus failed at being a good leader. Some of the good qualities of being a good leader is being true full and having integrity which he did not display enough throughout the story towards his men. A leader should also always have full control of the situation at all times. Therefore Odysseus is fully responsible for the actions of his men. Leaders must have authority over his men and must be respected and Odysseus did not have either one.-QBentley 2a