A wise and cunning man, Odysseus could outsmart his opponents and escape from any dilemma no matter how dire. When Telemachos inquired about his father, Sagely Nestor detailed that “… there was no man who wanted to be set up / for cunning against great Odysseus; he far surpassed them / in every kind of stratagem (3.120-122)”.’ Likewise, during Telemachos jourmey, he saw kingly Menelaos and beautiful Helen, who told stories of Odysseus’ cleverness during the Trojan War. However, though Odysseus was indeed quite shrewd, he would not have endured much trouble in his journey home had he taken care to not let his ego overpower his judgment and had been more vigilant as commander.
In his journey, Odysseus and his men happen upon the land of the Cyclops. Due to his whimsical curiosity, he leads his crew into the deadly clutches of Polyphemus. With his quick thinking, Odysseus is able to bring back most of his men from the grim situation. Although he managed to escape from the imminent danger of Polyphemus, he didn’t take into account the consequences of his actions could ensue. Abroad his ship, Odysseus taunts Polyphemus and continues to jeer the Cyclops even when a giant boulder is thrown just shy of his ship. Upon iterating his name, Odysseus had his fate forever sealed. With this, Polyphemus calls upon his father, Poseidon, to kill Odysseus or to bring a great bane to his voyage home and find troubles in his home. Had he shown discipline and not let the triumph of his escape go to his head, then he and his men would have peacefully returned to Ithaca without toil and grief.
When Odysseus and his crew arrive at Ismaros, instead of following xenia and being good guests, they greedily “sacked their city and killed their city people/ and out of their city taking their wives and many possessions (9.40-41)”. Then Odysseus advised his men to escape back to the ships to ensure safety, but his men ignored him until the Kikonians came back with reinforcements thus forcing them to retreat. This is not the only incidence where Odysseus was not in control of his men, twice more Odysseus shows his inability to handle his men. The next occurrence was when he received the bag of wind from Aiolos, but failed to inform his men of the contents of the bag. Filled with greediness and mistrust of their captain, Odysseus, the crew is quick to assume that the bag is filled with riches and hastily opens the bag, which throws them into a great storm. However, the most fatal instance of poor leadership is on the island of Hyperion, where Odysseus warns his men not to slaughter the sheep on the island, but ignores the cries of hunger from his crew. This leads to the entire crew’s death as they are overcome with hunger and foolishly kill the sheep. Had Odysseus not only communicated with his men but also gained the trust of his men and listened to the complaints of his men then they might have survived.
After a long 10-year jourmey, Odysseus finally returns to Ithaca, but only to find a hoard of suitors destroying his home. With such a large number, Odysseus must use the lessons learned to win back his kingdom. If he is too hasty then he will face his own demise. In the disguise of a beggar, he is ruthlessly mistreated by the suitors as they laugh and scorn him. But using what he learned from his dealings with Polyphemus, Odysseus waits and does not let his ego and pride Overcome him. Even when Antinoðs and Ktesippos throw things at him, Odysseus remains calm and refuses the urge to identify himself. He slowly gathers his comrades ensuring that they trust him and under the guise of a beggar hears them out on what they wish for. Then at the proper time, he unveils himself to them and tells them what his plan is, and asks for their help in the massacre of the suitors. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus grows from an overconfident man and unreliable leader to a humble and trustworthy king.
