Oedipus Rex

In Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, the role of hubris is in full display throughout the entire tragedy. In the opening scene, Sophocles depicts Oedipus as a man of great stature, ruling his land justly, but Sophocles hints at his catastrophic fate due to his overly arrogant ways. Initially, Oedipus exhibits intelligence, love and concern for his subjects, and deep rooted wisdom, upholding a reputation of high moral standards. His wisdom, however, becomes self-righteous, as his hubris makes him arrogant and blind to the subtle, and even at times obvious signs in front of him. From the start Oedipus displays his hubris when he says to Creon,"I will start afresh and once again/Make dark things clear." Without any hesitation, without fully knowing the situation, and without having any type of counsel, Oedipus believes he can fix the crisis. This line shows how much hubris dictates Oedipus, as Oedipus's arrogance blinds him. Throughout the play Oedipus is blind to the truth due to his hubris. Even when Tieresias unequivocally tells Oedipus, "I say thou art the murderer of the man/Whose murderer thou pursuest," he still doesn't get it. It seems that Hubris, defined as exaggerated pride or self confidence, is the earmark character trait of Oedipus, as well as the catalyst to the play.

The Odyssey

They Are One In The Same

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In books nine through sixteen of the Odyssey, I noticed that Odysseus has a few traits which resemble Achilles. Specifically, his hubris demeanor and his glory seeking personality, which he illustrates during the narration of his great adventures trying to find home. Like Achilles, Odysseus's misadventures are due to hubris and kleos. For example, his adventure to the Island of Cyclops, when Odysseus recalls the spear that he pierced the eye of Polyphemus with to King Alkoonis. His recollection of the spear is so exaggerated I cracked a smile of laughter. I don't even think Achilles could have handled this missile, "It was like a mast a lugger of twenty oar... I held this in fire's heart and turned it, toughening it." The exaggeration of the weight and size of the spear is important to note, as this shows Odysseus's assertion of strength and power. Further more, when Odysseus says the he "held" the spear into the fire, "toughening it," the bravado is so unwavering, that for me, it's a clear sign of Odysseus's hubris. As fro his glory-seeking personality, the only reason Odysseus and his crew is stuck in the cave with the man eating Cyclops is that Odysseus "wished to see the caveman." When Odysseus decides to see the Cyclops, he chose to endanger the lives of his crew so he could have more adventures to tell. Most importantly, it was for the benefit of his glory. Odysseus's avarice for kleos blinded his actions, as he is a very clever man. He of all people should have known not to be sticking around after breaking into someone's lair. I thought that Odysseus and Achilles are very similar, as they admire themselves, and with to be admired by others.

The Odyssey

Brains over Brawn

For the first half of the Odyssey, what fascinated me the most about the epic poem is the persuasive rhetoric of Odysseus. There are several examples which highlight the ways in which persuasive speech is use by Odysseus. The first example can be read in book five, when Odysseus explains to Calypso why he wants to return to Ithaca. Throughout book five, Odysseus uses flattery and sympathetic pleas to ask for his release. Even though Zeus had already decreed his release, Odysseus by using his rhetoric gives no reason for Calypso to disobey Zeus's orders, and in a way he comforts her loss of him.

Another example of Odysseus's cunning and skillful speech is when he washes up on shore on Scheria and meets Princess Nausikaa. From book six, "I beseech thee, O queen, - a goddess art thou, or art thou mortal? If though art a goddess, one of those who hold broad heaven, to Artemis, the daughter of great Zeus, do I liken thee most nearly in comeliness and in statue and in form? But if thous art one of mortals who dwell upon the earth, thrice blessed then are thy father and thy honored mother, and thrice blessed thy brethren." Odysseus with this speech again demonstrates his skill rhetoric and his ability to fit his words to his audience. In order to get the confidence of the princess, Odysseus carefully constructs his speech to reassure her that he will not attack her by alluding to the virgin goddess Artemis. Unlike in the Iliad, much of the prowess attributed to the heroes in the Odyssey are more intellectual and witty. In the Odyssey a hero's wit and cunning sense is their strength, exampled by Odysseus. 

The Iliad

The Iliad 

Hubris

    In Homer's The Iliad, books one, six, eight, and nine, what interested me the most is the hugely inflated egos of practically all of the male characters. From the very first lines, "Begin it when the two men first contending broke with one another," in the line Homer describes the rivalry of humans and the hubris-tic nature which rises from it.

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    As Agamemnon and Achilles contend against each other, their pride arrogance splits them apart. Furthermore, because of their hubris ways, there is no compromise or resolutions to any of their problems. This theme is seen throughout the entirety of books one, six, eight, and nine. The male characters from the Ahkaia, Troy, to the gods from Olympus are all prone to hubris ways, which cloud their judgement.