Annie Isabell 10-19-09 Per.

5 Odyssey Essay A great man once said, Leadershi and learning are indis ensable to each other.! "he Odyssey is an e ic oem abo#t Odysse#s, the $ing o% Ithaca, and his ad&ent#res on his '#est to ret#rn home. Odysse#s end#res many obstacles and hardshi s thro#gho#t his long (o#rney. Altho#gh considered a )ree$ hero, Odysse#s *as not an ideal leader based on his oor decisions and n#mero#s %la*s. Odysse#s ossessed hardly any strengths. +is co#ntless %la*s al*ays got him into tro#ble. One o% his biggest %la*s *as c#riosity. +e entered the ca&e o% the ,yclo es, Poly hem#s, beca#se he *as c#rio#s as to *hat *as inside. Poly hem#s started eating his men, and the rest barely esca ed %rom the ca&e. I% Odysse#s had resisted the tem tation to enter the ca&e, then that horrible atrocity *o#ld ne&er ha&e ha ened. Another ma(or %a#lt o% Odysse#s is his arrogance. A%ter barely esca ing %rom the ,yclo es, he gloats to Poly hem#s as he and his men are sailing a*ay. "his act res#lts in Poly hem#s thro*ing a massi&e bo#lder and nearly cr#shing them. Altho#gh Odysse#s-s %la*s *ere al*ays a ca#se %or tro#ble, they *ere not the only things that ca#sed roblems %or him. Poor decision-ma$ing ca#ses e&en more trib#lations %or Odysse#s and his men. .irst, he did not listen to Athena *hen she ad&ised him not to listen to the sirens. Odysse#s ointlessly *ent thro#gh torment sim ly beca#se o% his c#riosity. Another a*%#l decision he ma$es is not holding his tong#e. /hen he brags to Poly hem#s abo#t his &ictory, he and his cre* came e0tremely close to death. 1oreo&er, since he re&ealed his identity to him, Poly hem#s rays to his %ather, Poseidon, to a&enge him. All that danger they *ent thro#gh *o#ld ha&e been

a&oided i% Odysse#s sim ly $e t his mo#th sh#t. All the bad choices Odysse#s ma$es res#lts in tragedies, and e&en deaths *ithin his cre*. Odysse#s is the o osite o% *hat a ty ical leader sho#ld be. 2#re, he *as c#nning and smart to get o#t o% a redicament, b#t he *as #s#ally al*ays the ca#se %or the roblem. 3n*ise decision ma$ing on his art led to many tragedies and deaths that co#ld ha&e been a&oided, i% only he made smarter choices. 1ost eo le *o#ld not admire these traits in an e0cellent leader. In my o inion, Odysse#s *as egotistical and had too many %la*s that did not allo* him to be considered a '#ality leader.