Orozco 1

Jose Orozco
Mrs. Kitt Per 1
English 1H
April 26 2015
Oedipus and Odysseus, Good Leaders?
Odysseus is one of Greece's most famous heros, but is he actually a good leader?
Throughout The
Odyssey, Odysseus occasionally shows his abilities as a leader and a hero. In
The Sirens, Odysseus shows his good judgment by making sure his men's ears are covered so
they don't hear the siren's songs, preventing them from giving in to the sirens voices but h e
insists on listening to them himself, compromising the quest. Another influential leader in Greek
mythology is King Oedipus from Oedipus Rex. He used his wit and cunning to expel the sphinx
from the ancient city-state of Thebes, saving the people of the city. But while both of these
heroes show some good qualities, they both let their hubris ruin them. Good leaders put their
people in front of all else because they are selfless, both Odysseus and Oedipus fail to be selfless
during multiple occasions in their stories.
One way Odysseus exemplifies a bad leader is when he is stuck on Calypso's island he
starts to break down because he longs for home. Tear on Tear / Brimming his eyes. (Calypso
78/79) To an outside observer he appears weak. Leaders should not appear weak because their
people look up to them, if they appear unfit to lead then their people will not believe in them.
Odysseus lets his hubris almost cost his men's lives multiple times in the Odyssey. One very
prevalent example is when Odysseus and his men are escaping the cyclopes island. How do you
like the beating we gave you/.Zeus and the gods have paid you (the cyclops 392/394) This

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taunting makes the cyclopes throw rocks at the ship, almost causing the death of his entire crew.
They urge him to stop but he continues because of his hubris; leaders should not put their mens
lives in danger because of themselves.
Another famous Greek Hero who showed that he was not a very capable leader was
Oedipus, king of Thebes. Oedipus shows he has a temper when speaking to the blind prophet
Teirsisas, How shamelessly you taunt me. Do you think you will escape? (Oedipus Rex 3)
Oedipus threatens the prophet just because he will not tell him why the city is plagued. Good
leaders should keep calm and not threaten their people. He could have been more composed with
the prophet and talked to him calmly. Another bad quality of Oedipus was that he was untrusting
and paranoid causing him to make mistakes. ....let him go then. Wherever he is I shall hate
him. (Oedipus Rex 4) He banishes his brother because he believes he is conspiring against him
when it is really Oedipus himself who should be banished. This paranoia leads him to losing a
friend and the respect of his people.
Good leaders must have responsibility, bravery, confidence and intellect. Mario Batali
once said, One of the most important leadership lessons is realizing youre not the most
important or intelligent person in the room at all times. This means no matter how smart or
great you are, you can always learn something from other people. Leaders need to be able listen
to and get help from those around them. Leaders should also inspire their people and motivate
them to move forward and get better. Napoleon Bonaparte expressed this when he said, A
leader is a dealer in hope. This means that a good leader brings hope to his group and keeps
them motivated to get better. When people are motivated by a good leader they are unstoppable

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and can accomplish anything they set their mind to. In this way Odysseus was a good leader
because even when going against terrible odds, he kept his men confident.
Good leaders put the wellbeing of their people above their own needs and wants no
matter what. Odysseus caused the death of his entire crew because of his desire to go home.
Oedipus refused to see the truth that he was the one causing the catastrophes in his city. While
Odysseus did try to help his men, he ultimately put his life and family above all of theirs. Do you
think Odysseus was right to lead his crew to their absolutely certain deaths so he could return
home to Ithaca.