The Odyssey: The Relationship Between one's Fate and The Purity of one's Mindset

In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus is constantly beseeching different entities to help and accommodate him throughout his long and arduous journey. Homer uses the mindsets of the hosts to unveil the purity of their motives and to decide their fate. The gods do not care whether one treats their guest like a king or a source of food, but rather, their straightforwardness and lack of tricks.

The bad host with pure motives who ends up with what he wants is certainly shown in the Cyclops Polyphemus. Homer uses the way Polyphemus acts and hosts Odysseus to reveal his pure motives, which ultimately let him have his way. The only repercussions Polyphemus faces are when he sees (no pun intended) a sad turnout and is blinded in his only eye. Polyphemus is obviously a barbarous monster, as demonstrated when he "snatch[ed] two [men] at once.../ [and] bolted them down like a mountain lion, le[aving] no scrap..." (9. 125, 129). His lack of hesitation, as shown by the actions of "snatching" and "bolt[ing]," gives insight into his straightforward nature. His crudeness of manner shows that he doesn't care what Odysseus thinks about his actions, which goes back to his pure motives. He only wants to eat Odysseus, and doesn't hesitate to come forward about it through his immediate actions. The comparison between Polyphemus and a mountain lion gives a powerful effect, as mountain lions are certainly ones who persevere and dominate, things that the Cyclops does at the end of his part in the story. The Cyclops's curse upon Odysseus has the man of twists and turns face even grander obstacles, while the brute himself ends up almost scot-free. It is shown in Polyphemus that the gods weight pure motives heavier than good treatment.

The Phaeacians are clear examples of good hosts with bad motives ending up horribly. The Phaeacians did indeed treat their guest well, but they did so in order for their name to be spread, a major ulterior motive of theirs. In the end, one of their most beloved things, what they depended on for life and prosperity, was taken from them by the gods. The nation treated Odysseus so he could proclaim just how much the Phaeacians "excel the world" (8. 120) at various sports. This phrase basically belittles the rest of the world and is rather untrue. It is known that first off, they do not encounter many foreigners, so they do not know about even half of the whole world's athletic abilities. Also, the use of the word "excel" implies that they not only are good, but are the best. Next, once the Phaeacians actually demonstrate their powers, it is shown that they are bested by Odysseus without contest. In Greek mythology, many humans who overly exult in their abilities meet a grim end. For instance, in one myth, Arachne gloats about her prowess in sewing and manipulates words of her greatness to the level of being better than the goddess Athena. Athena