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By: a guest | Mar 21st, 2010 | Syntax:
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Trickery and Manipulation
Sometimes being dishonest is needed to accomplish the greater good, odysseus must use manipulation to accomplish his goal of getting home to Ithica, therefore, it is acceptable. Lying may not always be bad, often, but not always.
First of all, there is no point in Odysseus NOT tricking his crew. It is stated cleary to Odysseeus that they will all die, except him. "Though you survive alone, bereft of all your companions, lost for years," If, they are going to die, might as well use them. This sounds cruel but thinking about it, it makes sense.
Onto specific events, the cyclops. No one should be punished for tricking someone so they wont them. It's perfectly fair, no ones going to just sit around to be eaten because "it'd be wrong to trick him and escape". Now for the more complicated one, Scylla and Charybdis. It was right to not mention Scylla or Charbydis, Odysseus couldn't risk them panicing and heading for Charybdis, and he couldn't stop them either, hes one man. "But as I sent them on toward Scylla, I told them nothing, as they could do nothing. They would have dropped their oars again, in panic." Also again, all the crew WILL die, no point in losing the boat earlier than later.
Last but certainly not least, coming home. It was definitly fair that he be disguised, there where 118 of them and 2 of them. It should be obvious as to why this trick was acceptable.