Odysseus the hero in The Odyssey, is kept away from his family and home for many years, but it is because of his own flaws which canker him. His pride, arrogance, and greed for his own self-pleasure distract him from his ultimate goal, which is to get home to his family. He is motivated to get home because his love for his wife and his want and need to raise his son. However his flaws stand in the way of him reaching his goals as fast as he believes he would like to. Through his flaws we learn valuable lessons about him and his society. We learn how one has to give respect before one gets respect, how pride only gets one's self into more trouble, and how not being true to one's self can only cause confusion and problems.
             Odysseus lets his pride interfere with his return home. On page 139, lines 502-505, he tells the Cyclops the following " Cyclops, if anyone ever asks you how you came by your blindness, tell him your eye was put out by Odysseus sacker of cities, the son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca." This comment is not necessary and shows the large amount of disrespect he has for others. It is bad enough that he blinds the Cyclops after eating his sheep and other food, he does not need to rub it in anymore. This comment does nothing else but infuriates the Cyclops more and in-turn, made Poseidon seeks harmful revenge on him.
             Throughout the book Odysseus acts completely arrogant, to him self and others. He has no or little respect for his crew and the people he meets along his trip. On page 139, lines 494-499, one of his crewmembers says "Why do you want to provoke the savage in this obstinate way? The rock he threw into the sea just now drove the ship back to the land, and we thought it was all up with us. Had he heard a cry, or so much as a word, from a single man, he'd have smashed in our heads and the ship's timbers with another jagged boulder from his had. We're within easy range f...