What is the greatest threat to Odysseus in the Odyssey? Essay plan

What threatens Odysseus' travels in the Odyssey?

• The Gods- 
• Poseidon- Poseidon hinders Odysseus' journey continuously since Odysseus blinded his son, Polyphemus. Poseidon send Odysseus storms, which wreck his ship and he punishes the Phaeacians after then help Odysseus by taking him back to Ithaca. 
• Athene- Athene doesn't pose such a great threat to him as she is helping him for most of the Odyssey, however when Odysseus starts to offend her she gets wound up which would result in threat as she is so powerful. 
• Zeus- Zeus poses a threat as he allows Poseidon to punish the Phaeacians, he punished Odysseus' men because they ate Hyperion's cattle and he warns men about their behaviour before he has to punish them for it. He doesn't pose a huge threat however as he doesn't intervene with Odysseus' travels much as he only grants other gods to help Odysseus. 
• Hermes- Hermes helps Odysseus, he is the messenger who goes to Caylpso to tell her to let Odysseus leave Ogygia because Zeus said so, then he also game Odysseus some Moly, which is the antidote to Circe's poison which turns men into pigs. 
• Monsters- 
• Cicones- they are Thracians living in Ismarus. They pose a threat to Odysseus as they started a battle, Odysseus killing six of his men from each of his ships. 
• Lotus-eaters- the lotus-eaters meant no harm to Odysseus or his crew members. They fed some of Odysseus' men who Odysseus had sent inland, and they ate they "honeyed fruit" which caused them to forget what they were supposed to be doing. None of Odysseus' men died, they were just dragged back to the ship where they continued their journey. 
• Polyphemus- Odysseus blinded Polyphemus and then stupidly told him his name and so Polyphemus set a curse on Odysseus. Poseidon then seeks revenge on Odysseus since Polyphemus is his son.
• Laestrygonians- Antiphates is the king of the Laestrygonians who pounces on one of Odysseus' men to eat him for dinner. Three of Odysseus' men dies which he sends to go and investigate the island. As soon as Odysseus sees all of the Laestrygonians heading towards his ships, he sets off immediately, leaving his three men behind.
• Sirens-  The Sirens are singers who bewitch men who pass them with their deallthy voices. Odysseus and his men row next to the Sirens and plug their ears with softened beeswax whilst Odysseus is tied to the mast of the ship so that he can hear the sirens voices but he wont be lured to his death by his temptation to go to them. 
• Scylla- Scylla is a six, scrawny necked creature who is opposite Charybdis. Scylla kills six of Odysseus strongest, ablest men when the rest of Odysseus' crew are busy paying attention to Charybdis. 
• Charybdis- Charybdis is a whirlpool opposite Scylla who is "like a cauldron on a blazing fire"
• Odysseus' crew- Odysseus' crew don't listen to Odyssseus when he tells them what to do. For instance when Odysseus tells them not to touch the bag of wind and they do it anyway out of their own curiosity. 
• Magic- Magic such as Circe turning Odysseus' men into pigs is threatening as only the gods can override the magic which threatens Odysseus.
• The Suitors- the Suitors threaten Odysseus as they threaten to take his wife and his home before he returns back to Ithaca. They could take away his kingdom which means so much to him. 
• Eurycleia, Argus- they threaten him because they could recognize who he was and let his guard down which would make him vulnerable because of the suitors. 
• Weather/ Sea- the gods control the weather and so Odysseus is threatened by the thought of losing his kleos by dying at sea, as then there would be no legacy for his family to carry about him. 
• Women- Circe and Calypso especially are threats to Odysseus as Odysseus is sexually desired to them. Odysseus has sex with both of the women, and both of them make it clear that they want him to stay with them rather than going home to Ithaca.
• ODYSSEUS- Odysseus is the most poignant threat to himself as he is the one who is the most adventurous and curious. 
• Crew- 
• Odysseus doesn't tell his crew members why they cant touch Hyperion's cattle and what the consequences would be if they did kill the cattle. 
• He also doesn't tell the men that the bag was full of wind, instead he stays up for as long as he can protecting the bag, making the crew members more and more suspicious and so when he eventually does fall asleep his crew members open the bag of wind which making his ship go all the way back to Aeolia. 
• Odysseus doesn't tell his men about Scylla in fear that they might stop rowing and huddle underneath the boards instead. 
• His sense of adventure-
• He doesnt need to stop at the Circones or the Lotus Eaters as he has only just left Troy and therefore will have plently of supplies and so there is no need to stop at Ismarus. 
• Even though Circe tells him not to arm himself to fight Scylla, Odysseus does anyway.
• It is his fault Polyphemus is blinded as he was the one who was greedy for hospitality and so went to Polyphemus' cave expecting to receive hospitality.