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Character analysis of Odyssey
Odysseus as an archetype
Character and traits of Odysseus
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In the “Odyssey” by Homer there is a hero that had a reputation of being clever and strong. This story is about a man named Odysseus that was in the Trojan war and was heading home but got off course. It took years to get back and was faced with many adventures and obstacles to get back home such as Sirens, Cyclops, and even some deities. He was also helped by Hermes Zeus messenger. He had to use all of his strength and knowledge if he was ever to return home but, which one did he have to use the most? Odysseus had many obstacles to overcome so what quality helped the most throughout his journey? When he goes past the Sirens he has his men put wax in their ears as Odysseus straps himself to the ship's mast, is one of the many problems he …show more content…
His wife had many would be suitors to marry but she wanted to wait for Odysseus so one day she said that whoever can string Odysseus's old bow and shoot through the sockets of twelve axe heads she will marry this man. Not even one of the suitors were able to string the bow but, Odysseus disguised as a old man strings the bow and shoot through the twelve axe heads. This part of the story is one that if he did not have the strength to string the bow his wife may have remarried to one of the suitors. Another time he needed to have extraordinary strength was when he was one the sea and blessed by the god of wind and given storms that Odysseus kept in a bag he had to be strong to keep his ship on course and he was so close to his home shore and he decided to take a nap but his crew was coureous and tempted by what the bag had in it and unleashed a hurricane. These are some of the many obstacles that was in the way of Odysseus and his home that he needed strength. In the “Odyssey” there are many epic adventures and obstacles that Odysseus had to overcome with knowledge and strength but the one he had to use was his
Odysseus shows how clever he is in The Odyssey more than once, but one accomplishment stands out above them all.
One of Odysseus's biggest challenges was to resist temptation. The first temptation Odysseus and his men encountered was the sweet lotos plant, "They fell in, soon enough, with Lotos Eaters, who showed no will to do us harm, only offering the sweet Lotos to out friends..." (IX. 98-100). Eating the plant did not seem like a bad idea, but resisting was a much wiser option, ."..but those who ate this honeyed plant, the Lotos, never cared to report, nor return: they longed to stay forever, browsing on that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland" (IX. 101-104). If they had eaten the plant, they never would have gotten home. Another great temptation they had to withstand was the Seirênês. The Seirênês would tempt the men to them with their beauty and music, "Square in your ship's path are Seirênês, crying beauty to bewitch men coasting by..." (XII. 101-104). If men did not resist, they would fall into the Seirênês' clutches and die, "Woe to the innocent who hears that sound! He will not see his lady nor his children in joy, crowding about him, home from sea; the Seirênês will sing his mind away on their sweet meadow lolling..." (XII. 50-54). The biggest temptation that Odysseus had to defy was from the sea nymph, Kalypso, "I fed him, loved, him, sang that he should not die or grow old ever, in all the days to come" (V. 1420143). Kalypso wanted to have Odysseus as her husband, but all he could think of was home, "Meanwhile he lives and grieves upon that island in thralldom to the nymph; he cannot stir, cannot fare homeward..." (V. 15-17). Odysseus resisted, and was not completely unfaithful to his wife. If he had not resisted temptation, he would have been on the island of the Lotos Eaters, dead, or without a wife.
In the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus must face many obstacles on his journey. He is only able to conquer them because of his wonderful qualities. He meets, a Cyclopes, Sirens, a six-headed monster, a regurgitating whirlpool, and a group of greedy, lovesick men. Some Odysseus's more important qualities are, determination, cunning, and protecting.
This was a major step in the hero’s journey because it helped Odysseus discover and meet new friends, mentors, enemies, challenges, skills and new knowledge. This self-knowledge began with Odysseus not having any friends who trust him whatsoever. The main reason to do so is, in book nine, Odysseus doesn’t make any new friends considering the fact that he has a problem with letting his hubris get into the way of letting him believe someone is actually good enough to be friends with him. Here, it is clearly articulated that he was too boastful for him depend on anyone. This is major because not only does he avoid dependence, but he also avoids trust put on him. If he is too selfish, no one will believe his word, as they will think it’s all for himself and not any for them. The part of the epic which identifies this is when Odysseus gives specific instructions to his crew to not open the bag which was given by Aeolus. Only Odysseus knew that the bag contained powerful winds which could help them reach Ithaca, but this is hidden from the crew. They had already identified Odysseus as selfish, so they expected the bag to be full of treasure, and how mankind is, they wanted some too. To the readers’ surprise, this all changes the minute he enters Ithaca. He is welcomed by his dog, Argos, and was helped a kind shepherd who filled in Odysseus
Similar to an elaborate dish, a literary genre consists of multiple necessary “ingredients,” called epic conventions, which classify a text into a particular category. Homer follows an impeccable recipe in his magnificent work. Labeled as an epic, The Odyssey by Homer portrays the Greek hero Odysseus years after his victory in the Trojan War and his awaited journey back to Ithaca. As the plot develops it is evident it is no effortless feat for our hero to return home. The godly Odysseus encounters adversities in the forms of Cyclops, sea monsters, alluring flowers and formidable Greek gods with varying conceptions of him. These characteristics distinguish the Odyssey and its episodes as an epic and bestow Odysseus with the title of an epic
Odysseus is a hero because he acts courageously while facing the many challenges he encounters. Odysseus’s shows great bravery when he engages in physical challenges. Odysseus daringly fights against the suitors, while significantly outnumbered: “For I must tell you this is no affair / of ten or even twice ten men, but scores, throngs of them” (XVI, 291 – 293). Even though Odysseus is facing hundreds of men, his bravery keeps him confident that he can win the battle. Odysseus must use his physical strength when Poseidon punishes him with turbulent waves: “Odysseus’s knees grew slack, his heart / sickened, and he said within himself / Rag of man that I am, is this the end of me?” (V, 307 – 309). Odysseus is exhausted from the torrential sea, yet refuses to give up because of enormous courage and his unwillingness to surrender. Odysseus must also cope with emotional challenges throughout his journey. His emotions are tested when he ventures to the underworld, Hades, and must confront his greatest fear, death: “From every side they came and sought the pit / with rustling cries; and I grew sick with fear. / But presently I gave command to my officers” (XI, 45 -47). Although Odysseus is deeply fearful when he comes face to face with the dead, his mental f...
To be an epic hero one must portray qualities of bravery, strength, and intelligence. In addition, one must be able to lead others to victory. Odysseus portrays all of these qualities. He is brave and intelligent, this is proven when he tricked the Cyclops Polyphemus by telling Polyphemus his name was “Nohbdy”. This is said when Odysseus says “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends,/everyone calls me Nohbdy.’” (Homer 9. 274-275) In addition, later that night he disguised his men as sheep thus allowing them to escape because, Polyphemus accidentally unwittingly let the men out of his cave. The greatest example of Odysseus's physical strength came with the test of the suitors, crafted by Penelope. Odysseus was the only man strong enough to string the bow. After his identity was revealed, Odysseus slayed every man in the room. He is inarguably the strongest of all the men who want Penelope, not simply the
When people think of Odysseus, they think of a great, cunning, warrior. Who wouldn’t see him that way, he fought his way through Troy and embarked on a journey back home to see his son and wife again. On the surface Odysseus seems like a genius but in Homer’s, The Odyssey, Odysseus shows many instances where he outwits his foes but his foolishness heavily outweighs his smarts; he becomes boastful after a victory which leads to more hardships, he leaves precious cargo in the open for his brutish crew to mess with, and refuses help from the gods which nearly leads to his demise.
In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus goes through many trials while trying to return home from the Trojan War. On his voyage home, he must visit the Land of the Dead, evade the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis and when he does arrive home, participate in a tricky reunion with his wife, Penelope. All of these examples show that Odysseus has extreme determination and perseverance. Perseverance is an excellent quality that few possess which can spark achievement.
One of the major themes of Homer’s Odyssey is the importance of cunning over strength. This also happens to be the case with Odysseus and his long ten year journey home from fighting in Troy. Odysseus uses his intelligence over strength to ‘fight’ through tough times and bring himself home to Ithaca. Odysseus uses his intelligence when he has his men tie him down while passing the Sirens, so he himself will be able to hear their beautiful song, but not be entranced by their singing. He also uses cunning to escape from the Cyclops’ cave without being harmed. He then uses his cunning by storing away all of the armory, shields, and knives from the suitors so he is able to kill them easily.
Odysseus is unique among epic heroes in that his strength comes not from inhuman powers or exceptional physical ability, but mainly from his mind. Odysseus, regularly uses cunning, guile, and superiority of intellect to overcome obstacles. In this paper I will compare Odysseus to other epic heroes, both in terms of character and in terms of responses to crises, comparing his reactions with those of other heroes placed in similar situations.
“The Odyssey” is an epic poem that tells the story of Odysseus and the story of his many travels and adventures. The Odyssey tells the main character’s tale of his journey home to the island of Ithaca after spending ten years fighting in the Trojan War, and his adventures when he returns home and he is reunited with his family and close friends. This literary analysis will examine the story and its characters, relationships, major events, symbols and motifs, and literary devices.
The challenges that Homer give the protagonist is all a test of character. Odysseus continues to pass the obstacles with flying colors, but his arrogance is the one flaw that is in dire need of correction. Some of the many challenges Odysseus overcomes on his voyage home is defeating the Cicones, surviving the Island of the Lotus Eaters, outsmarting the Giant Cyclops, saving his men from Circe, Traveling to Hades, passing between Scylla and Charybdis, escaping Calypsos’ Island and many more. Odysseus survives these obstacles and uses his smarts to escape near disaster. Often times he was the only one to survive these things and his crew often lost their lives due to their own stupidity. “‘We left the island and resumed our journey in a state of gloom; and the heart was taken out of my men by the wearisome rowing. But was our own stupidity that had deprived us of the wind.’”(P127 L75-79) Odysseus shows how he is an extraordinary man by being much smarter than his crew and the men that follow him. As a part of this stripping of Odysseus, Homer shows that Odysseus is a collective symbol of Everyman. On the one hand Odysseus is a great warrior, who is extremely intelligent, noble, and a great man. Although he has many god- like qualities he is still human. He shows that he is human and like every man, because of the fact that he still has major flaws. The
Odysseus defeats great monsters with the help of his men and the gods. Homer added Greek mythology to the epic poem because that is the main belief of the people at the time. The people believed that the gods and the fates controlled what happened in their lives. Odysseus’s story reflects this belief. His accomplishments are based on the help of the gods, or what the fates wrote into his life. He defeated the monsters and overcame the struggle because that is what was supposed to happen in his life. Odysseus could make his own choices, but his journey is made easier when he listens to the gods and their
Homer’s The Odyssey is a Greek story that follows the journey of its primary character, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus encounters many challenges in his journey home, from encounters with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the witch Circe and even the ghosts of dead Greeks. Meanwhile, his household in Ithaca is being threatened by suitors of his wife, Penelope, all wanting to inherit Odysseus’ possessions in the belief that he was already dead. Like many epic heroes, Odysseus possesses many admirable qualities. Three good characteristics of Odysseus are—cleverness, bravery and strength—here are some supporting instances from the epic that demonstrates Odysseus possession of such characteristics.