Strength and vulnerability are contradicting characteristics, but some situations may drive a person to express both. If someone is feeling emotional and weak, another person or a situation might spark an instinct to be strong and persevere. In chapters 5-8 of The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus’ personality drastically changes depending on the position that he is in. After fighting in the Trojan War for 10 years, Zeus wrecks Odysseus’ ship and leaves him without a boat or any crew members. He washes up on the shore of Ogygia, an island inhabited by the nymph Calypso, and finds himself trapped there for eight years. Despite the fact that Odysseus is not with his family during the war, he is the smartest hero and demonstrates these qualities. However, …show more content…
Beginning on Calypso’s island, Odysseus acts helpless in many ways and relies on others to help him get where he wants to be. Luckily this works, and after 8 years on Ogygia Athena asks Zeus to help free Odysseus. Zeus sends Hermes to the Island where he finds Calypso in her home. “As for the lion-hearted Odysseus, Hermes did not find him in the cave, for he was sitting disconsolate on the shore in his accustomed place, tormenting himself with tears and sighs and heartache, and looking out across the barren sea with streaming eyes” (p.65). He cries while looking at the sea because it reminds him of how he is trapped and away from his family. Although Odysseus is released on this particular day, sitting by the shore and crying is a regular occurrence. Calypso treats Odysseus well on the island, and he can try to control his emotions instead of let them get the best of him. However, his vulnerability is exposed and Odysseus behaves in a way that makes others pity him instead of respect him. He continues to conduct himself this way even when he reaches the Palace of Alcinous in Phaeacia. Laodamas, a Phaeacian man, asks Odysseus if he would like to participate in their competition, and he declines with the excuse that he is too sad. He says, “‘I am too sick at heart to think of games. I have been through many bitter and exhausting experiences, and all I seek now is my …show more content…
Odysseus is sad and disconsolate on Calypso’s island, but when Hermes frees him on behalf of Zeus, it is the perfect opportunity to prove his determination. After spending 4 days building a boat, Odysseus takes off on a long and difficult journey across the sea. “It was with a happy heart that the noble Odysseus spread his sail to catch the wind and skillfully kept the raft on course with the rudder. There he sat and never closed his eyes in sleep.... So for seventeen days he sailed on his course and on the eighteenth there came into view the shadowy mountain of the Phaeacians’ country, which jutted out to meet him” (p. 69-70). Not only does Odysseus prove his sailing expertise, but he does not sleep for two weeks. This is a feat that not many humans can accomplish. He is demonstrating a completely different side of his personality than he showed on the island, and this is driven by the idea that he may have a chance of going home. However, after Poseidon sends a wave that destroys Odysseus’ boat, he sinks back into his slump. The successful and strong Odysseus does not return until the end of book eight when the Phaeacian men are urging him to compete in their games. The games are an attempt by King Alcinous to impress Odysseus. He wants Odysseus to praise the Phaeacians to the people of Ithaca when
One of Odysseus's many qualities is determination. He remains determined throughout the entire saga to get back to his family. During Odysseus's Odyssey he encounters many obstacles, beast, god, and nature. Odysseus must get through all of these hardships before he can make it back to his family and home. On his way back Odysseus is next to Charybdis and she swallows his boat. He must holds on to the branches of a fig tree to survive, "But I clung grimly, thinking my mast and keel would come back to the surface when she spouted. And ah! How long, with what desiree, I waited! Till, at the twilight hour...the long poles at last reared from the sea"(12.560-64). Odysseus shows his determination to get home, because it would be easy for him to just let go and drown, but no Odysseus hangs on so he can see his wife again. Once he is at home he finds suitors at his house. Odysseus kills one of them and the others beg for mercy, ??Not for the whole treasure of your fathers, all you enjoy, lands, flocks, or any gold put up by others, would I hold my hand??(22.65-67). Odysseus is determined to get revenge on all of the suitors and he will not be satisfied until they are all dead. Without his strong will and determination Odysseus would not have made it through his trials. Although determination is a must for a journey such as Odysseus?s cunning is also just as essential.
Once Odysseus has served enough time in a place against his will, he would be determined to leave that place. Odysseus’ journey towards home was now going to be able to be finished. For seven years Calypso held him prisoner on the island of Ogygia and he was determined to leave and see to the rest of his journey. Calypso agrees to let him go and she gives Odysseus some advice and guidance saying, "Only I will not aid [you] on [your] way, for I have no ships fitted with oars, nor crews to bear [you] over the broad oceanridges; but I will freely give [you] counsel and not hide how [you] may come unharmed to [your] own native land"(47). Calypso recognizes Odysseus’ greatness. Calypso says she will give some advice, but Odysseus will have to prove his greatness by making his own ship and understand how he will make it home.
A true hero will go through immeasurable lengths to benefit not him or herself, but the people around them. Heroes are neither selfish nor uncaring. They seek every opportunity they get to help those in need. One must have also gone through the entire hero’s journey to be deemed a hero. He must start off naïve and inept and through his challenges, transform into someone worth calling a hero. Most importantly, a hero is not perfect. He must listen to other’s ideas and utilize them. However, in The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus disrespects his crew men and the gods’ advice, lets hubris interfere with his men’s lives, and is unfaithful to his wife Penelope.
While with Calypso Odysseus relies upon the gods to decide whether he shall return home or if he is fated to stay with the nymph goddess. Though Odysseus is powerful amongst mortal men his attempts to free himself from Calypso’s island prove to be in vain. Instead, Odysseus must wait, for "…in the gods’ lap it lies to say if he shall come and wreak revenge in his halls…" (6). Odysseus must bow to the gods’ wishes and it is Athena, rather then Odysseus himself, who convinces mighty Zeus to free Odysseus and set him upon his journey home. Athena pleads Odysseus’ cause to the gods upon Olympus and beseeches her father begging that "…if it now please the blessed gods that wise Odysseus shall return to his own home…" (2) then she will aid him in this journey. Were it not for Athena’s intervention, Odysseus might never have returned to his native land and seen his dear Ithica once more.
Odysseus’ character , as seen in the Iliad, is much like that of a Homeric hero. A hero in Homer’s world entails many attributes other than physical strength including, but not limited to, courage, honor, respect, intelligence, and good morals. Throughout The Odyssey, some of these character traits are illustrated, and some are slightly changed.
In Homer’s The Odyssey, there are a lot of traits displayed that are considered important in ancient Greek culture. These are shown by many different characters, but mostly by Odysseus (he is, after all, the main character in the epic poem). Odysseus is the epitome of a Greek ruler: he has a lot of admirable traits. His only fault is his hubris, but that is overcome and taken care of. Throughout Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus displays wisdom combined with strong loyalty and inspiring leadership through the evident trust of his men and the ability to conquer any challenges that he may face along his journey back to Ithaka.
Odysseus sails through all of Poseidon's best obstacles, not knowing if he’ll get home to Ithaca, gets to multiple islands. One island in particular is Ogygian, the island of the goddess Calypso. He spends 7 years with Calypso, only for immortality, but the price was passion, love, an intimate relationship. When Odysseus spends three years on the island, he soon becomes overwhelmed, depressed, and tired. He said while telling his story, “the gods brought me to the Ogygian island where the great goddess Calypso lives. She took me a treated me with the utmost kindness; indeed she wanted the make immortal that I might grow old,
Imagine having the lives of your crew in your hands, deciding whether to let them live or die. Try having to choose between having your whole ship destroyed by a giant whirlpool and killing everyone or having a giant six-headed sea monster devour six of your men while they scream for your help. That’s only one of the many dilemmas Odysseus faced in Homer’s The Odyssey. In The Odyssey, Odysseus must try to travel home after The Trojan War has ended in Troy. His subjects back home in Ithaca believe that he is dead and now his house is overwhelmed with suitors trying to court Odysseus’s wife, Penelope to try and rule Ithaka. It’s up to Odysseus to make it back home and claim his kingdom back. During these trials to get home, Odysseus must face
He and his get trapped in Polyphemus’s cave due to his temptations. Odysseus lies to Polyphemus and says his name is “Nobody”. As they cleverly and sneakily escape from the cave of Polyphemus by hiding under the herd of sheep, Odysseus’ hubris takes over. When they are sailing away from the cave safely, Odysseus and his foolish self shout ‘s his real name to Polyphemus, which only brings them the wrath of Poseidon. “‘Kyklops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes; son, whose home’s on Ithaka!’” (160). Odysseus’s hubris is greatly represented in this passage. Odysseus’ hubris is one of his greatest weaknesses. His hubris causes his journey to be more difficult, long, and dangerous. When Polyphemus hears Odysseus’ real name, he wishes a curse upon Odysseus, his men, and their ship. He asks his father, Poseidon, god of the seas, to create a long, difficult journey home, for Odysseus’ men to die, and for the ship to be destroyed. This curse is a result of Odysseus and his foolish self. He displays how his foolishness results in risk of losing himself and his men. These passages show Odysseus’ weakness at the start of the epic. As he experiences intense and extreme events, he begins to
After the incident with the bag of winds it is reasonable for Odysseus to have trust issues, but when it is a matter of life and death, Odysseus is witless. After being punished by Zeus because some of his crew ate Helios’ cattle Odysseus drifts in the ocean until he lands on Calypso’s island. 7 years pass and Odysseus can finally leave after he crafts a ship, after he leaves and sails for a bit, Poseidon sees it as a time to get revenge for his son Polyphemus. Poseidon completely wrecks Odysseus’ ship when he is close to the land of the Phaeacians. A goddess named Ino sees this and offers Odysseus help.
Odysseus wouldn’t of taken ten years after the Trojan war to get home if it wasn’t for his prideful trait. Pride causes Odysseus suffering all throughout the book. For example, once Odysseus was on his way off the island of the Cyclops, the epic says “I would not heed them in my glorying spirit, but let my anger flare and yelled: “Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes son, whose home’s on Ithaca.” After Odysseus and his men escape Cyclopes island, Odysseus pride kicks in and he tells off the Cyclop that he blinded. Telling the Cyclop his real identity, and his business. The Cyclop prayed to his father Poseidon (sea god), which Poseidon is still upset and still hold a grudge towards Odysseus, because Odysseus did not thank the gods after he won the Trojan war, and because of his pride, he said he did it all on his own. This would only cause more trouble for Odysseus and his journey home to extend
The epic poem The Odyssey, written by Homer, centers around the main protagonist Odysseus and his long journey back home. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, returns home after defeating the Trojans in a ten year war. On his way back, he angers Poseidon, god of the sea, by blinding his son, Polyphemus the Cyclops. Due to Odysseus’ actions, Poseidon refuses to let Odysseus reach home, and Odysseus and his crew are forced to go through a series of obstacles throughout the epic. Through this adversity, Odysseus must show his heroic attributions in order to survive. Homer portrays Odysseus as a hero by giving him characteristics such as: craftiness, loyalty, and bravery.
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
middle of paper ... ... In Homer’s Odyssey, both Odysseus and his son Telemachus embark on long, difficult journeys; Odysseus trying to return from Troy to his home in Ithaca, escaping Calypso and the island of Ogygia, and Telemachus from Ithaca to Pylos and Sparta in search of his lost father. While The Odyssey tells of the courage both men demonstrate during their respective travels, their quests are the results of the intentions and desires of gods. Odysseus is trapped in exile on Ogygia by the will of Poseidon, whose anger Odysseus attracts when he blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus, son of Poseidon, and by the love of Calypso, who wishes to make Odysseus her husband.
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.