Revela Agbokou Mr. Giles Honors 9th Lit. 4th block 30th April 2015 With its life changing and gut twisting plot, Homer’s the Odyssey sets the standards for all epic poems. By embodying ideas, cultural values and fearlessly defeating obstacles that attempt to hinder him in his quest, Odysseus is portrayed as the original epic hero. He is headstrong and wants to be known by everyone and changes from a pompous, egoistical man to a considerate leader who, as his journey went on realizes family is more important than fame. Odysseus who is cunning and egoistical goes on trials that negatively affect the beginning of his journey. While intoxicating Polyphemus, Odysseus tells him “my name is nobody” (Homer). The fact that Odysseus uses an alias proves he is clever because it makes the cyclops look foolish when he calls to the neighboring giants for help. Through his decision and use of an alias, we can infer Odysseus “learns to be more crafty” (Heatherington). Additionally, when he was deserting the cyclops’ island, Odysseus stops and “yell[s] out and mock[s] them” (Homer). Based on his actions we must conclude he is injudicious because he provokes the giants and brings Poseidon’s anger upon himself and his crew. Also, in …show more content…
This quality is demonstrated by Odysseus when he agrees to being a beggar when Telemachus tells the swineherd to “lead this poor man down to beg” (Homer). By choosing not to reveal himself he proves himself resourceful and gains information on the behavior of his household during his absence. Additionally, Odysseus further proves his ingenuity by asking his servants if they “would defend him”(Homer). By confirming he has allies to defend him in his vengeance against the suitors in his home, we can determine Odysseus is astute. Including, when he “hit[s] [Irus] with less force” so as not to be
Often through great literature, there is an epic hero. In the Odyssey, Homer tells the journey of one man’s journey home from the Trojan War. The protagonist of the epic poem Odysseus is often regarded as a great hero. However, Odysseus is not quite the glorious soldier that people often see him as. Odysseus shows that he is an antihero through his pride, disloyalty, and bloodthirstiness.
Odysseus?s cunning is cardinal to his survival and that of his men. He uses his cunning to get them out of several unpleasant situations. When they are captured by the Cyclops, he can not use the strength of his men to escape, so he must use his cunning to free them. He lies and tricks the Cyclops to get out, ??My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy?? (9.397-99). This clever deception stops the other Cyclops from helping Polyphemos helping them to escape. Odysseus also shows his cleverness when he returns to Ithaca.
There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.
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.
A hero accepts who he is as an individual, but strives to change himself for the better. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, the main character Odysseus is a valiant king who embarks on a life-changing voyage. While traveling from Troy back to his home in Ithaka, King Odysseus overcomes daunting obstacles, and in doing so discovers his place in the world. Odysseus is truly a heroic figure because he demonstrates courage, improves his character, and wins the support of the gods.
It is no wonder why many scholars refer to Odysseus as a powerful mythic hero. " Odysseus often hesitates before acting, because he uses his reason and gift to evaluate things. This patience is one of his most important additional attributes"(library.thinkquest.org/19300/data/Odyssey/odysseus.html). It saved him and his men many times.
To begin with, Odysseus is an intelligent and clever man. He is a hero because he has the capacity to understand the situations and think through the struggles they are going to face. Odysseus is put against all the odds possible, and at times it seems like the gods are against him. Odysseus tricks the Cyclops, Polyphemus, in a very strategic way and handled the situation effectively. “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, / everyone calls me Nohbdy (Homer 498). Odysseus’ cleverness is brought out because he conceived an idea that would be adequate enough to trick a Cyclops. Later when Polyphemus is stabbed, he screams, “Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked
The Odyssey is an ancient Greek epic poem written by Homer. The epic revolves around the King of Ithaca, Odysseus, who has just finished fighting in the Trojan War and makes his way back home. Odysseus faces many obstacles and struggles throughout his journey. Both Telemachus and Penelope also face multiple obstacles while they wait for the return of Odysseus. Telemachus, Odysseus’s son ventures off to find his beloved father without informing his mother. Penelope, Odysseus’s wife was alone with the suitors who are all dying to marry her. Odysseus displays leadership through his journey similar to Tupac Amura Shakur and shows intelligence like Steve Jobs. Heros are seen as more than just warriors but as someone who society
Odysseus is very wise; he is able to get out of any situation he finds himself in and can also deceive anyone he finds the need to. Odysseus has the sort of cunning that one may expect to find in an action hero. However, Odysseus is able to do almost anything he wants with these skills of his. He is able to make up stories on the spot, such as when he told Athena that he was in fact not Odysseus but instead a weary traveler from Krete. Said he, “Far away in Krete I learned of Ithaka- in that broad island over the great ocean” (XIII, 327-328), and Athena knew it was Odysseus only because she was a goddess. Odysseus is very resourceful: he uses the things that are available to him. One instance of this trait is when he devises a plan to escape Polyphemos’s cave alive. Using the sheep as escape mechanisms is very clever. If he was not with his men in the cave, there would have been no way for them to get out. Also calling himself Nohbdy to trick Polyphemos into saying that no one hurt him is an ingenious idea. No one else would be able to execute his plan the way he did- with swiftness and bravery. O...
Odysseus is one of the very many prominent characters in Homer’s Epic poems, The Illiad, and The Odyssey. Odysseus has been famed one of the more relatable characters from Homer’s writing, as well as one of the Greatest Greek Mythology Heroes. Homer’s Epic poems highlight many periods of shame and honor for Odysseus. The character analysis of Odysseus through the poem’s timeline shows vast developments and heroic features appear to take form in him. The Illiad portrayed Odysseus as more of a secondary figure behind Agamemnon and Achilles. In contrast, The Odyssey portrayed Odysseus as a hero in the form of an average human.
Can you imagine fighting in the Trojan war and trying to return home, but the god will not let you return for 20 years. Well that's what Odysseus had to go threw in the book The Odyssey by Homer. Odysseus was trying to return to his home Ithaca, where his wife Penelope was. Right before he had to leave for the war he had his first son Telemachus, but then right after he was born Odysseus had to leave for the war. The moral is that Homer way trying to show in the book is to never give up, he explores the epic hero inside Odysseus and how he cared for his men more than him. The mythological story The Odyssey explores many main points, but we are gonna focus on how Odysseus was an epic hero by how brave he, how he never gives up, and how he was
Odysseus isn’t one of the best epic heroes in Greek literature but he is a good one. Sometimes he does the right thing and sometimes he does not, but he has never been clueless as to what to do. When Odysseus is sent home on a raft by Calypso to head home and Poseidon seems a storm he listens to the sea goddess Ino that jumps on his boat and tells him to swim to the island that was off in the distance (69). So Odysseus is a pretty good listener when it comes to the gods.
The Odyssey is an epic that shapes and defines the roles of many great leaders. These leaders are made up of mortals, alive and dead, and immortals. The trip taken by Odysseus is not only a journey of a war hero back to his homeland, but is a journey in all of the characters lives, which develop a better sense of personal identity and selfhood as the epic goes on. It is the many disguises that each character uses that uncover their true identities from their experiences. The revelations of each characters identity are what teach the lessons that Homer is trying to portray to his audience, and what lead to each character’s success in their personal journey. Each character’s identity is constructed by the courage and morality that they reveal, through disguise, by their actions to help or prevent bring Odysseus home. These actions are what make each character who he or she is, whether god or human. Homer uses Odysseus and Athena as the principle identities developed throughout the poem to send his messages.
To begin with, Odysseus frequently uses his intelligence as his main tool for overcoming his external conflicts. For instance, he uses his brainpower when escaping from Calypso, Polyphemus, and escaping Scylla and Charybdis. First, Calypso asks, “‘Can I be less desirable than she is...Can mortals
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