What Are Odysseus's Actions

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Odysseus is looked at as a mighty hero, but the backbone of his bravery and wits comes from Athena. Throughout Odysseus’s journeys, he encounters many riches, good fortunes, and women. These good fortunes were results of Athena interfering with Odysseus’s life. Homer creates a magnificent strong hero, but without the help of other characters Odysseus wouldn’t be where he is at now. Athena is the true reason that Odysseus succeeds, because she is protective, powerful, and smart, as her actions prove.

Odysseus needs the assistance of Athena because without her protection Odysseus would end up in a lot of troubling situations. Athena shows her protective ways in Book V: “Boreas, though, she sent cracking through the waves, / a tailwind for Odysseus until he was safe on Phaeacia, / and had beaten off the dark birds of death” (Homer 239). This shows the readers that Odysseus is not the strong courageous man they thought of him to be. Odysseus is a weak and clueless character without the goddess’s help. Athena’s actions show that she is protective by making sure no matter what Odysseus goes through that she is there to pick up the pieces. …show more content…

Instead of letting Odysseus fall asleep, Athena uses her powers to make him sleep so that Odysseus wouldn’t be up all night. As this quote explains, Athena’s power made him fall asleep: “And Athena sprinkled his eyes with sleep for quickest release / from pain and fatigue" (Homer 242). Odysseus has way too many thoughts going through his head which shows the readers how powerful Athena is. If Odysseus didn’t get the rest he received, he probably wouldn’t have woken up and fall into Athena’s plan to get him back

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