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In Homer's epic poem, the Odyssey, the recurring theme of intelligence is important because through intelligence, Odysseus is able to utilize wit and cunning to suit his needs and wants, as well as defeat bigger and stronger opponents than he. Through the stories of Odysseus' sufferings throughout the Trojan War and his struggles of homecoming, Homer portrays intelligence as being an effective application of strength used to gain an advantage over his opponents. Odysseus is depicted as an intellectual hero, who focuses on brain and sophrosune, rather than the typical martial hero, such as Achilles in the Iliad, who focuses on brawn and action provoked by emotion.
The first instance when readers are told of Odysseus' great skill in the use of cunning and wit is in Book 3 when Nestor explains that "no one [at the Trojan War] could hope to rival Odysseus, not for sheer cunning [for] at every twist of strategy he excelled [them] all" (3.134). Then later in Book 4, Menelaus tells of how Helen was trying to trick them out of hiding to win glory for Troy but Odysseus knew it was a trick and "reined [Diomedes and him] back...and saved [them] all" (4.318-322). Another example of his intelligence is shown when Odysseus "scarr[ed] his own body with mortifying strokes, throwing filthy rags on his black like any slave" (4.274) to disguise himself as a beggar so he could hide his true identity. These descriptions help characterize Odysseus as a hero who excels in his ability to actively use his brain over his emotional instincts, utilize intelligence to deceive others, and to think ahead. This contrasts with Achilles, in the Iliad, because he allows his emotions to impede his ability to act rationally in situations such as when Achilles rages...
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...tions rather than logic, as opposed to Odysseus who is an intellectual hero who uses wit and cunning as an effective application of strength used to gain advantage over opponents.
Overall, Odysseus possesses martial strength as shown in his ability to stab and blind Polyphemus, but what is practices and utilized more is his ability to think clearly and act deceptively. Odysseus' intelligence and wit separates him from the "typical" Greek heroes because by exemplifying the virtues of sophrosune, Odysseus contemplates his decisions wisely, relying on cunning forethought rather than emotional impulse, such as Achilles.
Works Cited
Homer. The Iliad. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1990. Print.
Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature. Ed. Sarah Lawall. Volume 1. 8th Ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2006. Print.
In fact Odysseus is a all together a very different kind of hero. Odysseus is not known for his strength in battle such as Achilles or Ajax, but for his wit. Instead of simply attacking or overpowering his enemies like Achilles would, Odysseus out smarts him. This ability to rely on wit instead of might is particular important in the Odysseys. In the Odyssey all of Odysseus enemies are supernatural in natural whether god, witch, nymph or Cyclops, none of his enemies can be conquered by brute force. A specific example is the Cyclops. Odysseus could not physically over power...
One of Odysseus’ traits is bravery. One example of Odysseus’ bravery is when he injures a Cyclops that is 5 times his size, “I drew it from the coals and my four fellows/ gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclops/ as more than natural force nerved them, straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it/ deep in his crater eye. 329-332” This quote shows how brave Odysseus and his men are to face the Cyclops. Odysseus was intelligent to think about this idea, but he was brave for actually following through and doing it. Odysseus was also brave for fighting Penelope’s suitors even when he was outnumbered, “Now shrugging off his rags the wiliest fighter of the islands/ leapt and stood on the broad doorsill, his own bow in his hand/ he poured out at his feet a rain of arrows from the quiver/ and spoke to the c...
One of the reasons Odysseus is admirable is because he uses his wits/smarts trying to get his men out of dangerous situations. When Odysseus and his men pass through the land where the sirens are, he all of his men
Odysseus has the essential character traits of a suitable leader. Some of his greatest distinguishing traits include his combination of cunning and divisiveness. In several situations that Odysseus faces it is essential for him to think immediately to survive. That ability to think on his feet is what helps him escape some of those deadly situations. For example, in book nine, Odysseus plains out multiple steps for his escape. First, he finds a wooden staff in the cave, he then processed to sharpen and harden the staff of wood in the fire. Second, as Polyohemus returns Odysseus proceeded to make him drink wine. A...
Odysseus is an epic hero. He's a legendary figure with more than the usual amount of brains and muscle. Sometimes he's almost superhuman. At the end of the story, with only his inexperienced son and two farmhands to help, he kills more than a hundred of Penelope's suitors. He's able to do it because he has the help of the goddess Athena. He embodies the ideals Homeric Greeks aspired to: manly valor, loyalty, piety, and intelligence. Piety means being respectful of the gods, acknowledging their control of fate, knowing you need their help. Odysseus' intelligence is a mix of keen observation, instinct, and street smarts. He's extremely cautious. He's good at disguises and at concealing his feelings. He's a fast, inventive liar.
Odysseus is one of the strongest and smartest gods in Greek mythology. For example, when Odysseus came back to Ithaca after his long journey of 20 years, he acted like a homeless man to compete with the suitors who’s trying to marry his former wife Penelope, he easily strings the bow and fires an arrow straight through the axes beating the suitor. “We are Achaians coming from Troy, beaten off our true course by winds from every direction across the great gulf of the open sea, making for home, by the wrong way, on the wrong courses. So we have come. So it has pleased Zeus to arrange
While there are many examples of Odysseus's physical attributes throughout The Iliad and The Odyssey there are more examples of him using his wits to accomplish the things that are an obstacle of his path to his wife. What makes him such a great hero is that Odysseus uses his cunningness over strength in The Odyssey. Homer shows Odysseus weighing every decision: whether to embrace Nausea’s knees or to just say hello from a distance, to try landing against the rocky coast of Scheria, and whether or not to rest by the river or in the shelter of the woods. The cunning display Odysseus shows throughout this book demonstrate balance of his warrior mentality. Even though he may be aggressive and determined, he is far from rash. Rather he is cunning, careful, and very confident.
One of Odysseus’s weakness is how his pride and how it affects others (For Exp. Angering Poseidon) His Strength is his cleverness and how it gets him out of tough Situations.
Homer's two central heroes, Odysseus and Achilles, are in many ways differing manifestations of the same themes. While Achilles' character is almost utterly consistent in his rage, pride, and near divinity, Odysseus' character is difficult to pin down to a single moral; though perhaps more human than Achilles, he remains more difficult to understand. Nevertheless, both heroes are defined not by their appearances, nor by the impressions they leave upon the minds of those around them, nor even so much by the words they speak, but almost entirely by their actions. Action is what drives the plot of both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and action is what holds the characters together. In this respect, the theme of humanity is revealed in both Odysseus and Achilles: man is a combination of his will, his actions, and his relationship to the divine. This blend allows Homer to divulge all that is human in his characters, and all that is a vehicle for the idyllic aspects of ancient Greek society. Accordingly, the apparent inconsistencies in the characterization of Odysseus can be accounted for by his spiritual distance from the god-like Achilles; Achilles is more coherent because he is the son of a god. This is not to say that Achilles is not at times petty or unimaginative, but that his standards of action are merely more continuous through time. Nevertheless, both of Homer's heroes embody important and admirable facets of ancient Greek culture, though they fracture in the ways they are represented.
Like Gilgamesh and most other heroes, Odysseus did follow the monomyth in the Odyssey, as he reluctantly departed from his “home” with Calypso, faced many trials on his way home, including monsters and natural disasters, and returned home to his wife a changed man from when he originally left many years ago. Unlike Gilgamesh, Odysseus did not have a Godly parent or parents, and while a few Gods aided him on his journey, he had just as many Gods hinder his voyage. He was not born strong like Gilgamesh, or other Greek heroes like Heracles, but he did have something Gilgamesh did not attain until much later in his life, and that is the will of a hero. While traditional Greek heroes were only required to be honorable and skilled generals and tacticians in battle, Odysseus fulfilled all of those requirements and more. Odysseus was quite strong for a mortal being, noble, courageous, charismatic, and confident, but the trait that defines him is his extremely keen mind. While many Greek heroes were known for their trickery in accomplishing their tasks, Heracles and Perseus, as sons of Zeus, were also born with the raw power to not really need to use their heads. However, Odysseus made use of his brain much more than his fists, and he proved to be the wiliest of them all, as his cunning and ingenuity showed in the conception of the Trojan Horse plan and his
Odysseus is a Greek king of Ithaca in Greek mythology, and a stud of Homer epic poems. A little about him king of Ithaca, Penelope husband, Telemachus father, Laertes and Anticlea sons. He is very guile and resourceful and known by the epithet Odysseus the cunning. However, a theme that everyone recognizes in the Odysseus is the cunning over strength. Odysseus is very intelligent; he is a man of “twist of turns…” The Greek term for his smarts is polytropos. In many of Homer stories the characters dwell on one more than the other. However, by no means is Odysseus lacking physical strength of his mind to face danger with courage. Odysseus analysis cunning over strength as he defeats the Cyclops, and makes his journey home to Ithaca.
In the Odyssey, written by Homer, Odysseus had many strengths and weaknesses that he, and his crew, were aware of. He was too proud, and the Gods punished him for it by forcing him to spend many years at sea. He often let his temper get the best of him and he was a sore winner, as evidenced by his taunting of the Cyclops. However, despite all of this, he was a natural born leader, smart, brave, and strong, He never gave up on returning to Ithaca, even though he spent 20 long years at sea. He had many flaws, and he did struggle, but the many challenges he faced highlighted his strength as a leader and a warrior.
The poem places strong emphasis on intelligence as a virtue. Odysseus is strong, but it is his intelligent mind that gets him through his troubles. This ...
Odysseus' most prominent characteristic is his cunning; Homer's Greek audience generally admired the trait but occasionally disdained it for its dishonest connotations. Odysseus' skill at improvising false stories or devising plans is nearly incomparable in Western literature. His Trojan horse scheme (recounted here and written about in The Iliad) and his multiple tricks against Polyphemos are shining examples of his ingenuity, especially when getting out of jams.
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.