Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

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Odysseus is “godlike” because of his similarities to Athena, and she therefore supports him in his battles. Although Odysseus undoubtedly has great physical strength, he also possesses arguably greater strength of the mind. “His mind teeming,” (The Odyssey.19.43), Odysseus formulates great plans to achieve his ends. “Noman is my name,” (The Odyssey.9.364), he tells Polyphemus so that when the Cyclops cries out for help, his neighbors laugh off his screams as nonsense. Odysseus relies not only on his physical capability to “drive the sharp point right into his eye” (The Odyssey.9.382), but also on “how my phony name…fooled them so well” (The Odyssey.9.413). Athena notices the similarities between herself and Odysseus, and adopts him as a pet

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