The Character of Odysseus in The Odyssey
Homer's epic tale The Odyssey is a story of the triumphs and downfalls that are in store for one warrior's long pillage home. Odysseus, the hero from the Trojan wars, has led his people of Ithaca and other Achaean soldiers to victory and now wishes to return home to his wife and family of Ithaca. Through his twenty year journey Odysseus is often tested not only of his physical strength, but his wits as well. The many accomplishments he achieved earned him great status and recognition throughout ancient Greece. The mistakes he made caused the deaths of many men. Consequently, we as readers are able to see the many personas that Odysseus carries with him.
Odysseus possesses every attribute that Homeric Greeks admire. He displays loyalty, piety, manly valor and intelligence. We see Odysseus's loyalty in book one. Odysseus has won the Trojan War, and has been trapped on the island of Ogygia with the beautiful nymph Calypso. For ten years, Odysseus longed to return home to his wife Penelope, despite the attractions set up by Calypso. Never once did he accept his fate on the enchanting island. Odysseus' loyalty to Penelope is also at hand in the following:
So then,
Royal son of Laertes, Odysseus, man of exploits,
still eager to leave at once and hurry back
to your own home, your beloved native land?
Good luck to you, even so. Farewell!
But if you only knew, down deep, what pains
are fated to fill your cup before you reach that shore,
you'd stay right here, preside in our house with me
and be immortal. Much as you long to see your wife,
the one you pine for all your days ... POETRY VERSION (BOOK 4)
This quote states the...
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...estraint is also evident in the brutal attacks of Melanthius and Antinous. Melanthius kicking the lowly disguised Odysseus, and Antinous' blow to Odysseus with a stool. At first instinct one would fight back, especially with the strength and agility of Odysseus. Nevertheless Odysseus restrains and knows that a premature revealimg of his true identity would ruin the future plans in store for the total take over of his palace. So, just as any other beggar would react, the mighty Odysseus bows his head and walks back to the hut, with visions of the soon to be victory in his head.
Looking at Odysseus in whole, the strength intelligence, arrogance, and cunning restraint stand out above all creating a truly powerful and courageous leader.
Works Cited:
Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1998.
“You never understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it,” said by Atticus Finch. This quote explains how a person can be different in the inside than they are in the outside such as, a character named Mayella Ewell in To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird was a book set during the 1930’s, written by Harper Lee that explained the struggles of segregation and racism. But was Mayella’s race the only aspect that made her powerful? Although Mayella can be seen as a powerful character due to her race, the areas she lacked in was her social class and gender. The concepts that will be explained will be why Mayella Ewell was not powerful because of her social class
The Character Odysseus in Odyssey "Odyssey" is an epic story that has been a significant piece of literature since it was first composed and will remain so for ages to come. One of the reasons it has been so is because of the hero, Odysseus. Odysseus was one of the first Greek mythic heroes renowned for his brain as well as his muscles. Indeed he is a man with an inquiring mind, and he is also a man with outstanding prowess and bravery" (123helpme.com/assets/3603.html). "We also must not forget that he is a top-notch athlete which only adds more to this seemingly insuperable character.
What do gods, soldiers, and a one-eyed man all have in common? They are all in the Odyssey by Homer. In the Odyssey, Homer uses Odysseus’s journey to show how one’s journey can define them as a person. This essay will show, whomever may read this, how Odysseus is loyal, witty, and violent.
Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplified the key traits needed to be an epic hero. The poem depicts Odysseus as an extremely strong man; at one point, he even defeats the towering cyclops Polyphemus. His ingenuity in creating the trojan horse unearths his slightly latent intelligence. Along with strength and cunning, Odysseus a strong sense of selflessness. He bared a trepid ten year journey and longed for his child and wife. Unfortunately, all of Odysseus’s traits are tarnished by his infidelity, ruthless behavior, and the massacre of men. Though he was, without a doubt, heroic, his lovely wife is the true, unsung heroine of the Odyssey.
When most people think of a hero, they think of a tall, handsome, and intelligent being that could do nothing wrong. But in real life, and in The Odyssey, not all heroes are like that. Odysseus is disrespectful and very rude sometimes. Odysseus should not be considered as a hero at all because of the very poor decisions he had made.
These estimates were in addition to the military members who had already died during the previous four years of war; which was 292,000 American deaths. In other words according to the estimates, the invasion of Japan could have resulted in the death of twice as many Americans as had already been killed in the European and Pacific theaters of WWII up to that time making it evident that the atomic bomb was indeed a sensible alternative
...ally some men were killed and how the disloyal maids had died as well. This may just be because the writing style of that time was different, but it showed a darker side to Odysseus and those that fought with him.
Our most important resource is our human resource: the people who design and build our products and service our customers. Given the right combination of skills, training, communications, environment, and leadership, we believe our employees will achieve the needed gains in productivity and quality to meet our goals.
Toni Morrison, the author of The Bluest Eye, centers her novel around two things: beauty and wealth in their relation to race and a brutal rape of a young girl by her father. Morrison explores and exposes these themes in relation to the underlying factors of black society: racism and sexism. Every character has a problem to deal with and it involves racism and/or sexism. Whether the characters are the victim or the aggressor, they can do nothing about their problem or condition, especially when concerning gender and race. Morrison's characters are clearly at the mercy of preconceived notions maintained by society. Because of these preconceived notions, the racism found in The Bluest Eye is not whites against blacks. Morrison writes about the racism of lighter colored blacks against darker colored blacks and rich blacks against poor blacks. Along with racism within the black community, sexism is exemplified both against women and against men. As Morrison investigates the racism and sexism of the community of Lorain, Ohio, she gives the reader more perspective as to why certain characters do or say certain things.
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.
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Being separated from someone for long periods of time is quite depressing, but imagine being away from your special someone for 20 years. The 10 years it took to fight the Trojan War were anything but easy for Odysseus, the hero of The Odyssey written by the poet Homer. The venture home was much worse due to encounters with monsters such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, raging storms, challenges from forceful gods and goddesses, and setbacks due to foolishness and pride. Odysseus displays many qualities through-out his journey home, some negative and others positive. In “The Homecoming,” Odysseus reveals his great courage, intelligence, and strength.
... happiness. This tricks the passerby into believing that a feast is taking place within the palace, giving Odysseus an extra day to prepare for battle. His preparation and allies proved to be crucial to his victory against the suitors’ relatives. Penelope and Odysseus both used their cunning to turn unfavourable situations to their advantage. By working together, they reclaimed the kingdom.
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Christopher Reeves says, “What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely.” What makes Odysseus a hero is not only his cunning ability, but his wisdom that he gains throughout his journey. In the Odyssey, Odysseus successfully completes a hero’s journey by completing 9 stages, amending his flaw of pride, and gaining the following wisdom: being cunning is better than being prideful.