The Character of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey

1391 Words3 Pages

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...

... middle of paper ...

...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.

Is Odysseus A Hero? in the Poem The Odyssey by Homer
662 Words | 2 Pages
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.
Read More
The Qualities of Odysseus in Homer's The Odyssey
583 Words | 2 Pages
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.
Read More
The Character Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey
1048 Words | 3 Pages
"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.
Read More
The Character Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey
156 Words | 1 Pages
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.
Read More
Essay On The Character Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey
590 Words | 2 Pages
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.
Read More
Penelope and Odysseus, Ideal for Each Other
927 Words | 2 Pages
... 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.
Read More
Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey
514 Words | 2 Pages
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.
Read More
Bluest Eye Allusions
850 Words | 2 Pages
In The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, the narrator Claudia tells the story of a girl named Pecola who dreams to have blue eyes so she can feel beautiful in a white society. At the beginning of the novel, Pecola moves into Claudia’s home and becomes friends with Claudia and Frieda, who is Claudia’s older sister. This particular passage on page nineteen describes the three girls eating and playing together. Using three allusions, Shirley Temple, Bojangles, and Jane Withers, this passage highlights the importance of white beauty to the girls, its emphasis in society, and shows that Claudia is independent.
Read More
The Bluest Eye
1417 Words | 3 Pages
The white beauty standard causes Pauline to show love to a foreign child and contempt for her own flesh and blood.
Read More
Atomic Bomb Dbq
705 Words | 2 Pages
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
Read More
Favorite Greek Classical Hero
722 Words | 2 Pages
...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.
Read More
The bluest eyes
572 Words | 2 Pages
There are several themes throughout the novel The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. One theme being self-hatred. Throughout this novel, self-hatred has made itself prevalent through different characters, like Claudia and Pecola. Claudia’s self-hatred can be seen when she dismembers and destroys her doll with blue eyes and blond hair because she viewed herself as ugly and that she didn’t have the things that the doll had. Another example of self-hatred in this novel is with how Pecola feels guilty about her appearance. Pecola honestly believed that the reason her brother ran away was not because of her parents fighting, but due to her ugly appearance. Claudia even mentioned how everyone felt better about themselves because of Pecola. “All of our waste we dumped on her and she absorbed. And all of our beauty, which was hers first and which she gave to us” (205). This is a major impact on why Pecola felt the way she did about herself.
Read More
Odysseus Character Development Essay
1200 Words | 3 Pages
Homer’s literature served as a moral messenger to the people of ancient Greece. The Odyssey by Homer demonstrates the character development of Odysseus, the epic hero, and his journey of self-discovery. Odysseus was a great, wise, noble, and well respected war hero to his people. Odysseus had one tragic flaw that was demonstrated by his actions throughout the book. The author Homer continued to strip Odysseus of his arrogance throughout the story, by throwing challenges his way, making him pay for his mistakes, and allowing him to continue to overcome obstacles. The main purpose of Odysseus journey also to reach his home a more humble man. Reading Odysseus’ journey also served as a way to look at morals. The
Read More
The Bluest Eye Research Paper
1000 Words | 2 Pages
In Toni Morrison’s, The Bluest Eye, society plays a major and vital role in altering the personalities of the characters. Through Claudia’s thoughts and Pecola’s actions, Morrison shines a new light on racism and how it affects the characters in the storyline and their perspective of beauty in a society run by the master narrative. Not only does Claudia find herself questioning her place in society, but Morrison also created Claudia to portray how even children are being affected by these concepts or guidelines of “beauty”. The characters’ fixation with obtaining “beauty” reveals the consistent relationship between racism and how it affects the perception of beauty in a society, demonstrating
Read More
Toni Morrison Struggles
894 Words | 2 Pages
Toni Morrison’s Bluest Eye is a tragic narrative of how one black community loathes itself for not being white. Even more tragic is the story of Pecola Breedlove, a young girl who hates herself for not being white. The constant criticism, the bullying received at school, and her rough family life at home lead Pecola to seek escape from her misery. In order to escape from her misery Pecola fantasizes about becoming beautiful. Pecola begins to believe that if she is able to achieve physical beauty her life would improve. This false belief turns out to be destructive to Pecola and eventually lead to her
Read More

Open Document

Wait a second!

The Character of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey

Is Odysseus A Hero? in the Poem The Odyssey by Homer

The Qualities of Odysseus in Homer's The Odyssey

The Character Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey