Odysseus Essay

Odysseus has defining traits as a Homeric leader. He has strength, nobility, confidence, courage, and a thirst of glory in authority. However, he seems to have a distinguishing trait of a sharp intellect. It is his quick thinking that assists him in hard situations. His ability to make quick decisions helps him to escape from the cave of Cyclopes and slaughter from suitors. Odysseus has also been depicted as a convincing character, an articulate speaker, and one that can win and manipulate an audience with much ease. He is a self-made and a self-assured man. He is more of an embodiment of standards and mores in his culture. Favor and respect of gods and mortals follow him throughout the story. Moreover, wrath of Poseidon does not prevent his homecoming. Odysseus character is outstanding due to his courageous character.

Odysseus is extremely hardworking, and this appears clearly in Menelaos statement, "No one of the Achaians labored as much as Odysseus labored and achieved" (Griffin 106). Eurylochos says "You are a hard, man, Odysseus. Your force is greater; your limbs never wear out. You must be made all of iron" (Griffin 279). Odysseus is not only strong, but also more hardworking than anyone else. Most importantly, he does not ask other men to engage in tasks that he would not engage and asks more for himself. Such qualities make him a good leader. Although Eurylochos complains of being overworked, he continues to respect Odysseus. Odysseus strives to make every man working for him hardworking and dedicated in their tasks. He tries to maintain his authority through his hard work and dedication. This is an indication that Odysseus is willing to make others become dedicated in their tasks.

Odysseus has also been shown as a brave and audacious man. These qualities make him heroic. He is able to take risks in his adventures. For instance, in adventure of Cyclopes, Odysseus makes a statement, “We climbed, then, briskly to the cave. But Cyclopes had gone afield, to pasture his fat sheep, so we looked round at everything inside” (Griffin 232). His audacious trait is illustrated, since he is unaware of all that is inside Cyclopes. He enters his habitants without raising any signals to louts. He is ready to take a big risk, since Cyclopes have been depicted as uncivilized giants that can be unpredictable. Therefore, getting into that cave without asking for permission would be a risk that makes Odysseus in trouble as Cyclopes began attacking his crew. He tries to stop Cyclopes even knowing that they were capable of hurting him. This is an indication of his audacious and bravery traits.

Homer introduces Odysseus as a savior and this supports his heroism. This can be seen in an adventure of Lotos Eaters where Odysseus is able to save three men he selects in order to learn about people on an island. They have to stay on the island without going home and after eating Lotus flower, it is written, “They longed to stay forever, browsing on that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland” (Homer, and Lombardo104). Thus, Odysseus becomes a savior and guides them towards the ship tying them under rowing beaches. He also advises the crew to avoid eating Lotos or they would lose their hope of getting home. This indicated that he possessed a trait of a savior. If he failed to direct the men and tie them to their boats, they would have remain on the island, forgetting their journey and duty to return home.

Moreover, it has come out clearly that Odysseus is sly. His slyness also made him emerge heroic. He continues to demonstrate slyness when he accepts that he is a beggar man after Telemakhos suggests to swineherd, “Lead this poor man down to beg” ( Louden 12).However, Telemakhos fails to realize all he talks about and that he is talking to his father, since he has not set his eyes on Odysseus for many years. Odysseus makes a decision to keep quiet. It is from this time that he is perceived as a beggar as well as the king of Ithaca. Being sly is being a misleading individual. Odysseus shows this trait through his convincement that he is a beggar and fails to tell Telemakhos that he is the father. Therefore, Odysseus slyness makes him capable of hiding his identity and even goes further to call himself a “nobody” to Cyclopes.

In addition, victory motivates him. He wants to get back home as well as live in Ithaca. This way, every step he engages in along his way is a test and even sometimes a battle. It is clear that his great concern about the victory can be cultural and practical. Odysseus lives with only two choices to make in life, death or victory. Despite Athena’s intervention, she lives ultimate failure of success to him (Shmoop 102). For instance, during a battle with suitors, she is able to prevail, although makes Odysseus acquire victory. Odysseus has been depicted as a man of twists and turns. It is evident that Odysseus has strong characteristics, but major character flows also follow his life. Struggles faced by Odysseus make his growth throughout the story to be realistic as well as more credible than before, since it is not absolute or simple. These have been caused by his constant struggles to be perceived as an epic hero of his time and it is through his activities that he engages in flaws (Baldwin 12).

However, Odysseus also has his negative traits. He has excessive pride as well as faithfulness. Due to his pride, he reveals his engagement in blindfolding Poseidon’s son and Poseidon tries to seek revenge through making it hard for Odysseus along with his men to be able to travel home. Odysseus states, “Cyclopes, if ever a mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son whose home is on Ithaca!” ( Louden 542). He has also been depicted as an easily angered man. This is clear since whenever an individual asks him questions concerning his authority, he feels that that individual is hurting his pride. A clear example appears when Odysseus requests his men to move to the halls in Kirke as Eurylokhos tries to challenge him. In this case, Eurylokhos dislikes going to the halls due to the fear that he may be changed into an animal, swine. Therefore, Odysseus is angered by this challenge and states, “When I heard this I had a mine to draw the blade that swung against my side and chop him, bowing his head upon the ground-kinsman or no kinsman, close to me though he was” (Homer, and Lombardo 126). Therefore, Odysseus is enraged by anyone that tries to challenge his authority. Odysseus succeeds to become a hero through slyness. He continues to use it throughout the story to prevent himself from being cursed by Cyclopes as well as misleading friends and family.

In conclusion, Odysseus’s character traits are clear in Odyssey, Homer. Odysseus has been depicted with both positive and negative traits. Odysseus has positive traits that make him an epic hero and include characteristics of bravery, cunningness, honor that can be considered as his primary arête, strength, articulation and courage. He has many redeemable characteristics, although many contradictions in nature make his character a very complex one. Certainly, he grows in judgment and wisdom throughout his ventures. He is strong and brave. He leads his men to victory. He is able to save men from the island, since he realizes that they have forgotten their mission. Odysseus faces many challenges in the course of his journey that make his real characteristics become clearer. Despite his courage, bravery, confidence and intellect, Odysseus engages in activities that bring out his negative characteristics. He does not entertain anyone that tries to challenge his leadership and is quickly annoyed. He has excessive pride and trusts everything he does. As Eurylokhos tries to challenge him, he is angered and perceives this action as undermining his power and authority. Odysseus character has strengths and flaws. It is clear that certain characteristics of being audacious, sly along with being a savior make him a hero of his time and establishes a character of the Odyssey.

Works Cited

Baldwin, Stanley P. Cliffs Notes on Homer's Odyssey. Chicago: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2011. Print

Griffin, Jasper . Homer: The Odyssey. Cambridge University Press. 2004. Print

Homer, and Lombardo, Stanley. The Essential Odyssey. New York: Hackett Publishing. 2007. Print

Homer, and Lombardo, Stanley. Odyssey. New York: Hackett Publishing. 2000. Print

Louden, Bruce. The Odyssey: Structure, Narration, and Meaning. Boston: JHU Press. 2001. Print