ipl-logo

Character Traits Of Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

476 Words2 Pages

In the epic poem, The Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, has to face many obstacles on his way home to Ithaca. For example, Calypso holds Odysseus on her island for seven years, until Athena finally convinces Zeus to send Hermes to make Calypso let him go. Also, Circe, the sea witch, captures Odysseus; she turned half of his men into pigs! Odysseus has three major character traits that help him eventually get home. One good character trait is the fact that Odysseus is extremely courageous. He threatens Circe with a knife, hoping that the plant Hermes gave him will protect him from her magic. He also shows courage by stabbing Polyphemus, the cyclops, in the eye. That takes guts. Additionally, Odysseus gets past Charybdis and Scylla; that’s gutsy also because it’s nearly impossible to achieve without some fatalities (which happens). Finally, he showed courage by killing the hundred suitors; that’s four against one hundred. …show more content…

Way back, at the end of the Trojan War, he made the horse that secretly carried his men into the city so that he could kill his enemies. Also, when the cyclops traps him in his cave Odysseus finds a way to injure the cyclops without being caught by other cyclopes; He tells Polyphemus that his name is “Nohbdy”. He then stabs the cyclops in the eye, blinding him. Polyphemus screams as loud as he can, “Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked me. Nohbdy ruined me!” The other cyclopes obviously believe that it was the Gods doing because “Nohbdy hurt him”. Additionally, he escapes the cave of Polyphemus in a very intelligent way; he and his men hide under the bellies of goats and

Show More
Related

Characteristics Of Odysseus As A Hero In Homer's Odyssey

1501 Words | 7 Pages

There are many types of hero, fictional, historical, and modern day. Odysseus was a historical hero, who saved his home of Ithaca. He had so many heroic traits, such as, bravery, courage, caring, loyalty, determination, and so much more. Fictional, modern day and other historical heroes have many of these traits as well. Therefore, the word hero has not changed.

Read More

Odysseus Hero Characteristics

1035 Words | 5 Pages

It took every ounce of courage in Odysseus to trust in Hermes and eat the plant. Then led out the plan to make Calypso turn his crew back. This took a lot of bravery, strength, and courage. He didn’t know what to expect but did it anyways for the sake of his crew and for their families. Another way he was brave was when he was alone in the ocean floating on a piece of ship.

Read More

Who Is Responsible For Odysseus's Downfall

388 Words | 2 Pages

Odysseus’ greed and desire to be treated as king causes Polyphemus to become enraged and hold his guests hostage. Polyphemus also began to devour his guests two-by-two and put Odysseus in danger, at his own fault. In seeing his greed, the reader can determine that Odysseus does not care for his men but only himself and his well being. In the execution of his plan to blind the cyclops, Odysseus launched the burning olive branch into Polyphemus’ eye as hard as he possibly could. After he lugged the branch in his eye, Odysseus proceeded to twist the branch and completely burn and destroy the cyclops’ eye ([374-380]).

Read More

Why Odysseus Is Heroic

96 Words | 1 Pages

Odysseus is heroic, courageous, outrageous, bold, fearless, manful, and valiant. Odysseus is heroic because he tricked the cyclops thinking that nobody was his name. Odysseus told his men to make a sharp spear and drop the spear in the cyclops eye so he can remove the giant rock and escape. Odysseus is fearless because him and his son killed the men that tried to take over his kingdom and marry his wife. Another thing is that Odysseus is bold because he made his son believe he was the father after the son did not believe him.

Read More

Odysseus Failure Of Pride In Homer's The Odyssey

1116 Words | 5 Pages

He got him drunk and when he fell asleep his men gouged a sharpened beam into Polyphemus’ eye. Due to Polyphemus being blind, Odysseus and his men escaped by hiding under the Cyclops rams. When they reached by the ships Odysseus was bubbling at the thought of his successes. He was able to deceive a giant Cyclops with the power of his intelligence. He continued to taunt Polyphemus and throw insults at him, eventually shouting out his identity, “if ever mortal man inquire/ how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him/ Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye” (9.549-51).

Read More

James Paul Gee's Literacy, Discourse And Linguistics

820 Words | 4 Pages

Everyone has a Discourse, whether they are aware of it or not. One might ask, “What is a Discourse”? James Paul Gee’s Literacy, Discourse and Linguistics: Introduction states, “Discourses are ways of being in the world; they are a form of life which integrate words, acts, values, beliefs, attitudes, and social identities as well as gestures, glances, body positions, and clothes” (6-7). Entering the writing Discourse may be difficult, as there are many styles and versions. It is common to come upon many styles of writing such as college level writing, scientific writing and technical/business communication.

Read More

Pride And Recklessness In Homer's The Odyssey

1107 Words | 5 Pages

After he successfully exits the cave by blinding the cyclopes, he and his surviving men board the ship. As a result of his pride, he calls out to the monster, "If anyone asks who put out your eye, tell them it was Odysseus of Ithaca!”(Hinds 109). Considering the fact Polyphemus is the son of Poseidon, the cyclops calls out to him and therefore starts the troublesome voyage for Odysseus back home. When he returns to Ithaca he learns to control his hubris by replacing it with patience. Athena, the goddess of war and strategy, disguises Odysseus as a beggar because it is wisest to arrive in Ithaca without anyone being able to recognize him.

Read More

The Flawed Character Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

432 Words | 2 Pages

The main character Odysseus in the Odyssey written by Homer is generally thought to be a great hero; however, he shows more traits of a quite flawed character on closer inspection. Around the beginning of Odysseus’ journey home after the war, Odysseus decides to take a detour to the home of a cyclops deciding to not listen to his men’s suggestions to leave while they still could; consequently, it does not end well: “Ah, how sound that was, Yet I refused. I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer no pretty sight it turned out, for my friend” (9.130-132). This thought by Odysseus shows that he realized his decision to go to the mysterious island wasn’t the most rational one and that his men’s pleas to leave were the better option, but he decides to be stubborn and place his curiosity before his men’s safety resulting in a non-heroic

Read More

Odysseus Traits In Homer's Odyssey

1125 Words | 5 Pages

Odysseus’s Traits Throughout the Odyssey, the main character Odysseus goes on an epic adventure with his focus being to get home to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. He faces many obstacles dealing with characters such as the Cyclopes, Poseidon, Aeolus, Athena, Helios, Calypso, Zeus, Hermes, Scylla, and Circe. Odysseus’s men are some of the most valuable people to him throughout the Odyssey. He always puts himself in front of danger for them to protect them even though they all died from an unexpected turn of events soon before he returns home. When Odysseus comes home he greets his twenty year old son and straightens things out on his homeland, Ithaca.

Read More

The Hero Of Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

1036 Words | 5 Pages

Twenty years of action and adventure, defeating creatures, surviving, and just trying to get back home. In The Odyssey by Homer, the hero Odysseus takes an arduous journey navigating through raging waters and defeating strenuous creatures in order to get back home with his crew to his wife and son in Ithaca. Odysseus goes through a variety of islands on the way, each including many characters he needs to overcome. Being clever and cunning in difficult situations with the Cyclops, Scylla, Sirens, Charybdis, and finally the suitors will lead to success and survival in the future.. The cleverness of Odysseus is first supplied when he brilliantly guides his men from the danger of being devoured by the unprepossessing beast, to safety

Read More

Odysseus As A Hero In Homer's Odyssey

865 Words | 4 Pages

In The Odyssey Homer makes Odysseus’ journey to his beloved Ithaca excruciating. Odysseus encounters many friends and foes throughout his journey and has to be a leader throughout his experiences. As an example, he encounters Polyphemus and Poseidon, both of whom make his journey mentally and physically painful. Odysseus faces countless scenarios in which he has to save multiple people in those situations. He also encounters the suitors, who are a group of men that try to marry Penelope, when he returns to reclaim his home.

Read More

Characteristics Of Odysseus Being An Epic Hero

752 Words | 4 Pages

During Odysseus’s journeys, while trying to find his way back home, he goes through many adventures showing off these characteristics of a hero. The first characteristic that Odysseus possessed, which shows he is an epic hero, is how brave he was. For instance, when Odysseus wanted to venture off to Circe and leave the island, it was Eurylochos that told him not to go without his

Read More

Odysseus Character Analysis Essay

574 Words | 3 Pages

In the book The Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, is a man who is loved and respected by many. In the beginning of the book, we learn that Odysseus has left on a journey and, since it has been many years since his departure, many people assume that he has passed. On his journey, he portrays his many traits, not all of them being good ones either. Some of his good traits include his cunning, bravery, and hard work ethic. On the other hand, his negative traits are his excessive pride, immense curiosity, and rather large temper.

Read More

Humility In Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

846 Words | 4 Pages

When Odysseus is leaving the cyclops cave, his egotistical behavior is shown when he tells Polyphemus who hurt him. Odysseus screams to Polyphemus, “if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so—say Odysseus, raider of cities, he

Read More

How Odysseus Is An Epic Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

541 Words | 3 Pages

Odysseus is an epic hero because of his bravery and confidence during every obstacle throughout his journey In Part 1 whie Odysseus is about to come across cyclops cave, he says “I brought along and victuals in a bag, for in my bones I knew some towering brute would be upon so soon- all outward power, a wild man, ignorant of civility. “ Odysseus is showing his bravery of not being petrified of what he might come across, like the cyclops. Odysseus has no intention of harming them, but he is not sure what their intention is. This example is important because not only does it show confidence in himself, he also shows confidence in his men. In Part 2 Odysseus also shows his confidence in his men in part 2 where Eurylochus says, “Are you flesh and blood, Odysseus, to endure more than a man can?

Read More

More about Character Traits Of Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

Related Topics

Open Document