Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, who has been away from home for more than twenty years. After the Trojan War, which lasted ten years, Odysseus is captured by the daughter of Atlas, Calypso. He is trapped on Calypso’s island for seven years, and then Calypso frees him and gives him a ship and crew to get home to his country, wife Penelope, and son Telamachus. Throughout Odysseus’s journeys he is unlucky, displays loyalty, and cleverness. Odysseus is extremely unlucky throughout this epic. He is captured by Calypso, which is the start of his unluckiness. Out of all the kings of the islands, Calypso chose Odysseus to abduct. Once Odysseus finally makes it close to his island, one of his crew members, out of jealousy, unleashes the bag of winds, causing Odysseus’s raft to sail back into the middle of the sea. This is unlucky because it causes Odysseus to be captive again, making it …show more content…
When Odysseus agrees to follow the plan to kill the suitors he shows his loyalty to his family. Instead of sending the suitors away Odysseus kills them. This shows that he will not tolerate and kill anyone who treats his family the way the suitors do. The burial of Elpenor shows how loyal Odysseus is. Odysseus is sent to the underworld, and while there he sees Elpenor. Elpenor asks Odysseus to give him a proper funeral, and Odysseus agrees. For Odysseus, it would be easier to deny the request, but Odysseus takes his precious time to give the proper funeral. Odysseus is also loyal to his crew when three of his men eat the intoxicating lotus and loose all desire to return home. “These men I brought back weeping to the ships by very force, and dragging them under the benches of our hollow I bound them fast, and embark on the swift ships, that none of them might forget his going home” (Homer 105). Odysseus does this because he cares enough about his men to not leave them behind and allow them to waste their lives with the lotus