Finding Meaning In Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

The saying that opposites attract is widely used, but is there a point in a relationship were those opposites become too much to bear? In the Odyssey, the main characters who are married show just this. The time they spent away, the differences that they thought would keep them together actually drove them apart. It is through the same journeys that tore them apart that the true colors of each spouse come out. Although their journeys may seem similar, Penelope proves throughout the book to be more loyal to her spouse and a better self-advocate than Odysseus.

No doubt, Odysseus encountered a myriad of obstacle during his journey home from the Battle of Troy, but one of the utmost important encounters was the one with a woman named Circe. After

Some characteristics that contribute to being a hero include doing tasks that benefit others and being fearless, but the greatest characteristic is making decisions without the help of others. Again, Odysseus falls short of what he is expected to do. Throughout his entire journey, Odysseus did not make one decision without the help of a god and frankly, Odysseus would not be alive without the gods telling him what to do. “Then Skylla made her strike, whisking six of my best men from the ship.” Watching six of his best men get eaten by a six-headed monster could not have been easy for Odysseus because those men were the people that had kept him alive thus far. A true hero would sacrifice himself instead or at least try to come up with an alternate plan that did not involve fatalities. Odysseus did not even try to reason with the gods, but instead just went with what the gods said. If Odysseus had stuck up for himself to the gods instead of sitting around following orders, then his best six men would not have died. Meanwhile, Penelope continued being strong by setting a remarkable example of sticking up for oneself. In fact, Penelope can attest to the fact that knowing who you are and what you want carries you relatively far in life. Since Penelope knew these qualities about herself, she was able to get away with what she did next. Penelope promised that she would