Obstacles In The Odyssey

“Like strength is felt from hope, and from despair” (Homer). Odysseus -the reigning king of Ithaca- took part in the Trojan War for 10 long years. He then ventured on for another 10 years to return to to his homeland of Ithaca. On and on he raced to go home but was challenged with many challenges along his journey. Three major events were when Odysseus got caught in the land of the cyclopes, the journey through the ventures, and when he challenges the suitors to a duel to win back his home and wife. Sailing through the land of the lotus eaters, they come across an island that is new for them. As Odysseus got closer to the island with his men, he ventured onto the island with his “... twelve best fighters and went ahead” (565 Homer). The men

Together, Scylla and Charybdis are big suprises to the men on the ship; “ More fearsome, is it now, than when the Cyclops penned us in his cave? What power he had! Did I not keep my nerve, and use my wits to find a way out for us” (583 Homer). He says these words of encouragement so the men go into battle with courage and trust in one another. But once they go and battle for their life, the men do not stay true to power they have. Battling Scylla, “... making her strike, whisking six of my best men from the ship” (585 Homer). More and more men die on the way to the point that Odysseus will be all alone. Continuing to travel back to Ithaca, Odysseus’ then loses his shpi later on which brings us back to the introduction of the Odyssey. Lastly, once he returns to Ithaca after a 20 year absence as a beggar, he wants to get his life back. Roaming through Ithaca, he finds his son and tells him that “ Athena, counseling me, will give me word, and I shall signal to you, nodding: at the point round up all armor, lances, gear of war left in our hall… when the suitors miss those arms and question you” (599

They have a plan just between each other. Penelope still has no idea that Odysseus has returned and interrogates the beggar asking “ Friend, let me ask you first of all: who are you, where do you come from, of what nation of and parents were you born” Odysseus then responds to Penelope that “... he (Odysseus) is alive and well, and headed homeward now” (605-606 Homer). Later, once Odysseus finally returns home he challenges the suitors to a challenge for the palace and his wife. One of the challenges was to string his bow and shoot an arrow through twelve ax handle sockets which only Odysseus is capable of performing. Once the suitors did not hold true to the challenge, Odysseus, with the help of others, killed all of the suitors, not sparing