Odysseus Flaws

Ody-Wan Dr. Sseus (May the FORCE be with you) The Odyssey was a performance by Homer, a Greek storyteller. It was made into an epic and adapted later into many different versions. The adaptation of the book that I am using for this essay is by Allen Mandelbaum. The Odyssey is about a man named Odysseus, who goes through many obstacles to reach his home, Ithaca. I think that Odysseus has human flaws, such as his pride and his curiosity, but those flaws are overridden by the fact that he is clever, wise, brave, and overall, a strong leader. All of these qualities are shown in quotes throughout Books 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, and 17. Odysseus is shown to be clever primarily in Book 9. He has just arrived on the island of the Phaeacians, and is telling them stories about his encounters after the Trojan War. In book 9 he talks about his escape from the man-eating cyclops Polyphemus’s island. One example of his cleverness is shown in this quote while he is talking to the Cyclops; “Cyclops, after your feast of human flesh do take and drain this bowl (Mandelbaum, Book IX,

He shows this quality throughout the six books. One example is in Book 10. When his comrades are losing hope of getting back to Ithaca, he tells them,”O friends, however sad, let’s not descend to Hades’s halls before our destined day. No, just as long as there is food and drink in our swift ship, forget your fears of starving (Mandelbaum, Book X, pg. 196).” In Book 16, Odysseus had arrived on Ithaca, and plotted with his son Telemachus to kill the suitors who were trying to marry his wife, Penelope, for the past 20 years. When Telemachus asks Odysseus how can they win because they are drastically outnumbered by the suitors, Odysseus responds,”Is it not indeed enough for us to have Athena and father Zeus beside us (Mandelbaum, Book XVI, pg. 325)?” Odysseus convinces his son that having gods on their side matches any number of