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Odysseus Growth In The Odyssey

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Odysseus’ Growth in The Odyssey How can a character go from being an unlikeable character to becoming a hero? In the epic poem, the main character, Odysseus, leaves his home in Ithaca to go to the Trojan War. After the war ends, he struggles on his return home to see his family. Odysseus goes on a series of missions with his men, fighting many mythical characters and foes to go back home. In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer uses indirect characterization to demonstrate how the character, Odysseus, transforms from a selfish and arrogant person to a selfless and admirable hero. At the start of the storybook, Odysseus is a hubristic and egotistical character. For example, when Circe advises him to place wax inside his ears while hearing the sirens sing. Instead of listening to this advice, Odysseus tells his crew to cover their ears in wax, and he instructs them to tie him up rather than just placing wax inside his ears. He makes this choice because he believes he can withstand the sirens' singing. Odysseus then realizes he can not handle the singing: “The lovely …show more content…

During this scene, Odysseus is still disguising himself as a beggar. Odysseus is trying to locate his son, Telemachus, so he can talk to him after a long period and reveal himself to Telemachus after being away from him for so long. Telemachus labels Odysseus as a god, causing him to answer with: “No god. Why take me for a god? No, No./ I am that father whom your boyhood lacked/ and suffered pain for lack of. I am he”(XVI.219-223). What Odysseus says displays his empathy towards his son for not visiting him in so long. The reader can realize that Odysseus is selfless since Odyssessus instantly denies being referred to as a god and owns up to what he has done to Telemachus. In addition, Odysseus fights with another beggar making many people from the town watch. During the

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