Odysseus
Essay by review • December 13, 2010 • Essay • 714 Words (3 Pages) • 1,247 Views
The character of Odysseus has many traits which describe him, and if you knew not who these traits belong to you would think that it is of an immortals. Odysseus's quick thinking gets him out of very tough situations, Ex: He is trapped in the cave of Polyphemus in book nine, or when he returns home only to find filthy suitors in his home and slaughters them all in book 22. There for he is a heroic, charismatic and intelligent character.
Like almost all mortal hero's, Odysseus's heroic abilities out shine the rest. Mostly because it is his main characteristic. Determined not to loose the war for himself and most importantly for his people, Odysseus climbs in the horse that he and his men built to deceivingly defeat the Trojans. When the Spartans were facing defeat against the Trojans, Odysseus had the idea of the Trojan horse. At the beginning of Odysseus's journey he fights the Trojans on behalf of the Spartans and helps conquer them with his brilliant idea of the Trojan horse. Odysseus's action of hurting a creature more than one hundred times the size of himself, he portrays his heroic ability in the most dangerous way possible, risking the chance of being eaten. "Now by the gods, I drive my spike deep in the embers, charring it again and cheering my men along with my battle talk to keep there courage up: No quitting now!" (Page 751) On Odysseus's long journey he and his men visit the home of Polyphemus. As Polyphemus sees them he quickly begins to eat them. Angry as the men that were attempting to take his wife's hand in marriage, Odysseus does what any man would do by taking revenge upon the suitors. "Odysseus arrow hits him under the chin and pinches up to the feathers through his throat. (Page 787) As Odysseus arrives cleverly disguised as a peasant to him home in Ithaca after more than 20 years, he find's filthy suitors lavishing in him home. The hero himself along with his son Telemachus slaughters them so they may once again live in peace.
As one reads the Odyssey you cannot help to notice many parts in which Odysseus's uses his tong as his sword, or his savior. His charismatic trait aids him the most when he was able to obtain help from Naussica and he Kingdom to set sale once again on the path to his home in Ithaca. "And may the god's accomplish your desire: A home, a Husband, and Harmonious converse with him."(Page 739) As Odysseus arrives nude to
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