Character Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

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In literature, there are many traits that define a character. In the epic poem The Odyssey, by Homer, it tells of a man whose mission is to return home after an interminable twenty years of fighting in the Trojan War. During those times, he has to overcome a numerous amount of obstacles. The main character, Odysseus, has a substantial selection of traits, but ultimately it is his courageous, intelligent, and loyal acts that lead him and his men to success. In the epic, Odysseus portrays the image of a hero with his courageous acts throughout his mission. His stature and charisma depicted him as a god like figure among his men and a worthy king among his people. Odysseus' actions lead him and his crew home in many ways shown throughout the …show more content…
The epic offers numerous examples which highlight Odysseus' intelligence. An example is when Odysseus creates a plan that will save his men from the Sirens. He has his crew "plug ... ears with beeswax kneaded soft" so "none of the rest should hear that song" (pg 23, lines 670-672). Next, Odysseus has his crew tie him " hand and foot, to the back of the mast" (pg. 23 lines 673-674). Though Odysseus' ears are not plugged with the wax, "the lovely voices in ardor appealing over the water made [him] crave to listen" (pg 26 lines 752-753). He hears the Sirens but cannot give in to their luring because he is tied to the mast. Another example of intelligence demonstrated by Odysseus is when he makes up a story to the swine heard about his travels as a beggar to test peoples' loyalty. This a wise example because Odysseus is able to convince a doubtful man with an improvisation story. However, what made the story consistent and fluent, was the fact that he was able to not only make up a story of Odysseus's journey, but he also told his own remarkable story as a beggar. Ultimately, it is his courage and intelligent acts, but without his loyalty, he would not have made it
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