Odysseus is the epitome of an epic hero. He is intelligent, brave, courageous, confident, and loyal. The Odyssey showcases many of these amazing traits Odysseus holds. For example, Odysseus’s intellect and astuteness allows him to escape his encounter with the Cyclops, Polyphemus. When he is trapped in the cave with Polyphemus, Odysseus plans to escape by tying him and his crew to the bottom of Polyphemus’s sheep, “Three abreast I tied them silently together, twining cords of willow from the ogre’s bed; then slung a man under each middle one to ride there safely, shielded left and right” (The Odyssey, lines 446-450). By the same token, Odysseus possesses the trait of bravery. This is shown in his experiences in the land of the dead. His decision…show more content… Although Odysseus holds many favorable traits, he also possesses some weakness, one of which is hubris. This is also shown in Odysseus’s episode with the Cyclops. After Odysseus escapes Polyphemus’s cave, he boasts about his great achievement. This enrages Polyphemus, who throws a boulder at Odysseus, “The blind thing in his doubled fury broke a hilltop in his hands and heaved it after us. Ahead of our black prow it struck and sank whelmed in a spuming geyser, a giant wave that washed the ship stern foremost back to shore” (The Odyssey, lines 504-508). This shows that Odysseus’s gloating puts his life as well as his crew’s at risk and ends up almost killing them. To conclude, in my opinion, Odysseus’s strengths do indeed outweigh his weaknesses. I believe this because although his weaknesses lead him to find himself in dangerous situations, his numerous strengths serve as a scapegoat and allow him to elude…show more content… Using a satisfactory wind to guide his ship, he began to approach the island of the Sirens. When the ship neared the island, Odysseus shared the information he gained from Circe. He directed his men to place beeswax in their ears so that they would not hear the Siren’s song. However, he told his men to strap him tightly to the ship’s mast and not let him free, so that he could listen to the song, but not leave the ship. The men then scrambled to their positions and began to row. Upon seeing Odysseus’s fast ship, two Sirens began to sing their charmed
