Examples Of Craft And Guile In The Odyssey

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In this scene, Odysseus arrives at Ithaca and encounters the goddess Athena in disguise. Athena informs Odysseus on his current location and asks him who he is; he uses his quick wit and tells Athena that he is a fugitive from Crete who has murdered Orsilochus. Athena sees through his lies and commends him on his “craft and guile”. One thing that Odysseus demonstrates repeatedly is his ability to perform under stress. Evidenced when he told Polyphemus his name was, “Nobody- so my mother and father call me, all my friends.” His quick thinking spared him his life. Similarly, Odysseus recognizes that revealing his identity to a stranger could have negative repercussions and acts accordingly. It surprised me when Athena commends Odysseus for his

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