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Odysseus characterization
The PERSPECTIVE OF GENEROSITY
Odysseus characterization
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Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known;” this quote by Joseph B. Wirthlin echoes what so many people believe. Everyone needs the kindness of others at some point in their life, and those who show the good in their heart are a gift to others. Odysseus, in The Odyssey, needs some of this generosity. Whether Odysseus is on a strange island alone or he is on the island of his people, but unwelcome, Odysseus faces trials and has already been on an arduous journey. He was exhausted and could not have done what he did without the kindness of two crucial characters; Nausikaa and Eumaios. Although their roles may have seemed small in comparison to some of the supposed heroes …show more content…
First appearances can be deceiving, which is what many characters learn after encountering Odysseus for the first time. When both Nausikaa and Eumaios are introduced to Odysseus, he is in an unruly state, and it is unknown to him that he is the king of Ithaka. To Nausikaa, Odysseus seems like “a mountain lion, rain drenched, wind buffeted, but in his might at ease, with burning eyes...driven on by hunger too” (Homer 6. 140-147) when he emerges from bushes where she and her maidens are. Yet though he appears a wild man, Nausikaa remains where she stands, even while her maids ran from Odysseus. Nausikaa’s soul has the ability to recognize that those who look harried as he did, often need compassion, so she is unafraid. Her kindness allows for Odysseus to come close …show more content…
They expect all people to avoid prejudice and allow time to understand the circumstances of stranger’s lives. Though Odysseus did appear seemingly out of nowhere to Nausikaa and her maids, she requests that they return to her side; “stay with me! Does the sight of a man scare you? Or do you take this one for an enemy?...no: this man is a castaway” (6. 213-214, 220). Nausikaa is embarrassed that her maidservants would determine the danger of a man in need so unjustifiably. On the other hand, the unfair assumptions made about Odysseus on his own island, Ithaka, are even worse. He and Eumaios are walking a path, and the goatherd, Melanthios, meets them. Melanthios quickly makes unjust judgments, and insults Odysseus for being a beggar, even kicking at him (17. 278-298); since Odysseus is in disguise, he must control his temper, but Eumaios quickly steps in to defend the man. The swineherd tells his co worker that if he hoped if Lord Odysseus was around, Odysseus would do away with anyone who treated another human like Melanthios treated this beggar (17. 312-314). Eumaios is ashamed that a peer would disregard a human as the goatherd did. The kind pair, although on the separate islands of the Phaiakians and Ithakians, defend Odysseus, unknowing that he is a king. Nausikaa defends him to her maids, and Eumaios defends him to
Throughout literature characters have relied upon entities greater then themselves to furnish them with aid as they meet the many challenges they must face. The Odyssey is a tale of Odysseus’ epic journey and the many obstacles that bar his return home. But Odysseus is not alone in this struggle and receives aid from many gods, especially the clear-eyed goddess Athena. There are times when Odysseus beseeches the gods for aid, but other times he is too foolhardy to receive aid from even the immortal gods. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus’ journey revolves around the cyclical phases of his dependence, independence and his return to reliance upon the gods’ aid.
I disagree with Anthony. While the captain can not always control his men, there are things that he did to create the distrust. Man, from a religious view, is a fallen species, thus sin, like greed, taunts him. Because Odysseus holds back knowledge from his men, specifically when he gives the wine of Maron to Polyphemus, he creates the distrust which cause them to open the bag of winds. Continuing from that, Odysseus does not inform his men of the sacrifice that must be made in the pass between Charybdis and Skylla; therefore, when Skylla engulfs 6 men, the trust is destroyed. Odysseus causes his own suffering because he dismantles the unity that is necessary when on a journey.
Humbly, he is “on the ground, in the ashes by the fire”(VII,190). He does not intrude into to their home and forcibly take gifts as he did on the Cyclops island. He accepts the care given to him from the Phaeacians and does not ask for more than he is given. Odysseus takes accountability of his actions when King Alcinous blames his daughter for bringing stranger into their home, Odysseus tells King Alcinous to not take “fault with a flawless daughter now, not for my sake, please”(VII,342-343). He is grateful for her help in giving him hospitality. After King Alcinous assures Odysseus he will get home, Odysseus prays,“May the king fulfill his promise one and all! Then his fame would ring through the fertile earth and never die”(VII,380-382). He is appreciative of the help so Odysseus calls to Zeus for good things for Alcinous. Not thinking of himself and wishing positive impacts on others is a sign of maturity.
Opposed to that of common thought, superman is not the only type of character that fits the heroic persona. Although “superheroes” typically come to mind when one thinks of a hero, there are many other ordinary people capable of extraordinary things. A hero is a person who takes the initiative to set out on a journey of internal growth. During this symbolic journey, one truly finds himself and betters the lives of other mentally and physically. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus takes the path of heroism, resulting in the reborn spirit of a selfless, modest hero. During the process, Odysseus is faced with many challenges that he must overcome in order to earn the noble title. Odysseus proves himself to be a well-deserving hero because he is intelligent with his decisions, he displays cleverness, and he rids himself of hubris.
For seven years, Odysseus is held captive by the goddess Calypso. The young goddess “desired me and detained me in her hall. But in my heart, I never gave consent” (Homer 372). This quote suggests that although Calypso may have believed she was loved by Odysseus, he never really cared for her. If Odysseus would have stayed faithful to his wife, Calypso would have killed him. Thus, he is able to protect himself by lying to her. Another point in the epic where Odysseus' dishonesty impacts his success is with the suitors. After arriving at his homeland, Odysseus disguises himself to protect himself from being harmed: “Odysseus enters his home as a beggar, and the suitors mock and abuse him” (Homer 402). When Odysseus appears to be a beggar, the suitors think nothing of him. They disrespect him, his family, and his home. Had they know Odysseus was back, they would have treated him much differently. Because of the way they acted towards him, it can be suggested that they would be willing to do anything to take control of his kingdom. He is then able to find out more about them and their motives without getting
There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.
Altogether, hospitality was an important theme for Odysseus, during his adventure back to Ithica. Hospitality also played an important role for Telemachus, and the search for information about the whereabouts of his father. Without this tradition of Greek hospitality, the sequence of events in The Odyssey could have changed drastically. Not only was this Greek custom of hospitality important in The Odyssey, it was also important to Greek citizens. Just the simple tradition of hospitality, whether positive or negative, can explain much about Greek citizens, and how they treat each other.
In the Odyssey the people of Ithaca are accustomed to hospitality. In Odysseus’s lengthy journey home he learns to maintain modesty. Odysseus’s family never give up on him throughout his entire 20 year journey, and they kept Ithaca for him when he came back. The Greek values of hospitality, humility, and loyalty are conveyed in The Odyssey.
This tale coincides with the times in Greece. This was a time that art and Philosophy were extremely important and respected by the people. Odysseus was a new type of hero that didn’t win by overpowering his opponents, but by using his mind to outwit them. Manners also seemed to play an important role to Odysseus, as he was learned to be polite and generous to strangers and in the end punished those who weren’t.
Since one can’t change one’s nature then one should learn from it in order to become better people. We will always be disloyal, self-centered, and inconsiderate, even if we don’t notice at times. Homer shows us all of these faults through Odysseus’s relationships. Inconsideration is shown when Odysseus doesn’t listen to advice given to him or recognizing others that helped him win challenges, overcome temptations, etc. Homer shows us disloyalty when Odysseus was unfaithful to his wife and forgetting about his dead friends. Most importantly, Homer shows us that we are self-centered through Odysseus blaming others for his own mistakes and by taking all credit for victories. Yet, at the end, when he recognized all of his weaknesses, Odysseus became a better and understanding
Odysseus portrays himself as anything but a hero throughout Homer’s The Odyssey. Odysseus goes through his life believing he is the best. He has no regard for anyone’s feelings but his own, and he believes nothing and no one can harm him, not even the gods. Odysseus feels he is always the leader and no one can tell him otherwise. Odysseus should not be considered a hero because he portrays himself as a selfish man that failed his crew, and is controlled by his hubris.
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
...of gentle and kindness shows that Odysseus is not a hero. His way of supporting ideas that favor him most portrays him as non-heroic and his true picture is also revealed by his selfishness and mercilessness.
Homer’s The Odyssey is a Greek story that follows the journey of its primary character, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus encounters many challenges in his journey home, from encounters with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the witch Circe and even the ghosts of dead Greeks. Meanwhile, his household in Ithaca is being threatened by suitors of his wife, Penelope, all wanting to inherit Odysseus’ possessions in the belief that he was already dead. Like many epic heroes, Odysseus possesses many admirable qualities. Three good characteristics of Odysseus are—cleverness, bravery and strength—here are some supporting instances from the epic that demonstrates Odysseus possession of such characteristics.
Homer’s literature served as a moral messenger to the people of ancient Greece. The Odyssey by Homer demonstrates the character development of Odysseus, the epic hero, and his journey of self-discovery. Odysseus was a great, wise, noble, and well respected war hero to his people. Odysseus had one tragic flaw that was demonstrated by his actions throughout the book. The author Homer continued to strip Odysseus of his arrogance throughout the story, by throwing challenges his way, making him pay for his mistakes, and allowing him to continue to overcome obstacles. The main purpose of Odysseus journey also to reach his home a more humble man. Reading Odysseus’ journey also served as a way to look at morals. The