Odysseus Cunning In The Odyssey

Working Title In the poem, The Odyssey, by Homer and translated by Allen Mandelbaum, the character Odysseus shows characteristics of the theme cunning. He demonstrates cunning throughout the poem because everywhere Odysseus goes he overcomes a great trail to get back home. In order to get back home, Odysseus needs the cunning, strength, and charm he has to avoid and excel forward through challenging problems.

Odysseus demonstrated his courage when he is severely being battered by the sea storm created by the powerful god Poseidon. While coming back from his vacation Poseidon sees Odysseus on a raft and creates a storm to make Odysseus's journey longer. “When Poseidon is coming back from his vacation he sees that Odysseus is on a raft, so

Odysseus and his men gave Polyphemus potent wine bestowed by Maron. Odysseus received the wine be to intoxicate Polyphemus because he spared Maron and Maron gave him the wine as a gift out of respect. “So did we twirl that hot point in his eye; around the glowing wood, blood flowed”(181). Odysseus demonstrates cunning when he tells Polyphemus that his name is nobody in to make it seem like no one is harming the cyclopes.”Cyclops, you asked my noble name, and I will tell it; but do you give the stranger's gift, just as you promised. My name is Nobody. Nobody I am called by mother, father, and by all my comrades”(182). Although, Odysseus successfully blinded Polyphemus he let his pride get the best of him and revealed his name so everyone could know it was the great odysseus man of many wiles that blinded Polyphemus the cyclopes son of Poseidon. “Polyphemus, from the cave, replied: ‘My friends, no force can damage me; No-one, No-one is using treachery”(182). Without cunning, Odysseus wouldn’t have never been able to fight and harm a great cyclops. Odysseus uses his cunning to continue his journey back to his beloved Ithaca to reunite with his beloved wife Penelope and his son Telemachus.

Throughout the poem, Odysseus proves that one of his many qualities of the theme is how he is charming and cunning, he uses these two qualities to get out of problems. Odysseus demonstrates cunning by continuing through the storm created by Poseidon and not letting Poseidon’s rage and revenge overcome him. Odysseus also shows that he has cunning when he stood up to the cyclops, Polyphemus. Odysseus displays the theme’s cunning, strength, and charm many times periodically throughout The