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Odysseus fate in the odyssey
Odysseus in the Odyssey
The characterization of odyssius in book 11 of the odyssey
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Argumentative Essay on the Odyssey Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus portrays many different heroic traits, such as being a great warrior, and facing supernatural foes and receiving supernatural help. However, Odysseus also displays human characteristics, for instance when he weeps. Although Odysseus shows human qualities, his heroic traits outweigh his human ones. For the duration of the Odyssey, Odysseus is faced with challenges and also receives help from the supernatural. If it were not for the help from Athena, Odysseus would not have returned to being the wife of Penelope. On page 1022, lines 1009-1015, Athena speaks to Odysseus saying, "Odysseus, master of landways and seaways,/dissemble to your son no longer now./The time has come:/tell
In Homer’s the Odyssey, Odysseus has many different qualities that classify him as a hero. He is brave and courageous as shown when he murdered all the suitors who were disrespecting his property even though he was outmanned by them. Despite this, he is by no means all brawn and no brain as he shows his intelligence and cunning numerous times during the epic. A few example of this would be when he was able to blind the one-eyed Cyclops while the rest of his crew didn’t know what to do. Odysseus in many ways is similar to a flowing river, because whenever there is a problem (dam in the river), he would first try to go through it, but if he can’t he would then find a way ar...
Odysseus, during his long journey, exhibited many heroic qualities including bravery, strength, and determination. He was determined to return to his family after hs journey, and he bravely fought to stay alive during the cyclope situation, as well as other situations, and showed strength by being able to battle the cyclopes in self-defense. However, Odysseus was also obnoxiously arrogant about his victory and was actually very selfish throughout his entire story; he almost did not leave his town to help with the war because he did not want to leave to protect his family. Although Odysseus exemplified heroic qualities, this does not make him a true hero.
In the story The Odyssey, Odysseus showed many traits. I believe the most important trait he showed was loyalty. He showed it in multiple situations. Odysseus showed loyalty when dealing with the sirens, the louts eaters, and the cyclops.
In the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus must face many obstacles on his journey. He is only able to conquer them because of his wonderful qualities. He meets, a Cyclopes, Sirens, a six-headed monster, a regurgitating whirlpool, and a group of greedy, lovesick men. Some Odysseus's more important qualities are, determination, cunning, and protecting.
Athena aided Ody in his journey home by providing guidance and advice on difficult obstacles. She gives Odysseus a lot of advice on how to handle perilous obstacles. For example, Athena tells Odysseus to go home in a disguise. This is the reason that she transforms Odysseus back into a poor, shriveled beggar from a godlike man. The new disguise allows Odysseus to get home
...o all guests saved Odysseus and helped him return home to his wife, son, and kingdom. Even though people from many different kingdoms and islands took Odysseus in their home and showed him great kindness on his return home, the individual who helped him most was the goddess Athena. In many occasions Athena assisted Odysseus. One such example is when Odysseus was fighting of the suitors and they threw spears at him. "Re-forming, the suitors threw again with all their strength, but Athena turned their shots, or all but two (p 566)." Another instance which Athena aided Odysseus was when she disguised him as a beggar on his arrival to his homeland. "Would even you have guessed that I am Pallas Athena, daughter of Zeus, I that am always with you in times of trial, a shield to you in battle (p 444)." "Your goddess-guardian to the end in all your trials (p 539)."
Odysseus faced many challenges and monsters along the way but one of the biggest challenges was when he returned home to his wife Penelope. She was testing Odysseus because he did not believe it was home that really came back. Penelope challenged Odysseus with a bow and arrow . But she said that there was a “ … have sawn that trunk and dragged the frame away” ( Homer 615 ). This is important because of the fact that in The Odyssey the whole story is based on the fact that. Odysseus is coming back home but since his wife does not believe it is him it has to prove to his wife that he came back .
As the goddess of war, she has helped him throughout the Odyssey. Especially during the times where he wasn’t sure of what to do. A time when Odysseus got help from Athena was when he finally got home. She warns him about the suitors and how they have taken over his home, eaten all his food, killed all his animals and are getting Penelope to marry them. As described in the text, “She disguises Odysseus as an old beggar so that he can assess the situation at home” (16. text from first paragraph). She does this because it is the total opposite of the real Odysseus. If he just barged into his home without a plan, of course, there will be lots of fighting and anger from the suitors. She not just helps him physically, but this helps him to come up with a plan to get everything that belongs to him back. This proves that Athena is a great women throughout the book, and used her goddess powers to help Odysseus to return home safely. Women did play a huge role in getting Odysseus back home and returning things back to its rightful place. Penelope, Eurykleia, and Athena all show that a woman’s role is the motivation for the hero to get things done. Penelope’s love for Odysseus made him always remember that he has someone back at home waiting for him, Eurykleia’s trust gives Odysseus the time to finish a task before he starts with another, and Athena’s powers has give Odysseus to be alive and fight for his people, his
Athena was the prime reason why Odysseus was able to come home. Throughout the Odyssey, Athena guided Odysseus in his quests. Odysseus started off on the wrong foot when he went to Cyclop 's island and blinded Polyphemus, Poseidon 's son. Polyphemus told his father to never allow Odysseus to return home. With this prayer, Poseidon listens and Odysseus starts on what will be a very long journey. Athena goes to her father Zeus to try to persuade him that Odysseus should be allowed to go home. Athena tells this to her father while Posiedon is away to visit Ethiopians world so he couldn 't interfere. Furthermore, Athena does additional things to help Odysseus return home. She disguises as Mentes and
Odysseus: a hero in every way. He is a real man, skilled in the sports, handy with a sword and spear, and a master of war strategy. Most of the challenges and adventures in his return voyage from Troy show us this even if we had no idea of his great heroic stature and accomplishments in the Trojan war. I found in my reading of the Odyssey that most of the trials the gods place upon him are readily faced with heroic means. These challenges are not
In conclusion, Odysseus’ intelligence, loyalty, and strength are all key aspects which make Odysseus an epic hero. Besides having those characteristics, he has passed impossible tasks and could be compared to many American superheroes such as Batman. Both have relatively the same characteristics: strength, loyalty, intelligence, courage, and pride, but what makes them an epic hero is not entirely what they have been through. It is actually their ability to portray what their civilization finds most heroic in a person that makes them an epic hero.
She later sparks a flame inside of Telemachus to embark on his journey to find his father. At the first destination Telemachus arrives at, Athena appears once again in the court of King Nestor. She appears in the form of an eagle to represent that she is beside Telemachus in his righteous journey to find his father. When hearing of her son’s departure, Penelope becomes extremely distraught. In an attempt to reassure and comfort her, Athena appears as a “glimmering phantom” and says these comforting words, “Take heart, and don’t be so afraid. The guide who goes with him is one many men pray for to stand at their side, a powerful ally- Pallas Athena. And she pities you in your grief, for it is she who sent me to tell you this” (Homer 342). There are many motivators for Athena in The Odyssey. Some could argue she relates with Penelope, and provides protection for her household throughout the years. Others may say she is enamored with Odysseus because of their relating character traits. Athena basically takes on the motherly role of watching over both Telemachus and Odysseus. She monitors both of the men’s journeys, and allows them to go through tribulations in order to grow emotionally and spiritually. Brian Lower a literature professor from Union College wrote,” Athena allows Odysseus to experience the storm, but not die. She knows that it will make him stronger for it. There is an
Odysseus is an epic hero because he is like a “superhuman”, he is far superior to a regular man. He is very intelligent, strong, and clever. He is so much like a god that the gods have taken notice of Odysseus. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, all the gods favor Odysseus, but Poseidon. Poseidon dislikes Odysseus because he harmed his son cyclops. During Odysseus’ fight with the cyclops, Athena helped Odysseus by giving him, “The pike of olive, green though it had been reddened, and glowed as if about to catch… So with our brand we bored that great eye socket” (Homer The Odyssey 279-289). Athena’s is the goddess of wisdom, her symbol is an olive branch. Since she is smart, she knew Odysseus would need something to blind the Cyclops, but not kill him, since they needed him to move a big boulder out of the way to escape that only he can move. When Athena places the olive branch near Odysseus, he knew exactly what to do right away because he is very intelligent. He stabs the branch into the cyclops eye, and baits him to move the boulder out of the way. This displays Odysseus’
The main character of the Odyssey, Odysseus the King of Ithaca is given a complex personality to an extent where it is hard to identify whether he is a true hero or not. True heroism is only achieved when a person achieves certain qualities that portray heroism. Odysseus is not a hero based on the standards of merciful, selfless, and gentle because of his actions of sacrificing his men, killing the suitors and being ruthless throughout the Odyssey. Along with many others qualities these three are helpful and necessary in a hero. A hero must be willing to do service for others and put the needs of others safety and protection before his own. Odysseus does not even come close to matching these qualities because he is a person, who only serves of himself, and he sacrifices his allies to achieve his goals and often he takes action ruthlessly.
Athena plays a huge role in The Odyssey as the god who interferes the most: “If grey-eyed Athena loved you the way she did Odysseus in the old days in Troy country, where we all went through so much-never before have I seen the gods help any man as openly as Athena did your father” (III. 235-239). When Lord Nestor proclaims these words to Telemakhos, Athena’s contest divine intervention is verified. After Telemakhos and Odysseus complete their journeys, Athena meddles in final days of the suitors. Athena disguises Odysseus as a poor beggar. Odysseus the beggar confronts the suitors who then mock and torment Odysseus.