The Characteristics Of Traits In Homer's 'Odyssey'

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Traits can be embodied in a number of ways: to make one villainous, heroic, and even admirable. Certain characteristics can make an individual more admirable, depending on the society. This was the case in Homer’s fictional epic poem, “The Odyssey,” in which one can see how the ancient Greeks’ preferred some traits over others. The character traits that were most admired in ancient Greece were, intelligence, loyalty, and pride/reputation because To begin with, Odysseus frequently uses his intelligence as his main tool for overcoming his external conflicts. For instance, he uses his brainpower when escaping from Calypso, Polyphemus, and escaping Scylla and Charybdis. First, Calypso asks, “‘Can I be less desirable than she is...Can mortals …show more content…

My quiet Penelope...would seem a shade before your majesty...Yet it is true each day I long for home,’”(104-115, 117-118). Homer uses the scene with Calypso to show how Odysseus is already recognized as a strategists, and how that important trait benefitted him. It is used in a positive connotation, and if it were not admirable it would have probably not been used at all. Secondly, Odysseus tells Polyphemus, “‘My name is Nohbdy...Nohbdy’s ruined me...they made a sage reply...if nobody has played you foul...we are no use...I was filled with laughter to see how like a charm the name had deceived them,’”(360, 404-406, 409-410). This encounter with Polyphemus further shows the extent of his strategic and clever abilities. He used trickery, which is common in many myths, to escape his enemy. Lastly, Odysseus decided to, “hug the cliff on Scylla...Better to mourn six men than to lose them all, and the ship...as I sent them on toward …show more content…

Rather than recklessly attempting to save an entire ship, Odysseus makes the wise and realistic decision of going near Scylla instead of Charybdis. This is in order to save as many men as possible. Now, all of these events have one similarity; as previously mentioned, Odysseus manages to be victorious in all of these conflicts by using his intelligence. This trait is used often when it comes to resolving his conflicts. Even his physical strength is not mentioned quite as often. Due to this fact, it can be inferred that this was Homer’s, and the ancient Greeks’, preferred method for heroes to be victorious. Furthermore, objectively speaking, Odysseus is the protagonist

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