The Hedgehog and the Fox

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Recommended: Essay on leader attributes

Leaders attain power through a combination of political savvy, physical strengthen and rhetorical skill. Weak leaders use sheer duplicity to gain power since to be duplicate shows a lack of the characteristics need for a respectable leader to determine if a leader is a noble one depends on the characteristics and overall mental state of the candidate. A few characteristics of a worthy leader include focus, passion, divisiveness, physical and mental strength, and confidence. Odysseus has the essential character traits of a suitable leader. Some of his greatest distinguishing traits include his combination of cunning and divisiveness. In several situations that Odysseus faces it is essential for him to think immediately to survive. That ability to think on his feet is what helps him escape some of those deadly situations. For example, in book nine, Odysseus plains out multiple steps for his escape. First, he finds a wooden staff in the cave, he then processed to sharpen and harden the staff of wood in the fire. Second, as Polyohemus returns Odysseus proceeded to make him drink wine. A...

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  • Odysseus Foolishness

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  • Similarities Between The Odyssey Beowulf And Hamlet

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  • Odysseus as a Leader

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  • Greatness In The Odyssey

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    As you might know, many of the characters in Homer’s tale of The Odyssey are known for their physical strength as their main tool used to strive for success. On the other hand, there is Odysseus, who uses something a little different to help him make his way home. His impressive oratory skills help him to escape some sticky situations. His spectacular ability to disguise himself within a crowd gives him advantages that others do not have. Each plan that he effortlessly conceives to find his way home was outstanding and shows his abundance of intelligence. Although many men use their physical strength as their main power to succeed in their travels in The Odyssey, Odysseus’s brains are his strongest

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  • The Character Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey

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    It is no wonder why many scholars refer to Odysseus as a powerful mythic hero. " Odysseus often hesitates before acting, because he uses his reason and gift to evaluate things. This patience is one of his most important additional attributes"(library.thinkquest.org/19300/data/Odyssey/odysseus.html). It saved him and his men many times.

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  • Odysseus

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    ...story, because, if not for his mind, he would be dead and never to return home to Ithaca. Odysseus uses his mind to overcome the lack of strength by tying himself down to the mast as passing by the Sirens. He then uses cunning over the great strength of others by devising a plan to escape out of the Cyclops’ cave alive. Once Odysseus is finally home, he is able to use cunning over strength to kill all of the Suitors in his home so he and his family will be able to return to the happiness they had before he left for war.

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  • Odysseus, A Hero

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    Odysseus also possessed the neccessary qualities and skills needed for him to succeed. This is perhaps the key to understanding why he was classified as a hero in the first place. Throughout his whole adventure Odysseus drew on and used these qualities to ensure his success. Perhaps one of the essential skills that Odysseus possessed was the ability to use his surroundings to his advantage. A particular scenario in which Odysseus demonstrates this skill, present in both the book and the movie, takes place within the cyclops, Polyphemus's, cave. At that point in time, Odysseus who was faced with a rather perilous situation had very few options to choose from. "I [Odysseus] drew on all my wits...until a trick came...the Cyclops's rams...I tied them...together...then slung a man under each middle one..." Honestly, had it been me in the same situation, I probably would have risked trying to run around the cyclops because the idea...

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  • Odysseus' Intellectual Development Throughout His Journey

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    Odysseus’ intellectual development in “The Odyssey” is a returning subject regularly as his journey unfolds. From the beginning of his journey, Odysseus shows higher intellectual capacity than everyone around him. He displays an adroit cunning numerous times in “The Odyssey” to ensure his, and his men’s, safety. For example, when Odysseus is being held captive on Calypsos’ island, he forces her to promise that she will not bring any harm to Odysseus if he is to construct a raft to carry him home over the ocean. “So I will not entrust myself to a raft unless I can count on your goodwill and you give me your solemn oath that you will not plot some other mischief against me” (Homer, 67). Odysseus ensures his further safety by guaranteeing no harm will come to him from potential enemies. Furthermore, Odysseus develops the ability to use his cunning in situations where the danger is already upon him. For instance, when faced with his crews imminent doom in Polyphemus’ cave, Odysseus is able to collect his wits and devise a plan that saves them all.. “Meanwhile I was cudgelling my brains for the best possible course, trying to hit on some way of saving my friends as well as myself” (Homer, 121). Odysseus’ ability to keep a clear mind in the face of danger as well as obtaining the ability to avoid coming danger show i...

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  • The Traits of Odysseus

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    Odysseus is very wise; he is able to get out of any situation he finds himself in and can also deceive anyone he finds the need to. Odysseus has the sort of cunning that one may expect to find in an action hero. However, Odysseus is able to do almost anything he wants with these skills of his. He is able to make up stories on the spot, such as when he told Athena that he was in fact not Odysseus but instead a weary traveler from Krete. Said he, “Far away in Krete I learned of Ithaka- in that broad island over the great ocean” (XIII, 327-328), and Athena knew it was Odysseus only because she was a goddess. Odysseus is very resourceful: he uses the things that are available to him. One instance of this trait is when he devises a plan to escape Polyphemos’s cave alive. Using the sheep as escape mechanisms is very clever. If he was not with his men in the cave, there would have been no way for them to get out. Also calling himself Nohbdy to trick Polyphemos into saying that no one hurt him is an ingenious idea. No one else would be able to execute his plan the way he did- with swiftness and bravery. O...

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  • Odysseus Hero Quotes

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    To begin with, Odysseus is an intelligent and clever man. He is a hero because he has the capacity to understand the situations and think through the struggles they are going to face. Odysseus is put against all the odds possible, and at times it seems like the gods are against him. Odysseus tricks the Cyclops, Polyphemus, in a very strategic way and handled the situation effectively. “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, / everyone calls me Nohbdy (Homer 498). Odysseus’ cleverness is brought out because he conceived an idea that would be adequate enough to trick a Cyclops. Later when Polyphemus is stabbed, he screams, “Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked

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  • Book 9 Odysseus Character Traits

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    Homer portrays Odysseus as a physically adept, intelligent, and good with quick thinking in high pressure situations. He has the characteristics of a homeric leader showing courage, nobility, and strength. He is a good speaker and has no troubles winning over an audience. But there comes moments that proves his humanity where he acts in foolish measures. Sometimes Odysseus’s glory ­seeking self let him looking foolish. For example, in book 9 written as a flashback, Odysseus and his men come upon a cave full of sheep and crates of cheese and milk on the island of the Cyclops. His men suggest to grab the crates and leave, but he decides to stay and feast on their upcomings. When the Cyclops Polyphemus returns to its cave, it seems hostile at

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