The Odyssey is a Homeric epic poem which is written about the war veteran, Odysseus and his journey as he returns home from the war between the Trojans and the Greeks and follows the Iliad. The namesake of the Odyssey, Odysseus is a beloved soldier of Athena and is known for his intelligence. A quality that may be deemed as part of his intelligence, his cunningness, is brought to the spotlight in Book VI when he lands on the shores of Scheria and comes across Alcinous’ daughter, Nausicaa. By comparing Nausicaa to the powerful goddess Artemis, and going as far as suggesting that she is married, Odysseus is shown to be the mastermind of the spoken word. He uses his brilliant and cunning mind to assess situations and create strategies to get
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Odysseus uses his skill at being charismatic quite frequently in his cunning nature and Odysseus plays with Nausicaa’s emotion in this monolog in Book VI, as he uses his mind tactics, and first claims that “Here I am at your mercy, princess…” (6.163). Odysseus, a man who was a leader in war, a soldier, claiming he is at the mercy of some woman he has just come across is anything but true. In fact, Nausicaa is at his mercy with the way that he is wooing her over with the way that he speaks in order to make her feel pride that she can have a great man at her mercy. Next, Odysseus questions her mortality and believes that if she in fact immortal, she is “…one of the gods who rules the skies up there, you’re Artemis to the life.” (6.164-5) and then claims that if she is in fact mortal, she one of the most beautiful creatures he has ever laid his eyes on. He then again asks her to have mercy on him “Compassion- princess, please!” (6.194-5) and this proves that Odysseus is wooing over Nausicaa to his side by clearly telling her everything that she wants to her- comparing her to one of the immortals (and that too, Artemis, daughter of the mighty Zeus), telling her that her parents are blessed to have a child like her and blessing her to have a good marriage. There is a chance that Odysseus feels nothing like what he says to Nausicaa, but he does it so to use her and continue to
Odysseus uses his skill at being charismatic quite frequently in his cunning nature and Odysseus plays with Nausicaa’s emotion in this monolog in Book VI, as he uses his mind tactics, and first claims that “Here I am at your mercy, princess…” (6.163). Odysseus, a man who was a leader in war, a soldier, claiming he is at the mercy of some woman he has just come across is anything but true. In fact, Nausicaa is at his mercy with the way that he is wooing her over with the way that he speaks in order to make her feel pride that she can have a great man at her mercy. Next, Odysseus questions her mortality and believes that if she in fact immortal, she is “…one of the gods who rules the skies up there, you’re Artemis to the life.” (6.164-5) and then claims that if she is in fact mortal, she one of the most beautiful creatures he has ever laid his eyes on. He then again asks her to have mercy on him “Compassion- princess, please!” (6.194-5) and this proves that Odysseus is wooing over Nausicaa to his side by clearly telling her everything that she wants to her- comparing her to one of the immortals (and that too, Artemis, daughter of the mighty Zeus), telling her that her parents are blessed to have a child like her and blessing her to have a good marriage. There is a chance that Odysseus feels nothing like what he says to Nausicaa, but he does it so to use her and continue to