Odysseus As A Leader In Homer's The Odyssey

The world isn’t black and white. No one is only good or evil. People are not only one thing and nothing else. They change through their experiences in life that they go through and have multiple conflicting and diverse personality traits. In Homer’s The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus is a perfect example of this. He is a hero and a good leader, but sometimes has lapses in judgment and doesn’t always do the right thing. He learns from his mistakes though and changes for the better. He is a relatable character and understandable. Through all of his encounters, he shows he’s human and not perfect because no one is. Through this novel, there’s many ups and downs, but in the end, he changes and grows as a person. This is shown through his …show more content…
In Book 12, he knows that the sirens are going to tempt him. If he gave in, he would lose all memory of going home. He shows self-control because he knows he won’t be able to fight it and stop himself. He has his men tie him up and put earwax in their ears so they can’t hear. They hold him down so he can’t escape. He instructs them “if I plead, commanding you to set me free, then lash me faster, rope on pressing rope” (Homer 201). He wants to hear what the sirens are saying but knows he won’t be able to resist, so he is smart to have his men tie him up. Odysseus returns to Ithaca and has a reunion with his son, Telemachus. They plan a way to get rid of the suitors. Odysseus is patient because he doesn’t want people to know he is back just yet. He tells Telemachus “let no one hear that Odysseus has come home” (Homer 273). In the past during his adventure when he blinded the Cyclops, he yelled out his name and wanted him to know who did it. He normally would’ve wanted everyone to know he was back. He loves the attention and praise, but now he is willing to wait. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus goes to the palace. As he is begging for food, one of the suitors, Antinous, throws a stool at him. He should be angry at him, but instead he “stood up against it—steady as a rock, unstaggered by Antinous’ blow—just shook his head, silent” (Homer 294). He doesn’t react to the abuse from the suitors. He …show more content…
He’s changed and became humbler. He also shows how incredibly courageous and cunning he is. He uses his skills to make a plan with Athena who “helped him plot the slaughter of the suitors” (Homer 315). She leads him and helps him to take on all of the suitors. Still disguised as the beggar, Odysseus hints to Penelope to challenge the suitors to try and string the bow, which none of them could do. Odysseus asks if he can try, which makes all of them laugh, but he does it with ease and he lets his arrow fly straight through all twelve axe heads. Odysseus reveals himself and his son, armed, moves to stand next to his father “girding his sharp sword on, clamping hand to spear, took his stand by a chair that flanked his father—his bronze spear point glinting now like father” (Homer 363). The two of them together take on all of the suitors, killing them all. They have no fear and his plan worked perfectly. Before Odysseus kills all of the suitors, he talks to Amphinomos, who is a good suitor, and shares a lesson he’s learned. Odysseus shares with him that “a wild wicked swath I cut, indulged my lust for violence. Let no man ever be lawless all his life, just take in peace what gifts the gods will send” (Homer 305). This conversation displays how much Odysseus has changed. He looks back and regrets all