Over several millennia, humans have pooled together to hear entertaining tales of trickery. One character that has inspired generations of people with his craftiness is the Iliadic-hero known as Odysseus, who faced numerous obstacles on his journey home after the Trojan War. In the epic poem entitled The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus shows how he can craftily change his persona through his ability to shrewdly carry about himself in front of individuals he meets. Odysseus utilizes his slyness to guarantee a safe homecoming and creates the identity of a beggar to do so. Odysseus uses his craftiness to manipulate those he meets into helping him. Upon showing up in Ithaca, Odysseus Laertides decides to disguise himself as a beggar from
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As the King of Ithaca, Odysseus is a very noticeable person, and the Suitors are still attempting to woo his wife into marriage at home upon his arrival. To avoid premature conflict and take back his home, Odysseus found it necessary to infiltrate his home in disguise. When Odysseus faces the Suitors, he utilizes the self-crafted identity of the beggar to convince them that he isn’t someone to worry about, he uses his weak appearance to safely gain entrance to his home. He plays his role so well, that when pressured into fighting the beggar Iros in front of the Suitors, Odysseus lands a “gentle blow” on him to not give himself away by showing his real strength (18.113). By accepting to fight Iros, Odysseus pleased the Suitors and reinforces his false-identity by only hitting the beggar with a soft blow rather than hitting him with his actual strength. Odysseus custom makes the identity of the beggar to use the Suitors’ hubris against them by making himself appear non-threatening to their pursuit of his wife. By underestimating the beggar, they have doomed themselves by allowing Odysseus to plan how he can take the Suitors by storm and take back his home. In another adventure, Odysseus uses a similar tactic to dupe Polyphemus the Cyclops into underestimating him by showing himself as a helpless shipwrecked sailor, allowing him the time to plan his escape (14.251). Odysseus benefits himself by tricking those he meets into thinking he is weak and using their false sense of security to his advantage. By fooling others, Odysseus is able to create the best situation to have a safe
As the King of Ithaca, Odysseus is a very noticeable person, and the Suitors are still attempting to woo his wife into marriage at home upon his arrival. To avoid premature conflict and take back his home, Odysseus found it necessary to infiltrate his home in disguise. When Odysseus faces the Suitors, he utilizes the self-crafted identity of the beggar to convince them that he isn’t someone to worry about, he uses his weak appearance to safely gain entrance to his home. He plays his role so well, that when pressured into fighting the beggar Iros in front of the Suitors, Odysseus lands a “gentle blow” on him to not give himself away by showing his real strength (18.113). By accepting to fight Iros, Odysseus pleased the Suitors and reinforces his false-identity by only hitting the beggar with a soft blow rather than hitting him with his actual strength. Odysseus custom makes the identity of the beggar to use the Suitors’ hubris against them by making himself appear non-threatening to their pursuit of his wife. By underestimating the beggar, they have doomed themselves by allowing Odysseus to plan how he can take the Suitors by storm and take back his home. In another adventure, Odysseus uses a similar tactic to dupe Polyphemus the Cyclops into underestimating him by showing himself as a helpless shipwrecked sailor, allowing him the time to plan his escape (14.251). Odysseus benefits himself by tricking those he meets into thinking he is weak and using their false sense of security to his advantage. By fooling others, Odysseus is able to create the best situation to have a safe