Determination In The Odyssey By Homer

Life is a story where heroes are created, idealized, and remembered. The chapters illustrate a person who is recognized for outstanding achievement and kind qualities. In “The Odyssey” by Homer, a boy looks up to his dad, a wife to her husband, and an island to their king. A dad, a husband, and a king all named the great-warrior Odysseus. He writes his own book, writing a new page for each of his daily adventures in which he sacrifices for his family and kingdom. Within each adventure he learns a new lesson and claims it. Odysseus shows the good, the bad, and the ugly of a transforming hero through determination, strategy, and arrogance.
Determination is the key to a secret diary in the back of everyone 's book that opens up to many more happy …show more content…
As an example, when he faces Polyphemus, Poseidon 's son and a Cyclops, he drugs the Cyclops with alcohol by saying “here, Cyclops, try this wine--you top off the banquet of human flesh you’ve bolted down”(222), and while the Cyclops is sleeping he stabs him in the eye. This shows his ability to plan ahead for an attack. In order to use this skill of trickery he is brave because he thinks about being reunited with his family. He also uses his unforgettable mind when he goes past the sirens by having his crew tie him up, so he wouldn’t get lured in by the humming of the evil women. Being able to get through many tests and obstacles helps encourage his family; as well as, giving Odysseus confidence in his return. For example, Penelope is so sure of his return, so she weaves the shroud for Laertes everyday and then unweaves it at night because she made a deal with the suitors to not marry until the shroud is finished. Penelope tricks them to prolong her marriage to a suitor. She believes Odysseus will return and “destruction is clear for each and every suitor; not a soul escapes his death and doom” (408). After Penelope understands the dream she woke up from, she tests them by having them string an arrow and shoots it through 12 axles. If a suitor could shoot it through the axles, Penelope would marry him because it would show the same strength that Odysseus has. Odysseus became overwhelmed from a skilled mind, which led to a …show more content…
He knows he is idealized as a hero because Xenia is immediately expressed--even in non-greek lands. For example, while Odysseus stays at Eumaeus’s farm, he expresses extreme Xenia by giving him his own bed, clothes, food, and advice/update about his own house in Ithaca. Also, in the Phoenician palace of Queen Aretes and King Alcinous, he is offered the kings daughters hand in marriage. This shows he is very likeable because he hadn’t revealed himself yet and they were expressing Xenia. Odysseus also knows he is the strongest competitor. In particular, when he is a guest at the Phoenician palace, who are known for extreme athletic abilities, he angrily yells “I’m no stranger to sports--for all your taunts--I’ve held my place in the front ranks, I tell you, long as I could trust to my youth and striving hands” (197). Odysseus will do anything to protect his right as the strongest mortal. As a result, Odysseus shows off his ability of putting the Phoenicians to awe with the throwing of the discus. Going along with the fact that he had an incredible mind of strategies, Odysseus knew his mind couldn 't be topped. To illustrate, after the attack on Polyphemus, he reveals himself from the ship by screaming ““cyclops--if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so--say Odysseus!”(227). After a skillful blinding that he could’ve gotten away with, he didn’t think