The Odyssey Rhetorical Analysis

In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, In his desperate request for aid, Odysseus chooses to approach the Phaecian Princess Nausicaa verbally rather than physically because he is “…frightening sight, disfigured with brine,” as well as nude (NAOWL pg 339). He is in a vulnerable position with nothing to offer therefore must persuade. Part of being experienced rhetorician is knowing what you desire and how to acquire it. This proved hero had to rely on oral The most effective display of Odysseus’s verbal skills came in his persuasive speech to the Phaecian Princess Nausicaa. The Smooth Talker is able to overcome his scary appearance and successfully receives the Princess’s aid by dousing her in flattery, evoking pity, and appealing the Grecian value of xenia. At the very start of Odysseus’s plea to Nausicaa, the hero heavily relies on flattery in order to obtain the help he desperately needs. Before the Princess can even ask who this stranger is, Odysseus turns on the charm by questioning: “I implore you, Lady: Are you a goddess/ Or mortal? (149-150). Since he has previously encountered deities in the epic, Odysseus is aware that this is most likely not another occurrence. Yet he is …show more content…
The Trojan War Hero vaguely shares his tribulations by saying “…after twenty days, I pulled myself out/ Of the wine-dark sea…and now some spirit has cast me up here/ To suffer something new…” admitting, “I do not think/ My trials will end soon” (170-175). Nausicaa now knows that Odysseus’s current exterior is a result of his body being beaten by the sea. By clarifying the turmoil he faced and still expects to endure, as well as his distressing appearance, Odysseus is able to gain the Phaecian Princess’s sympathy, which is a major element of successfully acquiring her