Odysseus Essay

In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is a strong leader when he protects his crew, makes tough decisions, and gives valuable advice. First, Odysseus is a strong leader when he protects his crew. When Odysseus and his crew face the sirens, Odysseus takes on a motherly role. He knows what to do to protect his crew and keep them safe. Odysseus puts earwax in his crew’s ears to protect them from the sirens. This is an example of a good leader because he is not only looking out for himself, but also…

The Odyssey, Odysseus struggles for ten years to come home to his family after the Trojan War. At home, in Ithaca, he has a wife, Penelope, and a son, Telemachus that he loves dearly. He is always eager to find some way to get closer and closer to his home. Odysseus’s courage about coming home reveals that he has a strong relationship with his family. First of all, Odysseus trusts the gods that hopefully will lead him home. “Zeus tell Hermes to go to Calypso's Island to start Odysseus on his…

Odysseus has been a very known character throughout Greek mythology. He has always been a great hero that is admired by all of the people around him. And, like any hero, he had many qualities and flaws. All of this and more makes Odysseus an archetype of an epic hero. The definition of an epic hero is a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. This definition describes Odysseus. Odysseus in The Odyssey is an epic hero because he is…

about a hero, Odysseus, and his journey returning home. Throughout the Odyssey, the Gods control the mortals like puppets. In fact, all of Odysseus’s actions are carefully controlled by the Gods. This is seen when Zeus proclaims Odysseus will return home, when Odysseus escapes Calypso’s island, and when Odysseus is at the land of the Phaeacians. Due to the interference of the Gods’ in Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus does not truly have a free will. During the course of the Odyssey, Odysseus nears his…

In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is not an example of an effective leader as he does not make the best decisions and does not communicate well with his companions. One of the many characteristics of a good leader is the ability to make good decisions and Odysseus does not perform this ability well. When Odysseus and his crew arrive at the Cyclops Island, his men decide to steal some food and run back to the ship but Odysseus, however, demands to see the cyclops Polyphemus, who…

In Homer’s The Odyssey, the ability of Odysseus to improvise and mix truth and lies to deliver some of the most believable stories is what trademarks our hero in this epic. With the use of his quick wit, Odysseus controls first impressions and is able to craft a favorable image with each new encounter. In particular, when Odysseus is disguised as an old beggar he crafts a story for his wife that is part truth and part lie. By telling the story, Odysseus hopes to gauge his wife’s remaining…

expectations. Odysseus is an epic hero because of his intelligence, bravery, and glory. Odysseus is an epic hero because of the intelligence that he displays throughout the poem. Odysseus shows his intellect by his ability to think under an immense amount of pressure. For example, the text states “I tied them silently together, twining cords of willow from the ogre’s bed; then slung a man under each middle one to ride there safely, shielded left and right” (9.423-26). This quote explains that…

Odysseus’ Heroism Many films, TV shows, and books portray their protagonists as heroes, but what makes them heroic? Heroes should be compassionate, humble, and put others before themselves. In Homer’s epic work, The Odyssey, it is debatable whether or not the protagonist can be considered a “hero” in today’s time. When the epic was written in Ancient Greece, Odysseus’ actions were acceptable and even expected. With today’s definition, he would not be considered a hero because of his pride and…

forest now to Odysseus, and he swam, pressing on, so as to set foot on the mainland”. In this paper, I will argue that although the surface meaning of this passage is that the land for Odysseus is like the recovery of a sick father for a child, the deeper meaning is that the passage and other textual evidence indicate several times that Odysseus is more like the father. This comparison anticipates the end of the book when Odysseus…

follows King Odysseus of Ithaka on his twenty year journey home from the Trojan War. Throughout the epic poem Odysseus must face many obstacles, some inevitable, and some the result of human mistakes. Odysseus demonstrates his arrogance time and time again, manipulating people to get what he needs to overcome these obstacles with little thought to how much their generosity will cost them. Odysseus uses his end goal to justify taking advantage of other people’s hospitality because Odysseus’…