Character Analysis Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

“Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy.” (Homer, 1.1-5, 1) These words were spoken in praise of Odysseus by the classical poet, Homer. The Odyssey tells the tale of Odysseus’ ten year journey after he departs from Troy bound home for Ithaka. Odysseus’ motivation throughout the poem is to be reunited with his son, Telemakhos and his wife, Penelope, but his task doesn't come without struggle. Before he may return home, he must overcome numerous challenges put forth by both mortals and gods that test his abilities and virtues. Odysseus surpasses all morals in strength of mind and body;

In the eyes of many, he was seen as a hero, contributing to the defeat of the Trojans with his strategic thinking, being favorable in the eyes of the gods, and possessing strength. Yet, he was one that dealt with suffering. He was away from home for over ten years. Those ten years spent longing for his wife and son, wasted on clinging to the last thread of his life, constantly battling creature after creature, and just barely evading death. An example of his yearning for home is when he is trapped on Kalypso’s island, “But when day came he sat on the rocky shore / And broke his own heart groaning, with eyes wet / and scanning the bare horizon of the sea” (V.163-165).

The Odyssey is made up of incredible scenes each with a different moral to the story. Book 12 of the Odyssey is one important scene that talks Odysseus and his men fighting through difficult obstacles approaching many different challenges. Why is this scene so important? The answer is simple, it takes team work to a new level, never leaving a men behind even at the toughest times. While Book 12 of the Homer’s Odyssey explains mysterious Sirens roaming through the island, deadly creatures that are ready to devour anyone as their meal, and gods with quick tempers, Odysseus and his team takes on the challenge to sail home through the Island of Sirens.

He took this major responsibility in stride and escaped with many lives. In addition, when exploring Scylla and Charybdis, he encouraged his men to persevere and to endure. Odysseus enlivened his men in these words, “‘friends, / have we never been in danger before this? / More fearsome, is it now… Do I not keep my nerve, and use my wits / to find a way out for us?” (Homer 885). He took his responsibility of his crew to new lengths and empowered them to stay strong.

48-50). While on Calypso’s Island, Calypso falls in love with Odysseus and wants him to stay even offering him immortality. He is so loyal and goal oriented to getting home that he rejected the offer and wants to leave the island to find home. Odysseus breaks news to Calypso, “Yet, it is true, each day / I long for home. Long for the sight of home….

Hero: “a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities” (Merriam-Webster) Evident in many classic stories, the hero is always the character that makes the justifiable choice. Their role as the hero is never questioned. The hero always prevails, and in the end, the hero accomplishes the journey with greater wisdom, knowledge, and reestablished views of the world that compensates for the horrors they encounter along the journey. In this story, however, the main character cannot be justified as the hero; he can only aspire to be one. Throughout the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer vividly illustrates how often times, a person who has gained a certain title will struggle under the pressure of maintaining the continuous justification of the role.

In The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus has dealt with many obstacles set forth by the gods and goddesses, in order to overcome his flaw of hubris and become a better person. Now, twenty years after the Trojan war, Odysseus returns to his home in Ithaca and finds that his beloved dog, Argus, once strong and brave is now old, weak, and treated like garbage; his son has grown up without him; and that his wife, Penelope, is sought after for marriage by men whom have vitiated his home and belongings. This infuriates Odysseus and forces him to face the karma and consequences of his hubris of his younger self. After Odysseus meets his son, Telemachus, for the first time, Odysseus must now take back his rightful place, but he must do so as a beggar, which is sad and humiliating for his son to watch: “ ‘If they make fun of me in my own courtyard, let your ribs cage up your springing heart, no matter what I suffer, no matter if they pull me by the heels or practice shots at me, to drive me out. Look on, hold down your anger.

The Epithets Of A Journey: An Essay On The Odyssey by Homer The Odyssey by Homer is one of literature’s most beloved classic epic poems. The Odyssey centers on King Odysseus’ journey home after the ten-year long Trojan War. His journey involves encountering multiple hospitable gods and goddesses, storms at sea, and monsters to fight or obstacles to face before he was able to reach the shores of Ithaca, his homeland, and fight one last battle until he would be able to “live happily ever after” with his lover, Penelope, and his now grown-up son, Telemakhos. Not only does The Odyssey showcase Odysseus’ journey home, there is an additional subplot involving his son, Telemakhos. This subplot is Telemakhos’ coming-of-age story in which he sets

The Odyssey written by Homer is a hero’s story based on the character Odysseus. Odysseus fought among the other Greek heroes at Troy and struggled to return to his kingdom in Ithaca. The story is his ten-year journey home and all of the obstacles he has to overcome. The major themes of the book include perseverance, determination, hospitality, pride, and suffering. The narrator speaks in the third person as if he already knows the story.

Madison Seib Nicholas Barron Phil 201 30 November 2015 Paper Prompt for "Gladiator" #2 In the main character in the "Odyssey" is named Odysseus. Who is the king of Ithaca and a vary noble warrior. He has gone off to fight in the Trojan war, when the story begins, he has been gone from his home land for 20 years. His son is now well grown and a group of suitors has inhabited his palace wanting to marry his wife, Penelope. Odysseus displays many of the Homeric virtues and vices while trying to get home and while he is there.