Examples Of Odysseus Cunning

Upon Odysseus arrival to Ithaca, Athena hides his identity to help him defeat the suitors. She turns him into a very old beggar to conceal his identity from everyone, most importantly the suitors. Odysseus reveals himself to his son Telemachus, cowherd and the swine herd. The nurse Eurycleia recognizes him because of a scar he got years ago by a boar’s white tusk. Penelope doesn’t recognize Odysseus at first sight because of the disguise. She starts to put things together that Odysseus could be the beggar right in front of her when she tells him her dreams and he answers “Dear woman,” quick Odysseus answered, “Twist it however you like, your dream can only mean one thing. Odysseus told you himself – he’ll make it come to pass. Destruction is

Depending on the circumstances and on the relationship he has with the person he is talking to, Odysseus can guide them into doing what he intends through his clever wording and lies. He often uses his lies for his individual welfare, such as keeping his identity secret or receiving help. Other times, Odysseus lies for the well-being of others, by giving them hope and happiness. Odysseus’s utilization of lie not only reveals his resourcefulness in his cunning, but also his thoughtfulness for others. Odysseus’s lies, which might be seen as only a way to conceal his identity, actual discloses aspects of his and other character personalities we would otherwise not

An epic hero is someone who is characterized commonly on their nobility and bravery. However ,there are more attributes epic heros can posses. For example Odysseus, the protagonist in Homer's retelling of “The Odyssey”, shows many forms of excessive arrogance and pomposity.

Odysseus is the king of Ithaca and is married to Penelope. He knows Helen from childhood. In “Black Ships Before Troy,” Odysseus shows many traits of a hero. Two of them are clever and honorable, and these traits make the hero of “Black Ships Before Troy.”

Clever can be defined as showing intelligence or skill or being ingenious. Cleverness is an important trait when it comes to dealing with others, especially difficult people. When dealing with difficult people, one must be clever in what they say and how they say it. Homer, the author of The Odyssey, shows the trait of cleverness in the characters of Penelope and Odysseus. Penelope shows cleverness when she tells the Suitors that she will wed the one who wins the archery competition. Odysseus shows cleverness throughout his journey when dealing with all the people he has encountered on his 20 year journey. Although Penelope and Odysseus both display cleverness, Odysseus displays more cleverness because he is able to get his men out of dangerous situations and he deceives others to his advantage.

One of his weaknesses showed while he was selfishness. Odysseus did not tell his men of the last prophecy. This was while they were going through the Sirens; Scylla and Charybdis. The sirens make this noise that draws men away and kill them. The Scylla is a 6 headed monster that take one sailor for each head. He doesn't tell his men this and he sacrifices 6 of his men just so he wouldn't die. The Charybdis is a giant whirlpool that swallows ships. Later in the poem he comes home to his wife but only she didn't know it was him. Odysseus was dresses as a beggar. He tests his wife to see if she had been faithful to

Homer, was a great bard who travels from villages telling many villagers his famous epic. The Odyssey of Homer, Homer’s epic creates a theme around Dolos:Trickery. Trickery can be used to escape from life threatening situations. He uses irony, when Odysseus, is trying to escape the one-eyed cyclops Polyphemus by using “the trick of nobody”. He then foreshadows how Odysseus’s homecoming will be, using the sirens voices as a symbolic message. Finally, he develops the character our hero of this epic, Odysseus. Homer illustrates using character, symbolism and irony to reiterate that legerdemain or trickery isn’t always used for bad.

Also, we can see from the text that Odysseus has defied death multiple times with requires a lot of cleverness. Another example of Odysseus’s dishonesty helping him is in the quote,” My name is Nohbdy… Nohbdy, Nohbdy tricked me… ah well, if nobody has played you foul there in your lonely bed, we are no use in pain given by great Zeus… So saying they trailed away,”(Applebee, 906). In the quote Odysseus uses his cleverness to trick the cyclops into telling the other cyclopes that “nobody” is hurting him. This allows him and his men to not be found or hurt by all the other cyclopes. Another example takes place immediately after Odysseus tricks the cyclops into saying his name is “nobody” in the quote,”I tied them silently together, twining cord of willow from the ogre’s bed; then slung a men under each middle one to ride there safely, shielded left and right. So three sheep could convey each man,”(Applebee, 908). This plan Odysseus comes up with works very well and allows them to escape without the cyclops knowing they're gone, it also allows them to steal his sheep. This shows how Odysseus’s dishonesty and cleverness can get his men and him out of trouble. Another example of how his cleverness helps him is when he goes to the underworld to talk to telemachus. Odysseus is able to get into the underworld and get out, which

When Odysseus had to save his men from Circe's, he drank something before he went to confront her that would make her spell not work on him. ¨I drank and the drink failed.¨ (Homer 12. 49) This relates to Odysseus’ cunning abilities because he tricked her by not allowing her spells to work on him. Odysseus even states it himself as he says “Men hold me formidable for guile in peace and war.” (Homer 2. 7-8). As this quote means that he is feared on a large scale for his cunningness and slyness. Odysseus manifests good leadership skills by tricking his enemies to get one step closer to his

Another great example of Odysseus’ cleverness is when Polyphemus asks for his name. Odysseus responds, “Nobody- that’s my name. Nobody- so my mother and father call me, all my friends.” Odysseus’ quick thinking pays off later when he and four of his men stab Polyphemus in his eye. Polyphemus then calls for his neighbors’ help, “Nobody’s killing me now by fraud and not by force!” Polyphemus’ neighbors misinterpret his cries, believe that nothing is killing him, and leave.

Both Odysseus and I have shown cleverness in hard situations that have brought out that cleverness. Homer portrays Odysseus as a man of mind over muscle, although he has enormous strength, he always tries to find a way to get his enemies to make a mistake and exploit it. One such example is when he gets trapped in the cave with Polyphemus and two of his men get eaten. Instead of trying to fight out of anger and his first impulse of “drawing the sharp sword…to stab him,” he thought about the fact that there would be no one to move the boulder for him. As an alternative, Odysseus tricks Polyphemus into letting them free by wounding his only eye with a hot stick and drawing upon all his wits by sneaking out of the cave on the bellies of the sheep.Although,

The definition of a hero is a person with supernatural abilities at performing specific tasks that normal people cannot typically achieve. In the epic poem called “The Odyssey” written by a poet named Homer, there is a character named Odysseus who contains these characteristics. During Odysseus’s journeys, while trying to find his way back home, he goes through many adventures showing off these characteristics of a hero.

Odysseus uses his strength and wisdom to finish what he has already started. As well as being courageous, Odysseus shows his wisdom when he plugs the sailors' ears with beeswax when going through the Sirens because, “no

For instance, Odysseus upon meeting the Cyclops announces, “my name is Nohbody.”(Homer972.1:273) He does not reveal his identity so that when the cyclops is blinded and the other Cyclops asks who blinded him he replied Nobody. Another example of his cleverness is when he explains to his crew why he decided not to kill the Cyclops, “If I [kill]ed him we [perish]ed t[here] as well, for we could never move his ponderous doorway slab aside.”(Homer.1.:204-206) Since a human could not move the door way he uses his wits to blind the cyclops so that he may move the door. Cleverness is highlighted once again when Odysseus is warned of the sirens deceiving calls that will drag them into the rocks and “[He] carrie[s]d wax along the line and laid it thick in their ears.” (Homer 982.2:43-44) The wax in their ears will stop them from hearing the sirens and will continue on their journey without

Odysseus is best characterized as cunning for his creative schemes he devises to overcome the many challenges on his return to Ithaca. He greatly affected the main conflict in the novel by killing Poseidon 's son and creating the conflict; however, with his crafty personality he was conquer the many challenges he faced. Queen Penelope, wife to Odysseus, is very clever and stays true to her marriage even with the many suitors in her house and Odysseus departed for twenty years. Athena, daughter of Zeus, is best distinguished as being very altruistic in wanting to assist Odysseus by speaking up for him to the gods and disguising herself as old friends of Odysseus.