Hell In Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

Both men show willpower in realizing their goals.  Odysseus's target is returning to Ithaca to his beloved wife and son. He overcomes many

Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and the main character in homer’s The Odyssey, was gone for twenty years before finally returning to his family and his homeland. He struggled through many hardships and lost many loyal companions. The King of Ithaca would not have made it home without the assistance of the Greek gods. Despite all of the help and advice that Odysseus receives from the gods, he is a very brave man because his courage and daring in the cave of the Cyclops, his inability to give up and abandon his men on Circe’s island, and his flawless following of the gods instructions are acts of bravery that is uncommon in most men.

Even though many of his men seemed wary of their journey, Odysseus was always determined to make it back to Ithica. When Odysseus’ ship washed up on the island of the Lotus Eaters, all of Odysseus’ men ate the Lotus flowers to escape from the hardships of life, but Odysseus refused. “I drove them, all three wailing, to the ships, tied them down under their rowing benches, and called the rest”(Homer 211-213). Instead, Odysseus tied up his men and dragged them back to the ship so they could get back on their journey home. Even though it would take 20 years to get home, Odysseus always showed great

He is stricken with hunger and longs for nourishment, but he is able to triumph over this temptation by remaining mentally strong: “One day I withdrew to the interior / to pray the gods in solitude, for hope / that one might show me some way of salvation” (XII, 426 – 428). Instead of giving in to temptation, Odysseus heroically prays to the gods. In addition to physical and emotional challenges, Odysseus faces intellectual challenges, and is able to overcome these challenges with quick thinking. Odysseus must utilize his cunning wit when he devises a plan to surprise the suitors in an attack, and hide their weapons: “I / shall signal to you, nodding: at that point / round up all armor, lances, gear of war / left in our hall, and stow the lot away” (XVI, 335 – 338). This challenge tests Odysseus as a tactician, and he is able to succeed with intellectual valor. Odysseus encounters a mental challenge when he is on the Land of the Kyklopes. He quickly tells Polyphemos that his name is “Nohbdy”, and then once the Polyphemos is stabbed, the other Kyklopes think that “Nohbdy” hurt him. Then, Odysseus and his men are able to escape on the underside of sheep. Odysseus bravely risks the lives of his men and himself. Odysseus overcomes all these challenges, using his physical, emotional, and intellectual abilities. The courage he displays in each of these instances makes him more heroic.

“A man who has been through bitter experiences and traveled far enjoys even his sufferings after a time.” (Homer) This quote tells us that, like Odysseus, we will overcome hardships in life. In the end, we will remember the suffering that brought us to where we are. The Odyssey, by Homer, tells us that the challenge in front of us doesn't matter. Although, we can all conquer those challenges by never giving up. Like Odysseus, I will face hardships in life. However, in the end I will feel pleasure thinking about how I overcame those hardships. The Odyssey is a like journey through life. He learned many lessons on his trip, and was ultimately brought to his end goal, of getting home.

Although Odysseus is the captain of a fleet, he initially takes no responsibility for the welfare of his crew. When exploring unknown lands, he often “sent out two picked men and a runner to learn what race of men that land sustained.” *(147) The king delegates the task solely to fulfill his own curiosity, without consideration of any dangers his men might face, such as intoxication in the land of the Lotus Eaters and cannibalism in the land of the Laistrygonians. Due to his indiscretion, Odysseus puts his men in unnecessary peril.

“They longed to stay forever, browsing on that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland. I drove them all three wailing, to the ships, tied them down under their rowing benches.” (Homer, 99-102) In addition, Odysseus, when held captive in Polyphemus’ cave he plans an escape by him and his men hiding underneath Polyphemus’ rams. Odysseus takes the wooliest ram, biggest ram there is, and using his physical strength he holds on tightly all night long until morning comes and then they escape underneath the sheep. Another strength is Odysseus’ persistence and drive to keep going no matter what. When Odysseus is in the Land of the Dead, he faces many frightening spirits coming at him from all directions, yet he never gives up. With their ugly looks, and dreadful, loud noises coming out of there months. Odysseus’ still sticks with his main precedence which was getting to see Tiresias, the blind prophet that would ordain his future on his journey, and he made sure nothing would stand in his way of getting there. Also, Odysseus, when facing the mesmerizing, angelic sounds of The Sirens, (half bird, half human creatures) he has his men tie him up to the mast of

In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is a noble hero even if he does make some mistakes. Like all humans, Odysseus makes mistakes constantly. There is not one person in the whole entire world that does not make any errors. However, even though people make blunders, many do not want to learn or grow on them. They let their slips stop them and they do not overcome them. Conversely, Odysseus perseveres through his struggles and does not have his mistakes stop him from achieving his goals. He learns and overcomes his missteps, which makes him successful. During his times of struggle, Odysseus becomes a noble hero by being brave, using his wisdom, and caring for his followers.

Throughout the text of The Odyssey, Odysseus is fixated into several situations, where he is forced to choose between his crew, and himself. When in these situations, Odysseus almost always chooses himself. Odysseus is proven disloyal throughout the book because of his selfishness and greed. Odysseus decided to return to Ithaca, not to save the townspeople, but to win back Penelope from the suitors, and reclaim his title as king. He often thinks very highly of himself, mostly because he is favored by many gods. All of these things prove that Odysseus is a disloyal king, and for the most part, very self-conceited.

Odysseus in The Odyssey displays a strong sense of loyalty and perseverance, maintaining these strong moral characteristics despite the suffering he endures throughout his journey to return home. After being absent for twenty years, held in the city of Troy as “Helios, the Sun God, took away the day of his homecoming” (27), “that very year came in which the gods had spun for him his time of homecoming” (27) and Odysseus is faced with the task of returning to his home in Ithaka. However, this challenge is not an easy one and Odysseus must use strength, determination, and courage in order to make a successful return, keeping that perseverance upon his return.

As the story continued Odysseus` shows his hubris even

By the actions of his subordinates, Odysseus receives a first-hand experience of Zeus’ rage as not only was his entire crew murdered, but he also drifts further away from the now seemingly impossible destination of Ithaca. Stretching back to his shipmates opening Aeolus’ bag of winds and getting transformed into lowly animals on Circe’s island, Odysseus should have learned not to trust his companions much earlier in his odyssey; it is no coincidence that once he is rid of all companions, he finally makes it back to Ithaca. Through this episode, Homer teaches us how some lessons we learn are not from our own mistakes, but

Although he loses some men, he still manages to escape and he and his crew end up in the land with the lotus eaters. Here Odysseus’s men are given lotus fruits to eat which puts them in some kind of trance. The men have no desire to leave or do anything because all they want to do is eat the fruit. Again, Odysseus

Homer's Odyssey is a story of the homecoming of Odysseus after the Trojan War.  Odysseus left his wife, Penelope, and their young son, Telemachos, almost twenty years before the telling of this story to fight in the Trojan War.  His absence places Penelope in a rather precarious position.  Faced with many different circumstances, both good and bad, Penelope is on her own to decide the path she wishes to take.  Depending on her decisions, the situations could either be filled with wonderful opportunities or perilous dangers. The strong character of Penelope is revealed by her decisions.

Homer's epic tale The Odyssey is a story of the triumphs and downfalls that are in store for one warrior's long pillage home.  Odysseus, the hero from the Trojan wars, has led his people of Ithaca and other Achaean soldiers to victory and now wishes to return home to his wife and family of Ithaca.  Through his twenty year journey Odysseus is often tested not only of his physical strength, but his wits as well.  The many accomplishments he achieved earned him great status and recognition throughout ancient Greece.  The mistakes he made caused the deaths of many men.  Consequently, we as readers are able to see the many personas that Odysseus carries with him.