Importance of Character in Homer's Odyssey Essay

The Odyssey is an epic about Ancient Greek culture written by Homer. This is one of the two major Greek poems. Odysseus is on a long journey back to Ithaca after the fall of Troy. The most valued life traits in an Ancient Greek culture is respect. Odysseus helps portray this by worshiping gods through the epic.

Odysseus was known for his many of his mental traits, but his most useful ones were his bravery cleverness, and wisdom. Without these helpful traits he probably would have died from the very beginning. Fortunately, he was granted with these traits so that he could come back to his kingdom of Ithaca to see his wife and son for the first time in twenty years and to also kill the suitors that tried to kill his son and take his wife, land, and possessions from him.

In the “Odyssey”, Odysseus goes through obstacles throughout the book that a normal man couldn’t subside. One example is in book 9, his main obstacle that he is trying to face is to escape from being held hostage in a cave by a Cyclops better known as Polyphemus. Odysseus is a archetypal hero, he is also a role model, with an ambition to get to his homeland Ithaca. He goes through resisting temptation and using his intellect and physical strength to get him there, no matter the obstacle nor the negative flaws that he faces. Odysseus put himself and his men in that situation by being curious and wanting to know what kind of land his ship and the winds led him to. This was selfish of him because it cost him some of his men, but a leader and hero has to play that role and some lives will be dealt with on the way. Odysseus says, “The rest of you will stay here while I go with my ship and crew on reconnaissance. I want to find out what those men are like, Wild savages with no sense of right or wrong Or hospitable folk who fear the gods” (Homer 429). Saying this quote alone makes Odysseus a humble man due to the fact that not even a piece of land is going to slow him down on his journey back home.

In Homer’s historic epic The Odyssey the protagonist, Odysseus, is venturing home to his native land of Ithaca. Throughout the story Odysseus is faced with many great challenges and is forced to make many decisions that will greatly affect his life and that of everyone around him. Each decision is crucial to his survival and his journey home. Homer portrays many patterns that are susceptible throughout the tale. One of the major themes that he portrays is that temptation can befall any man, even Odysseus. Many times throughout the story Odysseus and his men fall or are delayed due to the sweet temptations that the world offers them. These temptations do not end even after Odysseus

Gorgeous women, vengeful gods, helpful gods, numerous riches, ugly monsters, and a hero with his crew. The Odyssey of Homer, translated by Allen Mandelbaum, tells of the hero Odysseus' journey home from Troy. At his home in Ithaca, Odysseus' estate and wife, Penelope, have being overtaken by suitors. Odysseus' son, Telemachus, begins a journey to discover news of his father. After being away from home for numerous years, Odysseus' main goal is to reach home and regain his wife and estate. Along the way Odysseus learns many lessons about life as he grows from an immature lout to a humble, mature man.

Ancient Greece was full of mystery. They told of mystical, almost supernatural, heroes and monsters. One such story was told of a warrior named Odysseus. A king who ruled over the kingdom of Ithaca, but sadly left for war, leaving both his family, and his kingdom. Fighting for almost a decade, Odysseus set off on a long journey towards home. Through thick and thin, and through all of the bloodshed and fighting, he finally has a happy ending at home. At what cost though? His men, his ship, himself? Odysseus was put into the category of a hero, one of the many archetypes modern readers use to identify main characters and all other concepts in literature.   All heroes experience the fright and thrill of adventure in

The epic poem The Odyssey by the ancient Greek writer Homer takes us deep into the life of a man called Odysseus. As the reader gets to know Odysseus many sides of his character are exposed through the challenges he faces. Though he and his crew face danger and obstacles every step of the way Odysseus’s character hardly changes. The entire book Odysseus longs to see his wife but he is a good man and a courageous leader.

Odysseus is the main character in an epic poem called the Odyssey. In the poem Odysseus has had some bad luck getting home, with some of the gods helping him and some hindering him; his journey towards home is a constant struggle. In this poem we see a man being broke and rebuilt, through constant irony his faith was damaged and without the help of Athena he probably would have given up on his journey. Through his hard work and wise spirit he finally does achieve his goal.

Homer 's Odyssey chronicles the journey of the great Greek hero Odysseus and the setbacks he encountered on his way home from the Trojan war. Odysseus

In Homer’s poem, The Odyssey is a heroic hero named Odysseus who is trying to get home after the events of the Trojan War which lasted an entire decade. He battles mythical creatures and faces the rage of the gods. Odysseus meets the criteria of an epic hero because he surpasses Zeus’s punishment with having superior strength, defeats cyclops with intelligence, and braveness when facing Charybdis as well as Scylla.

The Odyssey by Homer is an Ancient Greek poem in which Odysseus is very clever, outgoing, fearless, while also very manipulative king. Although he's not a very good fighter, he does know how to get around and survive. He also has a lot of willpower. He committed acts of heroism in an effort to be admired by his people.

There was a man who was willing to risk his whole life through many difficult obstacles just to return to his family and home. Odysseus is his name and he is indeed a hard working man. During this long heroic journey, Odysseus traveled for a long time and has faced many common archetypes. This novel was during the Greek era where they idolized Xenia. The Greeks admired Xenia is where people have to respect and treat their house guests respectfully.

Of the three traits Odysseus most exhibits, bravery is one of the most prominent. A prime example of this bravery is the time when Odysseus tied himself to the mast of their ship. He did this to act as bait for the Sirens song while all of the other crew members had their ears plugged. This earned him the respect of not only his crew, but all who learned of this point in his journey. However, courage was not always the most practical feature of his personality. He almost got his crew killed not once, but TWICE while taunting the

Another trait that Odysseus demonstrates repeatedly throughout the story is his loyalty. In various situations he never gives up on his crew, even when he has reason to. During an episode in the epic, Odysseus travels to the underworld to receive a prophecy. He meets his great friend Elpenor, who has died earlier in Circe’s hall. Because he is unburied and unmourned he asks Odysseus to build a cairn in his honor. Odysseus replies, “Unhappy spirit, / I promise you the barrow and the burial.” (Homer, lines 609-610). Although Odysseus is preoccupied with finding Tiresias, he shows loyalty to his crew mate by spending time with his spirit, and carrying out the spirit’s request. It could have been easy for Odysseus to ignore the spirit of Elpenor, but Odysseus shows a real emotional reply to this meeting. Not only does he show loyalty to his crew but his homeland as well. Although he could have given up during the ten year span Odysseus wandered from home, he persisted even though giving up would have been easier. At one point Odysseus is detained by the enchantress, Circe, but remains determined to reach home:

Throughout vast journeys of many heroes, no other hero had a more complex journey than Odysseus. This journey is called The Odyssey, written by Homer. It is an epic poem or story told of a hero name Odysseus on a 20-year voyage trying to get back home from the Trojan War. The great epic poem known as The Odyssey and attributed to Homer was probably first written down around the eighth century BC, but the origins of the ancient story in myth, legend, and folklore and art appear to be much older. Greek Epic Hero When you think about Greek Epic heroes, Odysseus will most likely come to mind. Odysseus is the main character in Homer's poem "The Odyssey." "The Odyssey" is a narrative poem that describes Odysseus' adventures