The definition of trait is “a distinguishing quality, as of personal character” according to Merriam-Webster. On Ithaca, the protagonist of the Odyssey, Odysseus, was the King who served alongside his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. Then, a herald came and told him that he had been drafted for the Trojan War which lasted ten years between the Achaeans(Greeks) and Spartans. The hero, Odysseus, went on an epic journey, stemming from the Trojan war and then getting home to Ithaca. On his journey from Troy, Odysseus and his men faced many trials in which he and his men show many moments of loyalty and strength that help them continue. Throughout the journey, Odysseus was shown support from Athena, and Poseidon held a grudge against him for blinding his son, the cyclops Polyphemus. In the Epic Poem The Odyssey, Homer provides Odysseus with many valuable personality traits which make his quest to home obtainable, such as persistence, intelligence, strength, and loyalty.
Throughout the Epic, Homer shows how persistent Odysseus is by showing the hero’s
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Odysseus had trials such as Calypso, testing his loyalty, trying to make him forget about his home and his family. His men letting Aeolus’ winds go tested his persistence by giving him sight of land, and then his trusted crew crushing the hope of getting home. Chopping down twenty trees before stopping is a good example of how Odysseus’ strength aided him getting home, for without it, he would have never been able to build a boat and start his journey. Odysseus’ intelligence was tested when crossing the strait with Skylla, when he had to choose between telling his crew about the toll of six men and risk mutiny, or not telling his men then feeling completely guilty for what happens. Without these valued traits, Odysseus couldn’t have journey so far for so
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.
He has loyalty, bravery, and courage. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is very loyal toward his men and will protect or rescue them if necessary. He’s brave and courageous when it comes to fighting and won’t hesitate to act. He’s also very clever. For example, Odysseus outwitted the Cyclops, Polyphemus, by giving a false name to disguise his identity. Amid all these qualities, there are still kinks in Odysseus’s character. His pride becomes evident after his confrontation with the Cyclops, where, after a narrow escape, he wished to bother Polyphemus again. His men had to plead to him, saying, “Godsake, Captain! Why bait the beast again? Let him alone!” Odysseus also struggles with selfish actions. For example, he feasts with Circe instead of rescuing his men first. The temptations got the better of him and in turn led him down the wrong
Odysseus embodies the traditional traits of an Epic Hero in many ways. He is intelligent, cunning, confident, loyal, brave, and able to escape many deadly situations. In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus exemplifies these traits in his quest to return home to Ithaca. Throughout his journey from Troy, Odysseus uses what may be his greatest strength, his intelligence, to outwit his enemies and continue on his quest back to Ithaca. An example of Odysseus' intelligence and cunning comes when Odysseus and his crew are trapped in a cave with Polyphemus, a flesh-eating Cyclops.
“Heroes are made by the paths they choose not the powers they are graced with,” - Brodi Ashton. In the Odyssey --The Epic Hero is written by Homer, represents one does not have to obtain powers to be a hero. Odysseus reflects the heroic traits of the Greek culture because he is brave, an effective leader, a skilled warrior and is of high birth.
There are many themes in the Odyssey that are very important to the time period it was written in. Bravery, pride, and loyalty were the most popular in all of Greek Stories told in this time period. Achilles showed all of these things and so did Odysseus. Odysseus showed bravery because he left his child and wife to go fight and defeat the Trojans. As he is on the boat he says to himself how he can fight alone without the Greek goddess Athena. He shows his bravery because he wants to take on the fight alone. Bravery also comes into play when Poseidon tries to make his journey difficult back home to his family. “All the gods pitied him, except Poseidon” (Homer 291). This shows how all the gods wanted the best for him expect Poseidon. With him doing this Odysseus shows his bravery by continuing with the journey. Odysseus shows his bravery at when he is stranded in the ocean but uses his “strong hands to cling to the rocks until the skin was ripped off” (Homer 354). Odysseus is brave and swims to shore while his hand are being cut open.
In The Odyssey written by Homer the main protagonist, Odysseus, learns many things about himself on his journey back home and reveals the truth that mankind can be easily manipulated by someone who seems more powerful and or intimidating. Odysseus has a troubling time getting back home to his wife and kingdom when the god of the sea, Poseidon, does almost everything in his power to stop him from doing so. Along Odysseus’s journey he has to face many obstacles and he learns to display three main traits of bravery, wittiness and perseverance which he uses to get home safely and avoid the dangers of threatening people and or things that get in the way. Odysseus proves himself to be full of bravery, which he exhibits during a fight with a cyclops:
Homer portrays Odysseus as courageous and intelligent, with obstacles throughout the epic poem to paint Odysseus as a hero. Homer demonstrates Odysseus’s bravery with the use of the events of the epic to
In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus is viewed as a brave and admirable character. After a disagreement with the Gods, they passed the outcome down to the mortals, leading to a war, where the wise warrior Odysseus wins. Making his way home and maddening a Cyclops, he curses Odysseus and his men for many years to go home. Which then Odysseus displays many moments of being selfish, self-centered, and all high and mighty. But he also shows moments of heroism, faithfulness, and bravery.
In the epic poem, the Odyssey, by Homer Odysseus experiences many amazing events before arriving at home in Ithaka. I believe that the experiences that he has had on his long journey and his personality will not allow Odysseus to be at peace in his homeland. Odysseus has been away from home for about twenty years. He has experienced many trials and adventures on his prolonged journey home. I believe that Odysseus will not be at peace in his homeland because he has been a warrior since an early age, he is not patient, and most importantly, he has a very curious mind.
In The Odyssey Odysseus stands up for his men who are traveling to war with him when Athena accuses them of not displaying much talent. It would be difficult for Odysseus to stand up for his men while talking to a goddess. However, he handles himself very wisely explaining to Athena the positive qualities in each of his men. In The Odyssey after Poseidon grows angry with Odysseus telling him he will suffer, it only makes Odysseus determination in himself increase. A hero is one who never gives up, so one major character traits they should obtain is determination Although Odysseus is beaten down by the god of the sea it does not decrease his determination. During the journey back from the war in The Odyssey after Poseidon has warned Odysseus that he will not make it home Odysseus not only works well with his men, but also is very self reliant. Self reliance is a huge part of becoming a hero because you have to be prepared at all times if something was to happen to your acquaintances, you need to have the confidence to fulfil your goal.
The Odyssey is a very famous play in which the main character is named Odysseus. This main character shows many different traits throughout this acclaimed poem. Some traits exhibited by Odysseus would be intelligence, respect for the gods, and loyalty to home and family. Odysseus is a king and war hero who is put through many challenges in order to get home, yet somehow he remains intelligent, respectful, and loyal, that is a hard task but it makes sense that Odysseus is who he is considering this is an epic poem written by Homer. Intelligence is a common trait shown throughout this epic poem.
In Allen Mandelbaum’s The Odyssey of Homer and Prentice Hall Literature Odysseus reveals his two strong points, loyalty and cleverness, making him an epic hero. Odysseus's loyalty was a major strength and an important aspect of his journey home to Ithaca. For example, when Odysseus went to the Underworld, following Circe's instructions to meet Tiresias, he sees his mother's ghost and says “seeing this ghost I grieved
Intelligence and cleverness are some of the best features an individual could have due to that they are used in everyday life. In the Epic “The Odyssey” the author , Homer illustrates how certain character traits can react to the conflict and the all around message. Odysseus portrays an epic hero with his will to live , cunningness , and leadership , which gives The Odyssey more action and adventure. Odysseus’s unique strengths and abilities help him to get through bad positions and conflicts . Calypso the nymph wants Odysseus to stay with her and get immortality .
Odysseus, king of Ithaca, was probably on of the greatest warriors in the history of Ancient Greece. It is said that the poet, Homer, wrote the story of the Odyssey. In this story, Odysseus and his crew are trying to make their voyage back home to Ithaca after they have fought with the Trojans. During the long journey, Odysseus will show some of his character traits which include his bravery, cleverness, and wisdom that will assist him with the situations he encounters on his journey home.
One of the biggest traits Odysseus shows throughout the story is his bravery. The whole story Odysseus shows his courage. Taking every mission knowing there could be death; Odysseus still did not give up. Odysseus did whatever it took to make back to Ithaca for his wife and son. Odysseus showed courage by outsmarting the Cyclops. Odysseus went to the land of the dead just to bury a dead shipmate with no fear. But Odysseus showed his every bit of bravery when planning and fighting against the suitors. Odysseus set up plans to kill all the suitors with only 3 people with him. Odysseus refused to back down from the suitors so when the time came he was prepared. When all the suitors were killed Odysseus and his family had finally reunited. After 20 years of Odysseus bravery had all paid off. That’s why I think Odysseus shows he has lots of bravery throughout the story.