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Odysseus : The Most Admirable Hero In The Epic's The Odyssey

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The epic, The Odyssey, centers around Odysseus, whose disposition can be controversial. Like all heroes, Odysseus displays both positive and negative characteristics, which determine whether he is a admirable figure or not. In my opinion, the parts of his character that are commendable outweigh his lesser qualities, making him an honorable role in the poem. Odysseus’s three main favorable attributes are his cleverness, his determination, and his leadership. One of Odysseus’s most well known traits is his ability to use his wits to conquer challenges that stand in the way of him and Ithaca. Out of the many examples strewn in the epic, the tale of the Cyclops is the most obvious situation that clearly depicts the main character’s sharpness. In this scene, Odysseus and his men are trapped and must escape the Cyclops, Polyphemus. After they have already struck Polyphemus in the eye, ruining his vision, the men tie themselves to the underbelly of the rams in order to sneak out when the animals are sent to the pasture. In the text it states, “Blinded, and sick with pain from his head wound, the master stoked each ram, then let it pass, but my men riding on the pectoral fleece the giant’s blind hands blundering never found.” This excerpt conveys that Odysseus’s astute plan worked efficiently because none of his crew was noticed by Polyphemus. Odysseus was able to flee the Cyclops, which is respectable considering he used his brains rather than brawn.
In addition to intelligence,
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