Odysseus: Man of Many Traits
, the ruler of the island kingdom of Ithaca, was known by all for his cleverness and cunning, but what I noticed throughout my readings of Odysseus is that he is also shows some weaknesses at times. I will discuss examples of each of these prevalent traits throughout this essay. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus is driven to many wanderings during which he sees many wonders and endures many sufferings. Part of Homer’s theme in The Odyssey is the vicissitudes that have promoted Odysseus’s various character traits.
He can be clever, as seen when he tricks Polyphemus by calling himself “nobody”. .. “So, you ask me the name I’m known by, Cyclops? / I will tell you. But you must give me a guest-gift / as you’ve promised. Nobody-that’s my name. Nobody- / so my mother and father call me, all my friends. ” (9. 408-412) When Polyphemus is moaning and calling to his friends that he has been injured, they come running to his cave. They ask their fellow Cyclops what has happened and when he replies that he has been harmed by “nobody”, he receives no sympathy or help.
He also is very clever when faced with the obstacle of the Sirens. Because he knows how dangerous it is to hear the song of the Sirens, he uses wax to plug the ears of his men, and leaves his own free to hear. He has his men tie him down tight to the ship and they manage to, yet again, escape the danger courtesy of Odysseus’ clever mind, and navigate to safety. Though Odysseus may not always have a handle on his pride and gloat, he is quite able to handle mind-over-matter situations like the one he is faced with on Helios’ island.
When they come to the island, Odysseus demands that his crew will not eat the sacred livestock. Though they are trapped on the island for so long that their food supply dwindles and they begin to starve, Odysseus keeps his word and though he is slowly starving while surrounded by luscious herds, he never gives into the temptation of killing and eating the cattle. I find that to be an extremely strong and valued attribute, being able to resist temptation. Odysseus can be deceitful, as seen when he disguises himself as a beggar in Ithaca.
He was warned by Agamemnon that he should no longer trust Penelope, and in turn he disguises himself in order to be able to spy on the suitors, and even on his own wife to understand the situation he is returning to after so many years. He learns who is still loyal to him, and how to deal with those who are not. The information he gains as a beggar in his own kingdom, helps him to formulate revenge without being detected. He possesses enduring strength, and continues to carry on, as seen in his refusal to give up during any of the struggles he is faced with on his journey back to his home island.
Odysseus also displayed the strength of a hero through his epic journey. He was an indomitable man who was incapable of being subdued or overcome, and possessed great amounts of physical strength. Most men would give in to the exhaustion of twenty years of obstacles, but not Odysseus. When sailing away from Calypso’s island, he learned Poseidon would destroy his raft, so he swam “…adrift on the heaving swells two nights, two days- / quite lost…” (5. 429-430. ), an act that would have caused a lesser man to perish.
Odysseus also displays his heroic strength when he returns to Ithaca. Upon arriving home and finding over a hundred suitors trying to steal his wife, he took his revenge. With the help of his son, he killed all the men, despite the fact that he was greatly outnumbered. The cleverness, deceitfulness, and enduring strength combine to help Odysseus survive throughout the tale. Odysseus also has an eye for wealth and adventure, traits that are common to all Greek heroes.
He eagerly welcomes the gifts that the Phaeacians present him with unconcealed pleasure and enthusiasm; he is also pleased to see Penelope trick her suitors into presenting her with gifts. Just as Odysseus welcomes riches with wide arms, he also very often seeks out adventure. For example, he chooses to go to Polythemus’ cave though he knows nothing of what may be inside and it proves to be a very dangerous decision. If we actually think about how things first began, it is a search for glory and riches that causes Odysseus to ever leave home to start with.
Though he is a great hero, Odysseus exhibits many weaknesses during his journey home to Ithaca. Homer was easily able to integrate these weaknesses because all humans can relate to his problems and can learn from what Odysseus had to go through. We relate to the fact that no matter how strong and cunning and brave this hero may be, nobody is perfect. Odysseus’ excessive pride and overconfidence get him into trouble with the gods, Zeus and Poseidon. His impulsive ways get him into trouble with the Cyclops, Polythemus.
He humiliates the Cyclops without thinking about the consequences. Odysseus calls from the boat to Polythemus, “So, Cyclops, no weak coward it was whose crew / you bent to devour there in your vaulted cave- / you with your brute force! Your filthy crimes / came down on your own head, you shameless cannibal, / daring to eat your guests in your own house- / so Zeus and the other gods have paid you back! ” (9. 531-536. ) His taunts anger the Cyclops so much that he hurls rock toward the voice and nearly sends the group of men to their death.
Though the taunting has obviously proved to be a bad idea, and though his crew has begged him not to say another word, Odysseus must have the last word. He continues, “Cyclops- / if any man on the face of the eart should ask you / who blinded you, shamed you so-say Odysseus, / raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, / Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca! ” (9. 558-562. ) This was a very dangerous bit of information to give out to Polythemus, who is the son of Poseidon. He did not think ahead as to what dangers Poseidon could throw at him throughout the rest of his journey.
We should all learn from Odysseus’ mistake and think before we speak. We should overcome our impulsive ways and think of the consequences of our actions before we act so that we may avoid further problems which will divert us away from our life’s journey. Odysseus’ pride and confidence also get him into trouble with the god, Zeus. From the beginning only Poseidon had hated Odysseus, but as the story progresses, Odysseus angers not only Poseidon but also Zeus. The gods made his journey treacherous throughout the sea.
They constantly pushed him away from Ithaca in order to make his trek that much longer and more difficult. We should learn to keep our confidence and pride in ourselves at a level to where we do not get distracted from our main objectives. Odysseus is able to overcome all of his weaknesses by receiving help from others around him. As we read his story and bond with this character, we learn from his mistakes and find ways to use his lessons for ourselves. We should learn to keep ourselves on task and to avoid life’s distractions from our main goal like Odysseus had done.
He was distracted much longer than we ever would be, but was still always able to remember that his main destination was to successfully journey home to Ithaca. Odysseus’ weakness gets him into trouble multiple times. However, every weakness that appeared, he was able to overcome and eventually reach Ithaca. Through bravery, intelligence, and strength Odysseus fits the definition of an epic hero. He is able to accomplish all the things he did and make his way home to his wife, Penelope, with the help of his guardian Athena.
This is what often times defines . On the other hand, Odysseus’ character is different than many epic heroes. It is apparent that what matters most to him is not the heroic praise and reputation, but life in itself. He didn’t put great worry into what others would think of him later on; he focused on the fact that he wanted him and his men to get through every situation alive. And because of this, he did in fact make it through his journey successfully.?
