Preview

Examples Of Courage In Odysseus

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
The Courage of Odysseus
Throughout Homer's account of his return from Troy to Ithaca, Odysseus demonstrates courage and persistence as he strives to journey home. For example when he had no choice but to believe what Cadmus was telling him, Cadmus she is the daughter of Ino who was once human “Now do as I say- you’re in no position to refuse: Take off those clothes and abandon your raft to the winds will” (5.345-355). Odysseus was really courages to listen to Cadmus and to trust her word that he will not be drowned by abandoning his raft. He also went up against Poseidon and got into the raft and tried to get home. Another example of Odysseus’s determination is when his good friend Menelaus told a story of how Odysseus did something very brave


You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    The second example where Odysseus shows bravery is when he had to be tied to a chair to resist the song of the sirens. He showed bravery because he again, put his men before himself and remained loyal to the ship. No one could resist the song but luckily, he was strong enough…

    • 305 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus and I demonstrate bravery in various ways. The first way Odysseus demonstrates bravery was when he wasn’t scared to approach the Cyclops to give him some wine. Odysseus said, “Cyclops, try some wine. Here’s liquor to wash down your scraps of men” (904). This shows bravery, because Cyclops could of had Odysseus as a snack but Odysseus thought of a different way and gave the Cyclops some wine to make Cyclops drunk. Although Odysseus gave Cyclops wine, he also managed to poke his eye out. He “ bored that great eye socket while blood ran out around the read hot bar” (906). This shows courageous because Odysseus did poke Cyclops eye out. While he was drunk and asleep. Odysseus was courages that he yelled back to the cyclops to tell him…

    • 172 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    This movie is about adventure from the difference places; braveries, romance and pride of king Odysseus. I see that the movie was indeed in culture and interesting action to fights the problems that he gives from goddess. I can say that Odysseus is a very strong man because even though there are lots of straggled that came’s his life. He is still strong and able to face off it. Odysseus fights against the Trojan he guiding by Athena one of the goddesses. Odysseus didn’t care about anything she said because he said belonged at her home with his wife and he went through many battles to win on his journey to back home.…

    • 165 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus was definitely courageous in The Odyssey. Odysseus’ actions are important because they demonstrate how a small act that is spur of the moment can save many people’s lives. For an act to be courageous, it must require extreme danger to the individual. Defeating Polyphemus was definitely dangerous…

    • 1344 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus, the hero of The Odyssey, has found himself in many interesting, as well as dangerous, predicaments. Although these predicaments were extremely challenging, Odysseus always found a way to survive. His survival depended on his mind and body combined. Without this important balance of thought and strength, it is obvious that Odysseus would not have made it home safely, or he may have not even made it home at all. Throughout The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus showed amazing personal qualities that enabled him to survive his adventures.…

    • 578 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Adventures of the Odyssey The Odyssey, written by Homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald, shows the true bravery of Odysseus and his men throughout the whole book. Filled with many adventures, some that are more know were Odysseus’ interactions with the Lotus Eaters, Kyklops, and Seirenes . Through these adventures, he shows a positive and negative trait. When Odysseus and his men met the Lotus Eaters, they were all hungry for their mid-day meal.…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Odysseus encounters many trials on his grand journey homeward, and these trials teach him many valuable lessons. Polyphemus, pride. One of the first lessons Odysseus learns comes from Polyphemus. After outsmarting Polyphemus, Odysseus and his men are sailing away from the island. Odysseus then decides to boast to Polyphemus, saying “if any man on the face of the earth should ask you/ who blinded you, shamed you so- say Odysseus” (Homer IX 559-60). Consequently, Polyphemus curses Odysseus, praying to Poseidon to avenge him. This encounter shows Odysseus that pride can destroy even the strongest man. Another trial Odysseus learns by comes from Circe. On Circe's Island, Odysseus must be cautious and cunning to survive. After he has overcome her,…

    • 151 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Someone who protects or saves someone. This book is about the odyssey by Homer. The character is named Odysseus is on a journey to get back home to ithaca. The main character is Odysseus he goes on a journey and has been gone for twelve years. He is trying to get back home to Ithaca, but has to go through all of these hardships and challenges. Through the character Odysseus, Homer shows that in order to be a hero one must have, Honor, Courage, Loyalty, Hospitality. When Odysseus shows courage. Odysseus shows courage by fighting the monster Scylla with his…

    • 101 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Odysseus Braveness

    • 325 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In Homer's epic poem, "The Odyssey," the protagonist, Odysseus, has spent ten years fighting in the Trojan War. Due to the gods' anger against Odysseus, he is destined to have a very long and difficult journey home. Odysseus proves to be brave because he overcomes both external and internal conflicts on this long journey home.…

    • 325 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus was a leader who would sacrifice anything for his crew just like when he put the spike into the cyclops eye as it said "Just so that his eyeball hissed around the spike." (P.768). Which explained his courageous act against the cyclops. There was other signs of courage for example, when he sacrificed himself for the crews safety agains the Sirens "They tied me up, plumb amidship, back to the mast." (P.784). Which is another sign of courage and shows how much of a hero Odysseus really is.…

    • 470 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Leadership In The Odyssey

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Similar to most Homeric heroes, Odysseus wants to obtain glory and recognition for his courageous deeds. Though he would often take it too far and become arrogant, confidence is hugely important in leadership. At certain times, however, he would pompously ignore someone’s advice or act how he wanted, regardless of the consequences of his choices. The best example of this is when he intentionally hollered back to the Cyclops who he was as he was leaving. The result of this is that he brought calamity on himself as well as his men due to the relationship that Poseidon and the Cyclops had. However, once he reaches Ithaca, the way he bides his time and disguises himself as a beggar shows how he has developed and changed. Instead, he could have simply rushed home and declared himself before the extremely hostile suitors (“change”). “He is not the same glory-hungry individual who often committed rash and rather vacuous actions in order to gain kudos(“change”).” More recently, the texts have proved that Odysseus has come a long way, learned a lot from past mistakes, and developed accordingly during the route of these…

    • 575 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus is courageous because he protects his men and never backs down from a fight. When Odysseus and his men get captured by the Sirens, he wants to protect his men from the sirens enchanting voices. To do this he, “...carried wax along the line, and laid it thick on their ears”, effectively plugging…

    • 980 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    To start, Odysseus was developed with standard Greek heroic traits. First, Odysseus was courageous in the face of opposition, as shown by his encounter with Charybdis and Scylla. The protagonist of The Odyssey commanded his crew to row onwards in the face of the monsters, showing his courage. He was also intelligent, as he devised a plan to escape the wrath of Polyphemus. Odysseus made the Cyclops drunk with his liquor before blinding him and allowing his crew to escape on the underside of the sheep of the island. Finally, the main hero of the story was perseverant, as illustrated when he left Ogygia, battled Poseidon’s storms, and made it to King Alcinous’s island.…

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In The Odyssey, BRAVERY is seen as an important trait to the Greeks because if you are brave, you can overcome any obstacle, and you are also viewed powerful by others. Odysseus has been through a lot of intense situations during his voyages, which required tremendous amounts of bravery, and that’s just what he brought. For example, when…

    • 455 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Odysseus has portrayed courage through being persistent in every situation, especially when being stuck within Polyphemus’ cave in Book Nine. In order to escape the grasp of Polyphemus, Odysseus had to face the cyclops by stabbing its eye. Homer describes the moment of defensive attack, writing in Odysseus’ point of view, saying, “I drew it from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand, lugging it near the Kyklops as more than natural force nerved them; straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye, and I leaned on it turning it as a shipwright turns a drill in planking, having men below to swing the two-handled staff that spins it in the groove,” (Homer, 412-419). Odysseus has been shown to pertain the qualitative trait of bravery and courage because he did not go against any mere foe, he went against a cannibalistic monstrous giant that had more physical strength than all of his men combined. Instead of running away in fear, Odysseus thought about him and his men’s live, strengthening his mental and physical ability in order to face Polyphemus, the cyclops that can easily break him in two. Odysseus’ bravery in defeating Polyphemus has attributed to him the portrayal of a hero, for he was able to save not only himself, but his men that have survived alongside…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays