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Heroes are characterized by their intelligence and resourcefulness, strength, bravery, and loyalty. Based on this description, Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, is a hero. In the section “The Cyclops”, Odysseus represents these five characteristics in many forms. His bravery is shown when he approached the Cyclops, Polyphemus, while trapped in his cave, to yell about not obeying the gods’ rule of treating guests well, as he was not, to Odysseus and his men. A portion of what he told Polyphemus was, “We would entreat you, great sir, have a care for the gods’ courtesy; Zeus will avenge the unoffending guest.” While hollering at him, Odysseus was very much in danger of being eaten alive, being so close and yelling at…
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Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” In the book, The Odyssey, written by Homer, we follow a mortal named Odysseus through his journey home to Ithaca. Odysseus faces many obstacles along his way and the way he chooses to combat them may make him appear a hero. Despite his obvious heroic qualities, Odysseus is not the hero you once thought.…
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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.…
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Odysseus is very prideful when it comes to his family and his battles. Odysseus and his men blind Polythemus the cyclopes and escpae safetly onto the boats. When Odysseus escapes Polythemus he becomes very proud and yells out that he his Odysseus. Odysseus shows his after deceiving Polythemus by telling him his name is nobody. Further on in Odysseus’s journey he encounters the Sirens. Odysseus puts wax in the ears of his men to save them from falling into the trap of the Sirens. Odysseus…
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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,…
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A mistake Odysseus makes while on Polyphemus’ island would be his excessive pride getting out of control. Despite Odysseus’ crew’s protests, he taunts Polyphemus and adds, “Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca!”(Homer 1222), revealing everything about himself for the cyclops to pray to Poseidon to curse his journey. Odysseus’ trip would’ve been a lot easier if he hadn’t made Polyphemus angry with his taunting. He only would have been punished for stabbing his eye. Poseidon is definitely going to listen to polyphemus request and odysseus made it easier for the god to track him down.…
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The external conflicts that Odysseus overcomes show that he is highly courageous. For example, the episode with the Cyclops proves he is clever because he tricked Polyphemus into thinking that his men were sheep. Another example of Odysseus' braveness was his encounter with the suitors. He was very strong and confident which caused him to fight the hundreds of suitors and win even though it was only he and his son against…
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Odysseus Survives the encounter with the mighty Cyclops using his wit, not his physical strength. In the Cyclops, Odysseus reveals his cleverness and cunningness by telling Polyphemus that his name is Nobody, this prevents the Cyclops from ever gaining aid when Odysseus blinds him.…
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Odysseus’ cunning is what saves him from death multiple times. One case in which Odysseus uses his cunning to save his life is when he meets Polyphemus. After Odysseus gives gifts Polyphemus asks for his name, and he says “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy.” (Homer 380). In this situation, Odysseus uses his cunning to evade the possibility of other cyclops helping Polyphemus and to deceive Polyphemus so he can not get cursed. Another way, Odysseus uses his cunning to survive is when he comes home from Ithaca. After he tricks everyone into thinking he is an old beggar and completes Penelope’s challenge, “He drew to his fist the cruel head of an arrow…
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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…
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Odysseus faces many conflicts throughout the story. He first leaves his family for 10 years and struggles with temptations by Circe. He was “beguiled by Circe” ,writes Homer, and he had to figure out a way to rescue his men. He also has to decipher a way to get past the sirens who try to inveigle them to jump overboard. It was not an easy task, but they survived through the tribulations they faced and had a great story to tell when they made it home.…
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In every story there is a hero who at first seems useless and plays the role of the "victim" but he finds the way to become the "creator" and play that role really well. Odysseus plays the role of the creator very well in the odyssey. By creating instantaneous lies when encounters with people that question him or he gets in trouble. Odysseus is a creator in the Odyssey by getting his men out of rough situation and as his journey back to Ithaca become more challenging he find the courage and inner guide to get himself back home.…
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Odysseus relies on his mind more than he does his strength. He is smart enough to know that he cannot overpower Polyphemus when trapped in his cave so Odysseus uses his stupidity against him. Odysseus outwitted him by calling out "Nobody is my name. My father and mother call me Nobody, as do all the others who are my companions" (), Polyphemus takes the bait thus allowing Odysseus to blind him. Odysseus also uses his craftiness by disguising himself and creating a plan to end up with the suitors locked in a room with him so he can kill them one by one. If Odysseus wasn’t clever he would not have been able to accomplish all that he has.…
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Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus often shows a very weak side of himself. Not physically weak but emotionally weak, thus Odysseus is always caught in the corner weeping. Calypso was the first to admit “Off he sat off a headland weeping there as always” (Homer 155) which shows he is over dramatic considering the fact that Calypso says he is weeping, as always. Since this is a normal thing for Odysseus, another example of this is when he “buried his handsome face, ashamed his hosts might see him shedding tears” (Homer 195). Not only is Odysseus often caught in the corner crying but he always seems ashamed of himself. He knows when he shows signs of weakness and he doesn’t want his men to think of him as anything less than the powerful man he is.…
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“Have we never been in danger before this?/ More fearsome, is it now, than when the cyclops penned us in his cave? What power he had!/ Did I not keep my nerve, and use my wits to find a way out for us?” (Homer 526). This long narrative poem is written about Odysseus and it clearly displays the adventures of a hero, not a fool as he faces against great odds. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is a hero because of his strength, intelligence and loyalty.…
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