Odysseus Characteristics

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The Odyssey While with the Phaeacians, Odysseus relates his trials and tribulations since the fall of Troy. However, when he arrives in Phaeacia, he arrives alone; all of his men have died. He has had a violent and gruesome journey home. Despite this loss, however, his effectiveness as a leader is evident. He is powerful, clever, and determined in everything he does. Odysseus shows his cunning throughout his various adventures. One example is the way he escapes from the cave of the Kyklops. When asked his name, he deludes the kyklops into believing his name is “Nohbdy”, This way, when the kyklops cries out for help, the others hear that “Nobody’s tricked [him],” and walk away (Homer.157). In order to leave the cave, Odysseus has to again prove how astute he is. He decides to tie his men to the bottoms of the Kyklops’ rams so that in the morning, when the Kyklops opens the door, he and his men all escape undetected. In other accounts, Odysseus’ intellect gets him out of trouble. For instance, when faced with the decision of sailing past Skylla the six headed monster or…show more content…
For years, he is bound by the nymph Kalypso on her island. He will not accept her offers of immortality to be “her heart’s delight” (Homer.146). No matter how long it takes, he will wait until she releases him and he may return back to his family. Odysseus traverses far and wide, contending with monsters, jeopardizing his own life, “harried for years on end”, all so that he can return home (Homer.1). In another account, on Kirke’s island, Odysseus refuses to leave his men behind and is steadfast on getting them out of the mansion. After losing his entire crew and all of his ships, he escapes his doom by grabbing a nearby fig branch and hanging from it for an extended amount of time. These actions prove that despite the odds, Odysseus is determined to get back to
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