FREE ESSAY ON ODYSSEUS CHARACTER ANALYSIS

ODYSSEUS CHARACTER ANALYSIS

The Odyssey is an epic poem, which revolves around Odysseus and his journey home from the
war at Troy. Throughout his travels he is met with many obstacles and adventures. There
are times when he thinks he will never make it home. But through perseverance, faith,
maturation and heroics, he manages to survive and reach his homeland of Ithaca as a
changed man.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus, the main character must journey from Troy to his homeland of
Ithaca. Throughout this journey he learns many lessons, faces obstacles testing his
physical and mental strength and grows from an arrogant, self-centered hero into a
humble, respectful survivor. With the help of the Gods he is finally able to return to
Ithaca as an honorable man.
In Book VI of the Odyssey, Odysseus wakes on the shore of Phaecia. The Goddess Athena has
sent the beautiful Nausicaa a dream instructing her to wash clothes in preparation for an
upcoming marriage. Athena makes Nausicaa brave and Odysseus handsome bringing them
together in order to assist Odysseus to the house of the king. In this particular book
the Gods assist Odysseus and he manages to come closer to getting home. Athena helps him
out over and over again in Book VI. Everything seems to be done to help Odysseus and so
he is lucky to have the Gods behind him. "but the grey-eyed Goddess Athena made her
tarry, so Odysseus might behold her beauty and win her guidance to the town" (175). Here
Odysseus is actually being led where he needs to go by Athena indirectly. All the places
with lush greenery and the resting-place of Odysseus has even been made by Athena. "The
sun was going down when they went by Athena's grove" (181). The manipulation by the Gods
appears to lead t a common goal, the survival of Odysseus and the assistance of getting
him home. The gods may not be able to stop fate but they help Odysseus learn to use their
guidance to his advantage for his survival. 
In Book VIII, King Alkinoos calls an assembly asking the Phaeacians to help Odysseus.
During this meeting there is competition to entertain Odysseus. After being insulted by
one of the Phaeacians, ""The reason being, as I see it, friend, you never learned a
sport, and have no skill in any of the contests of fighting men" (185). With that,
Odysseus throws a discus farther than anyone ever has. "Anyone else for an edge for
competition try me now" (186) This proves Odysseus has a problem with his pride. Although
this pride does help him throughout his journey, he uses it here as a vice to show others
his greatness. His arrogance really shows through here. By insulting his abilities,
Phaeacians insulted his manhood and he defended it to the highest degree.
In Book IX, Odysseus encounters the Kyklops and uses his cunningness and bravery to
escape. Here we see a new side of Odysseus. First he vividly narrates his love for his
home in this book. "I shall not see on earth a place more dear" (198). "Where shall a man
find sweetness to surpass his own home and his parents (198)? Odysseus seems able to
survive by using all his energy to find his way home. He uses this energy in his plot to
get away from the Kyklops. His plan is both brave and ingenious. He tells the Kyklops his
name is Nohbdy. Then after being blinded, Odysseus and his men are able to escape. The
Kyklops yells to his friends, "Nohbdy, Nohbdy tricked me, Nohbdy's ruined me" (207)! With
this, he gets no help and Odysseus is free. However again his pride gets the best of him
for as they are escaping he yells, "If ever a mortal man inquire how you were put to
shame and blinded, tell them Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye" (210). This again
proves to hurt Odysseus and makes his journey more difficult. His foolishness proves to
be a thorn in his side throughout The Odyssey. By revealing his name he sets himself up
for the angry God Poseidon.
In Book X, foolishness again causes Odysseus trouble. As his Odyssey seems almost over
and the men are close to Ithaca, a sack of wind given to Odysseus by Aeolus is unleashed.
This blows their ship all the way back to where they started. Odysseus then ends up with
Kirke, daughter of the Sun. Kirke turns all the crewmates into pigs and lures Odysseus
into her bed. Odysseus 's vice here seems to be his manhood as he ends up sleeping with
Kirke for one year until she promises to help him get home. "O Kirke now you must keep
your promise, it is time. Help me make sail for home" (224). Kirke tells Odysseus the
path to take home and so he is off for another adventure, surviving with the mere thought
of eventually returning to his distant home. "Homeward you think we must be sailing to
our own land; no, elsewhere is the voyage Kirke has laid upon" (227). 
Odysseus seems to be learning from his mistakes. His virtue is to understand his destiny,
fulfill it and eventually get where he needs to be. He learns that boasting can bring
people against him as was seen with the Kyklops. He is also using his ability to accept
help from the Gods to his advantage. In Book XI, Odysseus sails to the edge of the world
and he eventually encounters the blind sear who warns him about the dangers for his
journey home. " But anguish lies ahead; the God who thunders on the land prepares it, not
to be shaken from the track, implacable, in rancor for the son whose eye you blinded"
(230). He then visits with the dearly departed who cause him to flee to his ship in
anguish only with greater hopes of returning home. "I whirled then, made for the ship"
(246).
Odysseus uses his vices and virtues a survivor to overcome his obstacles and to make it
home. On his Odyssey, he receives help from the Gods but they also at times hinder his
progress. His arrogance at times works against him and his manhood almost destroys his
chances of seeing his homeland but through strength and the wisdom of experience, he
manages to make it. He must learn from these vices and virtues and for this he is able to
survive the journey.