Examples Of Courage In The Odyssey

Since the cyclops’ vision is impaired, Odysseus “tied them silently together, twining/cords of willow from the ogre’s bed/then slung a man under each middle one/to ride there safely, shielded left and right/So three sheep could convey each man” (Homer 500). Odysseus possess the trait of cleverness which is demonstrated through his quick thinking and by only using using the resources available to free his men from Polyphemus’ grasp. He is a man to be revered because he uses his cunning skills to help others reach safety. Odysseus is also the last man to exit the cave because he puts their lives before his. He is also willing to take the responsibility and consequences of their actions. For example, if the cyclops were to notice him he would force his men escape and leave him behind to be devoured. Odysseus is a hero, for his willingness to put his companions’ lives before his own and use of his wits to save those around him.

Odysseus shows courage because he helped his crew get away from the blinded cyclops by tying them under the cyclops’ sheep and he warned his men not to eat the Lotus leaves, so they would not lose their memory and not want to return home.

Another quality of being a hero is, having courage; and Odysseus clearly conveyed this during his journey. In order to be courageous, the hero has to be fearless, meaning he has to act confident about his actions. This applies to Odysseus and the deities. If Odysseus were to appear weak, than the gods may think he's too weak for the journey and won't make it out alive. So, as a way of showing his courage, confidence overcomes Odysseus and he talks to the gods as if he were one of them. “After these years...to my harm.” (Book V, Lines 183-190). Odysseus shows no fear when speaking with Kalypso. Also, Odysseus shows more courage when he blinds Polyphemos. He humiliates Polyphemos, without even thinking of the effects. “Kyklops, you ask my honorable

He is stricken with hunger and longs for nourishment, but he is able to triumph over this temptation by remaining mentally strong: “One day I withdrew to the interior / to pray the gods in solitude, for hope / that one might show me some way of salvation” (XII, 426 – 428). Instead of giving in to temptation, Odysseus heroically prays to the gods. In addition to physical and emotional challenges, Odysseus faces intellectual challenges, and is able to overcome these challenges with quick thinking. Odysseus must utilize his cunning wit when he devises a plan to surprise the suitors in an attack, and hide their weapons: “I / shall signal to you, nodding: at that point / round up all armor, lances, gear of war / left in our hall, and stow the lot away” (XVI, 335 – 338). This challenge tests Odysseus as a tactician, and he is able to succeed with intellectual valor. Odysseus encounters a mental challenge when he is on the Land of the Kyklopes. He quickly tells Polyphemos that his name is “Nohbdy”, and then once the Polyphemos is stabbed, the other Kyklopes think that “Nohbdy” hurt him. Then, Odysseus and his men are able to escape on the underside of sheep. Odysseus bravely risks the lives of his men and himself. Odysseus overcomes all these challenges, using his physical, emotional, and intellectual abilities. The courage he displays in each of these instances makes him more heroic.

Bravery was probably one of the traits Odysseus was known for best. Without his bravery, the story most-likely wouldn't have been as exciting and suspenseful as it was. One of the situations that displayed this trait was when they landed on the

First in The :Odyssey , Odysseus show the trait of bravery. Odysseus show the trait when going against the cyclops polyphemus,blinding him.odysseus does this stating ,”forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it / deep in his crater eye and leaned on it”/(9.332-333).This quote tells that odysseus and his men ram a giant spear into the

In the Odyssey, Odysseus exemplified strong leadership and outstanding noble qualities. Like Achilles, Odysseus carried some flaws at the beginning of the story. A strong case can be made that his biggest flaw as a character was pride as it caused him unnecessary risks that only delayed his journey and possibly endangered his men. This is evidently shown when Odysseus and his crew wander around in Polyphemos ' cave. After the confrontation with the Polyphemos, Odysseus and his men escaped by stabbing Polyphemos’ in the eye while he was asleep. Once Odysseus and his men were safe on board on their ship, Odysseus took it upon himself to reveal his true identity and proceeded to taunt Polyphemos. At

In fictional comics, most superheroes shows bravery when completing their jobs and they also use this characteristic to help themselves win against the battle between their super villains. However, in the reading, “The Voyage of Odysseus” by Sally Benson, Odysseus shows bravery when confronting against Polyphemus and coming up with a plan to escape the giant’s cave with his men. In the text, a quote states that “Odysseus called to his four friends and, lifting the staff, the thrust the end of it into the fire until it was red hot. Then they plunged it into the Cyclops’ one eye. The monster roared in pain. Earlier, Odysseus had told his companions to harness the rams of the flock three abreast with willow branches, which they found on the floor of the cave” (Benson 3-4). In the this example, the readers learn that Odysseus and four of his men blinded the giant by stabbing the cyclops’s eye with fire. Afterwards, Odysseus told his men to surround their bodies with sheep flock in order to escape from the cyclops’s cave. It is important to mention this explanation because then people will know how to be brave in a way that can eliminate their dangerous obstacles and saving people from anything or anyone that is treacherous to them. In all, there are many situations that require the characteristics of bravery such as going in war

Odysseus was very brave, almost to the point of throwing away his men 's lives to take a risk. While Odysseus was on the island of the Cyclopes, he explored more than most men would have when he walked into the cave of Polyphemus. He did find lots of cheese and milk, but the result of this was death for some of his men when Polyphemus returned and found them there.

My name is Nohbdy'"("The Cyclops" lines 312-315). Odysseus' astuteness is apparent in this situation because he refused to reveal his identity to Polyphemus while he was vulnerable. His decision prevented the other Cyclops from coming to aid of Polyphemus. By precluding this beforehand, he demonstrated his heroic quality of wiliness. The ingenuity established by these actions personifies Odysseus as a hero.

Odysseus ' strongest character trait is his cleverness. When he and his men are stuck on the Cyclops’ island, they find themselves trapped in the cave of Poseidon 's son, Polyphemus. In order to close the entrance to the cave, a huge boulder must be moved to seal the doorway. No man or army of men could move the rock even in their wildest dreams. Odysseus knew that the one-eyed giant is their only way out. On the spot, Odysseus devised a plan in which he and his men stab Polyphemus in the eye. In pain and seeking help, the giant moved the boulder and opened the cave. Polyphemus cried for help from the other cyclops on the island. The Cyclopes called back to him and asked who or what was harming him. Odysseus told Polyphemus that his name was Nohbdy, so Polyphemus answered, “Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked me, Nohbdy’s ruined me!” (Book IX l. 444) In order to escape, Odysseus told his men to hold on to the

To illustrate this point, one might raise Odysseus’ cockiness into light, claiming that heroes are supposed to be more humble. In fact, Odysseus is so cocky that after escaping Polyphemus’ land he taunts the Cyclops and reveals himself as “Odysseus, raider of cities…Laertes’ son” (Homer 227). Instead of leaving it at him being “Nobody” he decides to divulge his own life story, thus giving Polyphemus a person to blame. If Odysseus wasn't so prideful and cocky Poseidon (Polyphemus' father) would’ve never known to curse him. In spite of this, Odysseus does prove himself. Heroes are not perfect. They don't swoop in and save the day, if anything, one of the best qualities of a hero is that they have the ability to learn from their past mistakes. Odysseus demonstrates this once he returns back home to Ithaca. At the moment, Odysseus is disguised as a beggar, and Melanthius is constantly mocking and abusing him. He’s even “lurched out with a heel and kicked [Odysseus’] hip” (Homer 361). In this scene, Odysseus could have revealed himself to Melanthius as the great Odysseus. On the contrary, “he steeled himself instead” deciding against beating “the scoundrel senseless” (Homer 362). Moreover, Odysseus redeems himself in displaying his ability to act

In The Odyssey, Odysseus goes on a long journey in which he takes part in dangerous adventures. Odysseus is an example of Homer’s greek hero. He is a leader of his people and they depend and follow him. Odysseus is brave; he believes in himself and trusts that he is doing the right thing. Odysseus values his honor and is confident in himself.

Throughout the many traits Odysseus has, his bravery is the most outstanding. Odysseus shows his bravery in the quote, “We lit a fire, burnt an offering, and took some cheese to eat, then sat in silence around the embers, waiting.” (Homer page 760 lines: 219-221) Odysseus was waiting for the cyclops. His bravery was shown when he broke into the cyclops home, took the cyclops food, and sat there and waited for him. Usually when you break into someone's home you do not give them an offering and take their stuff for them to find. In the next quote Odysseus shows even more bravery to go home and not fear the consequences if someone recognizes him. “... Odysseus, in his beggar disguise, finds his way to the heat of Eumclaus, his old and trusty swineherd.” (Homer page

Odysseus’s most known trait of an epic hero is his intelligence. He is always thinking and he is usually one step ahead of everyone else. He was also the one to come up with the idea of the wooden horse to finally end the Trojan war. On his long journey home, he encountered some obstacles that could not be overcome with just fighting and strength, like Polyphemus the cyclops. When Odysseus and his crew came upon Polyphemus’ island they helped themselves to his sheep, they then established a plan to blind the cyclops by stabbing him in the eye. Odysseus called himself Noman so that Polyphemus wouldn’t know his real name and tell his brothers who hurt him (Homer 104-108). But Odysseus didn’t show his intelligence for long. When him and his men got away from the cyclops and were on their ship, Odysseus yelled, “I say, Cyclops! if ever anyone asks you who put our your