How Does Odysseus Show Courage

Odysseus yells to the cyclops, “If I could take your time away I would./ and hurl you down to hell!” (book 9, 438-439). Because Odysseus says that he will “hurl him down” to hell, it is clear how he is not scared of the cyclops or scared of him hurting his men. This demonstrates that Odysseus is self indulgent for attention. Therefore, if Odysseus kept yelling at the Cyclops, he most likely would've gotten himself and his men killed.

Odyssey Part One Final Paragraph Please indent and double-space Odysseus was an effective leader for many reasons. One example, is that Odysseus was very courageous when he and his crew were facing the cyclops by protecting his crew and getting out safely to the best of their ability. He was courageous by not giving up when something difficult came his way. When they encountered the cyclops it was not an easy task defeating him but they still did it and made it out safely.

There are many themes in the Odyssey that are very important to the time period it was written in. Bravery, pride, and loyalty were the most popular in all of Greek Stories told in this time period. Achilles showed all of these things and so did Odysseus. Odysseus showed bravery because he left his child and wife to go fight and defeat the Trojans. As he is on the boat he says to himself how he can fight alone without the Greek goddess Athena. He shows his bravery because he wants to take on the fight alone. Bravery also comes into play when Poseidon tries to make his journey difficult back home to his family. “All the gods pitied him, except Poseidon” (Homer 291). This shows how all the gods wanted the best for him expect Poseidon. With him doing this Odysseus shows his bravery by continuing with the journey. Odysseus shows his bravery at when he is stranded in the ocean but uses his “strong hands to cling to the rocks until the skin was ripped off” (Homer 354). Odysseus is brave and swims to shore while his hand are being cut open.

Odysseus has to overcome many trials to make it back home he does very courageous and risky things. One of Odysseus’ courageous actions begins all the way back in part one, it happens with the giant Polyphemus. When the giant demands the gifts Odysseus has brought for them and he is given them he then asks his name, he replies “nobody” and the giant says he will eat him last as stated in lines 255-275. Then while the giant slept drunk from the wine they had given him, Odysseus told his men to join him in thrusting a giant olive tree stake into Polyphemus’s eye and then his men readily followed him and they stabbed it deep into the giant’s eye. This shows a great deal of courage from him due to not being afraid of the failure of the plan and the courage to speak up against a beast of such magnitude.

Of the three traits Odysseus most exhibits, bravery is one of the most prominent. A prime example of this bravery is the time when Odysseus tied himself to the mast of their ship. He did this to act as bait for the Sirens song while all of the other crew members had their ears plugged. This earned him the respect of not only his crew, but all who learned of this point in his journey. However, courage was not always the most practical feature of his personality. He almost got his crew killed not once, but TWICE while taunting the

Yet, Odysseus goes alone and faces fear so that he can ensure that his crew is safe. His obligation to face peril together with mortality for the

In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus is viewed as a brave and admirable character. After a disagreement with the Gods, they passed the outcome down to the mortals, leading to a war, where the wise warrior Odysseus wins. Making his way home and maddening a Cyclops, he curses Odysseus and his men for many years to go home. Which then Odysseus displays many moments of being selfish, self-centered, and all high and mighty. But he also shows moments of heroism, faithfulness, and bravery.

Further along the route, a six headed monster named Scylla, and Charybdis, a whirlpool, lay below the water’s surface. Odysseus decides to take the route toward Scylla, ”Then Scylla made her strike/whisking six of my best men from the ship” (816-817). He does this to prevent and more deaths because Charybdis can possibly take all his men, while Scylla can only take six men. The intelligent decisions Odysseus makes, help him through his odyssey

Odysseus shows he is a hero when he feeds the Cyclops wine and gets him drunk, then stabs his eye, which physically blinds the Cyclops. “So with our brand, we bore that great eye socket while blood ran out of the red hot bar”. The next morning, after stabbing the giant one-eyed creature, Odysseus and his man attempt to escape hidden among the sheep as they go out to graze. This highlights the idea of how great a leader Odysseus is. Some argue that Odysseus is not a hero.

For undertaking this dangerous task to save others and opposing great obstacles, Odysseus is given respect from his crewmates. In addition, Odysseus is clever in his encounter with Scylla and Charybdis, and although guilt-ridden, later reflects thinking, “But as I sent them on toward Scylla, I told them nothing, as they could do nothing” (783-784). The decision to not tell his men was difficult for Odysseus, but he could not let his crew persuade him to sail back, otherwise they would never reach Ithaca. Using his cleverness, he had to think of the greater good. The decision to choose which monster would be in his best interest to encounter was also difficult for him.

Many people could’ve done what Odysseus did and even could’ve done it better, faster, and easier. Some may believe that Odysseus is courageous. He demonstrates this courage when he steps up to fight the Cyclopes, or even when he was willing to travel to the underworld to save his men (pg. 397, lines 163-165). Although this example shows some courage, Odysseus obviously fears the gods and how they change the outcome of everything ( pg. 402, lines 35-40). Another quality that opponents believe Odysseus has is determination.

In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus illustrates courage, determination, and intelligence which help him overcome enemies in order

In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus and I display the hero’s journey in our departures, trials, and results, showing intelligence, perseverance, and loyalty. Odysseus showed heroism because of his trials. In many of his struggles, he shows how he uses his judgment and intellect in order to remove himself or his crew from harm’s way.

Odysseus goes through many troubles because he puts an immense amount of confidence in his strength. Bravery is not exhibited by constantly diving into battle; rather, it is the courage to fight in the necessary battles. Odysseus is unable to see when he should back down and instead views everything as a challenge. Whenever there is a possible battle on the horizon, Odysseus marches ahead and fights, whether it is necessary or not. He says, “Much have I suffered, labored long and hard by now / in the waves and wars. Add this to the total--bring the trial on!” (5.245-247). He is proclaiming that he has fought and suffered for a prolonged amount of time; nevertheless, he asks for more trials and hardships. Now, he is no longer being brave and is simply being foolish. For example, he puts himself in harm’s way again as he chooses to explore a cave belonging to a Cyclops named Polyphemus. Once more Odysseus’s bravery and courage do him wrong as he says, “But I would not give way-- / and how much better it would have been-- / not till I saw him, saw the gifts he’d give” (9.256-258). He reiterates that his actions and thirst for adventure may be harmful to him; yet, he reveals that he must see the treasures that the Cyclops has to offer. Knowing the catastrophic nature of this journey, Odysseus bravely goes into the cave. Although Odysseus emerges relatively unscathed, he loses six men to the Cyclops and the remainder of his crew is frightened. Odysseus’s brave and courageous nature save his life numerable times; nonetheless, his need to put himself in dangerous situations is the reason he must face so many life and death situations in the first

Odysseus’ courage in the cave of the Cyclops Polyphemus banishes his crew’s trepidation and eventually gets them out of there. When Polyphemus returns to the cave after capturing them, Odysseus takes the risk to get the Cyclops’ attention so he can manipulate the one-eyed giant into drinking the potent wine. Odysseus’ bravery is catching and he inspires those with him. Once Polyphemus has passed out, Odysseus and a few other men stab the giant’s eye. This quote of Odysseus inspiring his men in the Cyclops’ cave shows how Odysseus bravery never abandons him even in a situation where it seems he cannot win: “Now, at last, I thrust our stake into a bed of embers to get it red-hot and rallied all my comrades ‘Courage—no panic, no one hang back now!’” (9. 420-422). Odysseus’ boldness ultimately leads to an escape. Without the courage that never seems to