Characterization of Odysseus in Homer's The Odyssey

Homer, the author of The Odyssey, created a hero with negative attributes named Odysseus in his epic poem. The epic hero, Odysseus, is trying to get back home after being away for 17 years. During his expedition, the poem portrays Odysseus’s traits, whether they’re flaws or heroic, as he travels across lands to come home. In The Odyssey Odysseus is patient, logical and cunning yet so disloyal, arrogant and merciless throughout his journey back home, which ultimately allows Homer to explore the theme that having a clear mind and making rational decisions is crucial to clearing any situation.

In the Odyssey, Homer illustrates Odysseus’s heroic traits such as being patient, logical, and cunning by using epithets and details. For instance, Homer portrays Odysseus’s incredible patience through the use of an epithet when Calypso states how long she has kept Odysseus in isolation. After Hermes orders Calypso to release Odysseus, she says to Odysseus, “Son of Laertes, versatile Odysseus, after these years with me, you still desire your old home? Even so, I wish you well'. By describing how long Odysseus has been held in captivity and how he still desires for home truly portrays his determination and patience to get back home. Odysseus patiently waiting 7 years in Calypso’s island, always dreaming of going home and longing for his wife is an extremely crucial detail to clearly show how much of a dedicated hero Odysseus is. Also, to empathize how persevered he was, Calypso calls Odysseus “Son of Laertes, versatile Odysseus” to really bring forth how great and tenacious Odysseus is. Additionally, details used as Odysseus calmly analyzes the cave situation truly reveals his logical side towards things. When questioned by his men as to why they do not kill the Cyclops when he sleeps, Odysseys states that “if I killed him we perished there as well, for we could never move his ponderous doorway slab aside”. During Odysseus’s response to his men, Homer gives certain details such as him thinking through the situation and deciding on not to kill the Cyclops because they would then be trapped. With these details, Homer is trying to highlight Odysseus and how he logically thought through the situation. Odysseus wants to get revenge on the Cyclops due to his fallen soldiers, but quickly realizes that his hastiness on killing the Cyclops would only lead to their inevitable doom. Furthermore, Homer describes how Odysseus defeated the Cyclops through details while simultaneously conveying his cunning nature. After the Cyclops became drunk from drinking the wine, Odysseus explains, “Now, by the gods, I drove my big hand spike deep in the embers, charring it again, and cheered my men along with battle talk to keep their courage up: no quitting now” (Homer 9. 282-285). In Odysseus’s description of how he got revenge on the Cyclops, Odysseus explains how he got Polyphemus’s drink in order to then stab his eye with a burning pike. By giving the details of deceiving the Cyclops in order to get him to drink the wine and get drunk, Homer thoroughly portrays Odysseus’s cunning nature. Odysseus purposefully got Polyphemus, the Cyclops, drunk so he would get drowsy and unalert so they could proceed with the plan to stab him. While Odysseus has a fair share of heroic traits, he also has flaws to counter them and make him look less of a hero.

Throughout the Odyssey Homer uses details and an epithet to portray Odysseus’s flaws such as arrogance, disloyalty, and his mercilessness. For example, Odysseus’s disloyalty to his wife is shown when Homer writes certain details such as Odysseus sleeping with Calypso. While narrating what he went through during his time with Calypso, Odysseus says, “Though he fought shy of her and her desire, he lay with her each night, for she compelled him” (Homer 5. 50-51). The details written by Homer unveils Odysseus’s disloyalty despite his love for his wife. Homer purposefully creates the details of Odysseus sleeping with Calypso to make a flaw in him order to show that Odysseus is not always perfect. Odysseus cheating on his wife even if it was not intentional is a major flaw because he wants to come home to see his family and wife but while on the journey home, he breaks his loyalty by sleeping with Calypso who obviously is not his wife. Correspondingly, another of Odysseus flaws such as his arrogance is discovered when Odysseus uses an epithet while revealing his identity to the Cyclops: “Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye”. As Odysseus arrogantly tells Polyphemus his private information to set up his curse of Poseidon, Odysseus yells out to Polyphemus to call Odysseus as the raider of cites as a dramatic flare. Odysseus wanted Polyphemus to know how strong and cunning he was, but Homer also secretly used the epithet to show his arrogance of revealing private information. Similarly, by using the details of Odysseus planning to not let anyone come out alive, Homer blatantly conveys Odysseus’s mercilessness. Even after Eurymachus’s pleading to let them go, Odysseus said right back to him, “ You forced yourselves upon this house. Fight your way out, or run for it, if you think you’ll escape death. I doubt one man skins by”. By showing no mercy to any of the suitors in the house, Odysseus displays his true self when he is angered. The details of him mercilessly killing the suitors in order for revenge show his flaws as a hero because heroes are supposed to give mercy and pardon others. Odysseus on the other hand lets his fury control him and his actions without regretting anything. Ultimately, Odysseus is a hero indeed, but does have his flaws and mistakes every now and then. Consequently, by revealing Odysseus’s heroic traits and flaws, Homer tries to explain that having a clear mind and making rational decisions is crucial to any situation. Homer specifically reveals certain heroic traits like his logical side to openly describe his theme. Odysseus’s logical side answered Homer’s theme by making him experience dangerous situations and overcoming each conflict with his quick-thinking and calm nature. His flaws such as his arrogance also answer Homer’s theme because it proves the point by not having a calm and clear mind, people make mistakes that can affect them later. Odysseus especially lost control and let loose his built up anger to Polyphemus by revealing his identity. His outburst came back to bite him since now Poseidon, the father of Polyphemus, knew who hurt his son and knew who to curse/trouble. Odysseus connects the theme to greek values such as family because he conquers most of the problems ahead of him with a calm mind just so he can get back to his family.

Homer makes Odysseus have certain negative attributes and heroic traits to portray his ideas that having a clear mind and making rational decisions is crucial to clearing any situation. Odysseus’s heroic traits such as his patience, cunning, and being logical are revealed through details and an epithet found in The Odyssey. In addition to his heroic traits, Homer uses details and an epithet again to unveil Odyssus’s flaws such as his mercilessness, arrogance, and disloyalty. Finally, Homer combines both his heroicness and flaws to project his idea. Overall, Homer was attempting to state that Odysseus may seem like a good hero indeed, but he does have his flaws like any other person and clearly is not perfect.