Odysseus Character

Being a hero is a very difficult task; although some are born to do it, most of us need guidance to be heroic. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus, the main character, goes on an Odyssey- an adventurous journey with unexpected outcomes of fortune. There, he undergoes many challenges and dangerous situations and changes into a more wholesome individual. As a result of this Odyssey, it takes Odysseus twenty years to come home. During this period of time, Odysseus becomes more trustworthy, cautious, and responsible.

Odysseus starts to trust the gods. Towards the end, as he is surrounded by family members of deceased suitors and they are about to start fighting, Athena intervenes by "command[ing] Odysseus" to not fight and "he obeys her"(Homer 485). Athena gives an order and Odysseus actually listens to her. It supports the fact that Odysseus has learned something in the process of this journey. This also shows Odysseus can take guidance from others and for once, rely on others and trust them.

Odysseus becomes more cautious. He starts thinking more about his plans and he learns about disguise. When Odysseus is still pretending to be a beggar, he sees a bunch of maids sneaking away with the suitors. "The maids whored in suitor's bedsÐ'...he [Odysseus] growled from his depths, but he struck his chest and curbed his fighting heart"(410-411).This quote represents Odysseus's outrage and his thirst for blood. However, it also shows that he contains himself because he understands that he will ruin the plan and hurt his chances of survival otherwise. Although Odysseus unwittingly taunts Polyphemus ,the Cyclops, in the beginning, he learns from that encounter, and doesn't make the mistake of revealing himself again.

Odysseus improves most in keeping secrets. While Eurycleia washes Odysseus's feet, she recognizes a childhood scar and is about to give him away, but he stops her by saying "'Quiet!