Essay Sample about The Character of Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey

The character of Odysseus is introduced early in the poem through the words of many to Telemachus, but his first scene actually happens in Book Five when he is still trapped on Calypso’s island. He has already been gone for almost twenty years including his time at war; however, people still remember him as this war hero who seemed invincible. That image contradicts the descriptions of Odysseus on a cliff, ”weeping…wrenching his heart with sobs,” clearly vulnerable and mournful (155). Why are his actions so different than how he has been described by other characters in the first few books, and why is it notable for him to seem so weak? It is important to remember that Odysseus has fought a ten-year war, suffered hardships heading home, and has been left stranded with only Calypso as his company. Odysseus has not been home or seen his family in a really long time despite everything he has faced, he is still suffering more, feeling as if he is not in favor of the gods. Homer had Odysseus weep the first time the readers get introduced to him in the present-day in order to parallel Telemachus in the first books, present Odysseus as a changed man, show stories may not always tell the full story, and to provide him with room to grow throughout the rest of the books. 

Odysseus’ introduction is not much different than the introduction for Telemachus, and the reader can recognize that both father and son are in great distress towards the beginning of the poem. In one of the first lines of the first book, Telemachus’ heart was “obsessed with grief,” much like what we see in Odysseus on the headland (81). Utilizing this parallel, Homer can better connect the two characters of Telemachus and Odysseus as true father and son. Telemachus, at the beginning, had a hard time claiming Odysseus as his father since Odysseus has been gone for so long, and Telemachus hasn’t seen his dad since he was a baby. All he has to rely on are the words that his mothers and others have told him. But through what the others have told him about his father, Telemachus feels even more pathetic compared to the great hero that everyone makes Odysseus out to be, wishing his father could come back and fix everything for him. As a result, the readers also anticipate the arrival of Odysseus to the story, so they could note whether or not Odysseus is really that impressive. Yet, when he finally appears as more than a word of mouth, the imagery is so similar to that of his “pathetic” son. This moment confuses the reader, but also the readers can make the association that Telemachus and his father are both in a similar state of mind, both racked with grief and in despair. The connection leads all the way to when they both formally meet each other, immediately both parties start “sobbing…eyes streaming with tears,” but this time, rather than out of sadness and despair, it is with newfound hope and happiness. 

The second reason is to portray Odysseus as a changed man, a different man than he was when he left home all those years ago. As stated before, Odysseus is said to be a grand hero before he ever shows up in the story, but he is still a human. He has been through war, suffered, and became homesick. Those alone could turn any person into a sad, hopeless mess. If Odysseus had not been weeping at this point in the story, the readers would not be able to feel pity for him. Showing his vulnerability allows him to reveal his human nature contrasting the otherwise perfect picture that the world has painted for him.

It could also be said that the word is not always trustworthy or reliable. Odysseus has been gone for over a decade, so how could the stories that have been told about him be treated as a fact when it is possible that because of his absence, people have started to remember him more positively than he truly was. This is proven when later on in Book Eight, he is once again seen weeping; however, only one person notices, the rest are busy focusing on the bard’s song. The descriptive words around the action of Odysseus weeping are worth noting. Homer uses the words, “flaring”, “powerful”, and “handsome” while following it up with “ashamed [Odysseus’] hosts might see him shedding tears,” (194). The front half of the sentence could be interpreted as what most people see, but Odysseus’ inner thoughts tell a different story, that he is ashamed and dismal. As time went on, Odysseus’ true nature may have been fabricated for others to only remember his strength and not his weaknesses, in reminiscence. The reason for this stark contrast in people’s memory and Odysseus as we meet him could also be due to how he hides this side of him, leading others to believe that he is this mighty figure when in reality, he is just like everyone else with weak points as well.

Going with the narrative that Odysseus has changed into a weak man by his circumstances, it could be assumed that he has fallen down, and he must get back up again to go back to the life and family that he had before. Without this failure, he could never hope to return with so much determination. The way that Odysseus describes his journey as one with “bitter pains” and “fraught with hardship” then goes on to explain the events that happened across four books: how he met the Cyclops, Polyphemus, had bad luck with his men releasing bad winds, spent a year with Circe, journey to the kingdom of the dead, faces off with sirens, Scylla, and Helios which ended up with all his men dead, leaving only Odysseus to drift to Calypso’s island, staying there for many years (211-285). Odysseus is often described as an unlucky man which according to his story would be an understatement, but despite his sad past, Odysseus must return to his former glory. In order to do so, without him being seemingly flawless, he must first seem weak on Calypso’s island after all he has been through to get the full character development. The part of the story that most signify him returning to his roots is when he strung his bow and shot through twelve axes with “virtuoso ease”, meaning not all is lost, he still has his strength underneath the sadness, and it was brought out as if it had never been gone. Odysseus eventually reaches his full potential when he defeated all the suitors running his house to ruins, back to the warrior he once was.

When unveiling a character, the first impression is always important, but especially so if the character has already been introduced by the other characters in the story, creating suspense as well as anticipation. That is the case for Odysseus, so the choice to make him so different from how he has been portrayed was surprising, but not without reasons. With the events that proceeded and followed Odysseus weeping on the cliff, it is clear that this simple action is crucial to his characterization, depicting to be human, yet still strong enough to bounce back from the lowest point in his life from a feeble crier to a hardy champion.