Odysseus Character Analysis Essay Example

“I have more on my mind than track and field -- hard days, and many, have I seen, and suffered” (8.162). Odysseus has been stranded, out at sea, and held hostage on many lands, just wanting to return to his hometown of Ithaca. Throughout this grueling experience, many of Odysseus’ character traits and emotions begin to show. In this epic poem by Homer, Odysseys is portrayed as a very manly and heroic figure. However, when the readers take a deeper dive into his character, they begin to see his many hidden characteristics. In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus is a clever, eloquent, but yet emotional character that experiences many different people, battles, and Gods that influence his chocies and actions like when he cleverly deceives a cyclops to escape his capture. 

While Odysseus speaks with wisdom throughout his sentences, this wisdom is integrated with eloquence which allows his sentences to flow effortlessly and helps the listener better understand Odysseus’ words . His way of speaking with eloquence shows the wisdom that he has gained through battles, journeys, and meeting others. The eloquence in his words is shown when he says “The gods deal out no gift, this one, or any birth, brains, or speech - to every man alike. In looks a man may be a shade, a specter, and yet may be a master of speech so crowned with beauty that people gaze at him with pleasure” (8.176). Odysseus responds to Seareach with a great flow of words, after he challenges Odysseus to athletic games. In his response Odysseus uses his eloquence in his words to build up his self confidence. After his display of eloquence , Odysseus is then able to throw his discus farther than any other competitors that are there. This example of eloquence that Odysseus is able to inspire himself and use his eloquence as a weapon to defeat others just as he defeated Seareach in the athletic games. 

While Odysseus is able to use his eloquence in his speech to his advantage, he is also very clever. His cleverness is shown throughout many examples in the novel. One of the examples is when he convinces Polyphemus, the one eyed kyclops, that his name is “‘Nohbdy”. He does this by saying “My name is Nohbdy : mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy”(9.387). Because the cyclops doesn't have quite the intellect that a regular human has, Odysseus convinces Polyphemus that he has this ridiculous name. When Polyphemus decides to finally try and eat Odysseus, Odysseus stabs Polyphemus in the eye taking him down. When other cyclops try to come help him, Polyphemus screams, “Nohbdy‘s tricked me, Nohbdy ruined me”(9.444), making the other cyclops believe that Polyphemus is not being attacked. This ultimately shows that Odysseus is quick witted and able to get out of difficult situations such as being eaten by a cyclops by using his cleverness. 

Finally, while Odysseus is strong, eloquent, and clever, he is ultimately still a human that has emotions. Odysseus has experienced a lot of events. Wether it was wars, sea storms, or even confronting Gods, Odysseus has seen it all. He had seen many of his best friends and soldiers die right in front of his eyes. He even feels remorse about battles with his greatest enemies such as Achilles . His emotion is shown to the full extent when he hears an old song being played about one of his battles while he is at dinner with the Phaiakians. We can see this emotion when the narrator says, “but soon the minstrel plucked his note once more, to please the Phaiakian lords, who loved the song; then in his cloak Odysseus wept again” (8.97). Even at a place of happiness and feasting, Odysseus still weeps about memories that have resurfaced like his battle against Achilles. Overall, even though Odysseus is a big, strong, and clever man, he is still deeply scarred through experiencing his battle. These emotions help build up his character. 

In conclusion, Odysseus is a man of great honor, and experience. He has been through battles, such as the battle of Troy, confronted gods, such as Hermes, and even battled monsters like Polyphemus. Through these events, Odysseus has developed eloquence in speech, cleverness in battle, and most importantly different emotions through memories. All of these traits make up his personality and ultimately who he is as a character in the Odyssey.