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 beds…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! Not a word to anyone in the house [or] do you want to kill me?"'(406). Odysseus is able to silence the nurse before she gives him away, keeping this important secret intact. Odysseus is more careful with information, and he now knows which secrets should stay secrets and which ones should be told. Before he used to keep all secrets to himself because it made him feel important, but now, he is secretive for self-preservation NOT power. This means that he is not as self-centered and proud, and that he understands that the secret of his identity should only be told to select people for his own safety. In conclusion, Odysseus aquires new important skills of leadership and combines them in the end of the book to save his own life and reinstate his family name in Ithaca. He learns to distinguish between information that should be publicized and the information that should be kept secret, how to take orders form higher powers, and how to be more vigilant. It is evident that being a hero and a good person is not just about wealth and supposed good deeds, it's about being able to make good decisions.