The characters of Odysseus and Oedipus are very determined men who exhibit great knowledge and use their knowledge and determination to solve their conflicts. In The Odyssey, the main conflict is that after 10 years, Odysseus has yet to return home from the Trojan War and it is assumed by everyone that he is dead. In Oedipus the King(Oedipus Rex), Thebes has been struck with plague and Oedipus, the King of Thebes, has to save the city. Oedipus and Odysseus both prove their power and intelligence prior to the events told in their respective stories. Before the events of The Odyssey, Odysseus fought among Greek heroes in the Trojan war, and before the events of Oedipus the King, Oedipus had already saved the city of Thebes from its capture under the Sphinx by solving the Sphinx’s riddle. Both heroes displayed their loyalty to their homeland and effectiveness as leaders. Throughout the events of these books, much of the fate of Odysseus and Oedipus lay in the hands of the gods. In Book 1…show more content… In The Odyssey, although Odysseus is away from his family for a majority of the novel, this separation allows for Odysseus to have a greater appreciation for his family, and vice versa. While Odysseus is gone, his home is overrun with suitors, who Telemachus (Odysseus’ son) greatly disapproves since he doesn’t know if his father is still alive or not and wants to protect his mother. When he finds out that his father is alive, he goes to look for his father and when Odysseus returns, the two work together to defeat all of the suitors. Odysseus’ absence allowed Telemachus to grow and their relationship is stronger than ever by the end. Similarly, although both Penelope and Odysseus both had relationships while he was gone (Penelope and her unwanted suitors, and Odysseus with Circe and Calypso), their love is proven stronger than anything when he returns and passes Penelope’s test of their bridal