Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

499 Words2 Pages
A Glimpse of Odysseus The Odyssey, written by Homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald, tells the epic poem of the protagonist Odysseus and his treacherous journey back home to Ithica from the Trojan War which he hadn’t seen for 20 years. Although Odysseus isn’t present in the first four books of The Odyssey, his actions and relationships he made or has represent the view the characters in the poem have of him. Odysseus could have made many enemies during the Trojan War but he decided to cherish those bonds. In addition his tactful plan in the war gave him the heroic persona that brought honor to him. A person's actions serve as the image people make of them. Odysseus’s character is described by Penelope (his wife), and his two companions during the war Nestor and Meneláous.…show more content…
‘“For three years now- and it will soon be four-she has been breaking the hearts of the Akhaians, holding out hope to all, and sending promises to each man privately- but thinking otherwise”’ (21-22). After many years her love for Odysseus is still strong, even though she is often being pressured to marry one of the many suitors. Her actions for not doing so hints that Odysseus was a good husband towards her and that their loyalty for each other is strong. In addition to Penelope’s commitment to Odysseus, Nestor’s conversation with Telémakhos showed the type of friend Odysseus was during the Trojan War. “‘ And all that time at Ilion he and I were never at odds in council or assembly”’ (39). The fact that Nestor always saw eye to eye with Odysseus shows that even in the most pressured times, he kept calm and managed to settle agreements between his companions. The great hero Odysseus is seeps through his actions at the Trojan War. Similar to Nestor, Meneláos also finds Odysseus to be a heroic person

More about Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

Open Document