Odysseus Characteristics

The Man of Twist and Turns

Throughout Homer's The Odyssey, Homer depicts Odysseus as a great leader. He displays many characteristics that reflect his value as a leader such as intelligence, skill, a love for his crew, and a loyalty to them as well. Using his most useful abilities, he is able to overcome the many challenges he faces. Odysseus expresses the qualities of a capable leader by protecting his men and employing his intelligence to outsmart those who stand in his path.
Odysseus continuously takes care of his crew throughout their journey home by protecting them from monsters and temptation. Despite the various situations Odysseus and his crew get into, he stays loyal to his mission to reach home and keeps them on the same path. When …show more content…
However, Odysseus forces them "back/ to the hollow ships" and "[hauls] them under the rowing benches, [lashing] them fast/ and [shouting] out … commands" (9.106-112). In spite of their protests, Odysseus ensures his crew's safety by returning for them and fleeing as quickly as possible. Odysseus exemplifies one of his most admirable qualities by remaining continuously devoted to his crew. Their encounter with Circe displays another instance of his vigilance. She turns Odysseus' men into pigs using food and drinks laced with drugs. After Odysseus outsmarts her, he dines with her and asks her how "any man in his right mind" could eat or drink "before he’d [freed]/ his comrades”? (10.423-424). His men are grateful for the way he watches over and protects them. By putting his men above his own needs, he gains their loyalty and appreciation of his …show more content…
While in the Cyclops' cave, Odysseus realizes that he should not kill the Cyclops because there would be no way for him or his men to lift the boulder at the entrance. Instead, Odysseus "pour[s] him ... three bowls'" of powerful wine which the Cyclops "drank to the last drop". Once "the wine was swirling round [the Cyclops'] brain", Odysseus tells him his name is Nobody (9.405-410). By deceiving Polyphemus, Odysseus and his men escape the Cyclops and continue on their journey. His clever tricks help them to elude obstacles that cannot be overcome with force. Not only does he use his wit to triumph in apparent dangers, but also to prevent future risks as well. When Odysseus and his men arrive at Telepylus, the land of the Laestrygonians, his men " [steer]/ right into the gaping cove and [moor] tightly" in the easily accessible harbor. Seeing the "milk-white calm [spread] all around the place", Odysseus remembers that places that appear safe usually contain a trap, so he " alone [anchors his] black ship" on another part of the island, "well clear of the harbor’s jaws" (10.100-106). By being cautious and wary, Odysseus' ship is the only vessel to leave Telepylus. His wisdom keeps him and his men safe by avoiding danger whenever possible. Later, Odysseus encounters the Sirens and commands his crew to bind him to the mast "so [he] cannot move a muscle, bound to the

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