The Role Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

After ten years, Odysseus still has not returned to his kingdom in Ithaca. A large

and destructive mob of suitors who have taken over Odysseus's palace and his land

continue to court his wife, Penelope. She has remained faithful to Odysseus though she

has no way of knowing weather he is dead of alive. Prince Telemachus, Odysseus's son,

wants desperately to throw them out but does not have the confidence or experience to

fight them. The suitor Antinous plans to assassinate the young prince, to eliminate the

only thing keeping them from complete control over the palace.

Unknown to everyone, Odysseus is still alive. Calypso has Odysseus imprisoned

on her island, Ogygia, because she loves him. He longs to return to
Hermes disguised as a young man tells Odysseus to eat a herb

called moly to protect himself from Circe's drug. Odysseus attacks Circe overpowering

her; he forces her to change her men back into humans. Circe falls in love with Odysseus.

Odysseus and his men live luxury with her for a year. Finally, his men persuade him to

continue their journey home. This story Odysseus tells show once again that Odysseus

can be easily distracted. At first, he was ready to fight for his men and continue home, but

then he was distracted by the luxury of everything he needed. His men had to persuade

him into leaving, and then he remembered what he was fighting for in the beginning.

Odysseus shows his real strength towards the end of the epic. He had to make it

through many obstacles before his real strength could be shown. Even Telemachus and

Penelope shows their strength. Telemachus and Odysseus gather a plan to kill the suitors

and regain the palace. Odysseus stay in the palace as a beggar, while waiting for the

perfect time to attack the suitors. Penelope speaks to Odysseus, although she does not yet

know he is her husband. She tells the suitors whoever can string Odysseus great bow