Odysseus Cunning In Homer's Odyssey
Cunning is a human characteristic that is hard to come by. It can be used to evade and deceive to get to an end goal. In the “Odyssey”, Odysseus leaves Troy to get back home to Ithaca. This journey takes ten years, and he uses his cunning to fight many obstacles placed by the gods. Odysseus’ cunning was portrayed by Homer as his greatest trait because it let him evade death, and deceive people.
Odysseus’ cunning is what saves him from death multiple times. One case in which Odysseus uses his cunning to save his life is when he meets Polyphemus. After Odysseus gives gifts Polyphemus asks for his name, and he says “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy.” (Homer 380). In this situation, Odysseus uses his cunning to evade the possibility of other cyclops helping Polyphemus and to deceive Polyphemus so he can not get cursed. Another way, Odysseus uses his cunning to survive is when he comes home from Ithaca. After he tricks everyone into thinking he is an old beggar and completes Penelope’s challenge, “He drew to his fist the cruel head of an arrow …show more content…
An instance in which Odysseus used his cunning to deceive is when he went to Circe’s Island. When he is there Hermes gives him moly to avoid Circe’s spell. Hermes then tells him, “that he must make the goddess swear she will play no switches tricks.” Odysseus displays cunning because he evades Circe’s other spells by making her think he was immune to all spells. Odyssues also uses his cunning to deceive his crew. Before he goes to the strait near Charybdis Circe says,” No Hug the cliff of Scylla, take your ship through on a racing stroke. Better to mourn six men than lose them all, and the ship, too...” (Homer 387). Even though he knew that 6 of his men would die he still convinces his crew that the path close to Scylla was safer. This shows he is cunning because he tricked his crew for his own end goal of getting
Odysseus’ cunning is what saves him from death multiple times. One case in which Odysseus uses his cunning to save his life is when he meets Polyphemus. After Odysseus gives gifts Polyphemus asks for his name, and he says “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy.” (Homer 380). In this situation, Odysseus uses his cunning to evade the possibility of other cyclops helping Polyphemus and to deceive Polyphemus so he can not get cursed. Another way, Odysseus uses his cunning to survive is when he comes home from Ithaca. After he tricks everyone into thinking he is an old beggar and completes Penelope’s challenge, “He drew to his fist the cruel head of an arrow …show more content…
An instance in which Odysseus used his cunning to deceive is when he went to Circe’s Island. When he is there Hermes gives him moly to avoid Circe’s spell. Hermes then tells him, “that he must make the goddess swear she will play no switches tricks.” Odysseus displays cunning because he evades Circe’s other spells by making her think he was immune to all spells. Odyssues also uses his cunning to deceive his crew. Before he goes to the strait near Charybdis Circe says,” No Hug the cliff of Scylla, take your ship through on a racing stroke. Better to mourn six men than lose them all, and the ship, too...” (Homer 387). Even though he knew that 6 of his men would die he still convinces his crew that the path close to Scylla was safer. This shows he is cunning because he tricked his crew for his own end goal of getting