The odyssey takes place ten years after the fall of troy. The story is about the main character Odysseus. Odysseus exhibits both negative and positive attributes through out the story; some may even consider Odysseus as a hero.
Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and still has not returned since the war. Suitors have tried to take over the kingdom and Odysseus’s wife Penelope while Odysseus has been away. Odysseus wants to get back to Ithaca but Calypso who is in love with him has trapped him on the island of Ogygia. The goddess Athena helps Odysseus’s son Telemachus on his voyage to find information on Odysseus. Telemachus finds out through his journey that
Odysseus has many different positive attributes that made him a hero. One of these attributes was that Odysseus was cunning and smart. In book 4 when Telemachus goes to Sparta to speak with Menelaus about his father, Menelaus and Helen tell Telemachus the story of the Trojan horse. Odysseus came up with the plan that defeated the Trojans and took over the city of Troy. While in the Trojan horse Odysseus showed his self control waiting to attack. Odysseus shows his wittiness when he attacked Polyphemus the son of Poseidon. Odysseus plans out when to attack Polyphemus and prior to the attack he had told Polyphemus that his name was “nobody”. When Odysseus attacks Polyphemus, Polyphemus’ neighbors come running to see what the noise was and Polyphemus yells at that “nobody’s killing me” (book 9). Throughout the story of odysseus, one fact that makes him a hero is that he remains loyal to his home. He may not of been faithful to his wife Penelope but he still wants to return home to her. In book 5 calypso tries to tempt Odysseus in staying with her. Calypso is beautiful but Odysseus still wants to return home.
Odysseus also has negative attributes. One of these attributes is that Odysseus had too much pride. Even though in the story of blinding the Cyclops Odysseus outsmarted Polyphemus during the act, it ends up backfiring. When Odysseus and his men escape the cave and are now on there ships fleeing the land where the Cyclops were odysseus reveals his true identity and Polyphemus then tells his father who was the one who blinded him. In revenge for blinding his