Chris Bahr 12/18/08 Period 2 Odysseus spent ten long years journeying home.

Ten years earlier, he sailed to Troy to fight in the Trojan War. On his trip home he went through many trials and faced many adversaries. Through it all, he displayed three main character traits. These traits were intelligence, courage, and arrogance. The arrogance of Odysseus is shown through a many acts. After escaping the Cyclops without his knowledge, Odysseus couldnt resist calling out to him to taunt him. This almost cost the crew their lives. The Cyclops threw a massive boulder at the ship, but missed. Even after this, Odysseus kept on bragging before they sailed away to safety. Also, when Odysseus was brought before King Alcinous before revealing his identity, he requested a song about the Trojan War, essentially asking for a song praising him. These two instances are enough to conclude that Odysseus was very proud and arrogant. Odysseus displayed intelligence on a number of occasions. He devised a plan to escape the Cyclops and his cave dwelling. Odysseus first got the Cyclops drunk on wine. Then he used a previously sharpened stick to gouge out the Cyclopss massive eye. In the morning, Odysseus and his men clung to the belly fur of the Cyclopss ewes and rode them out of the cave when they were let out to graze. Similarly, Odysseus outsmarted a group of men suiting his faithful wife Penelope. He, in the disguise of a beggar, attempted the Trial of the Bow, an impossible task devised by Penelope. Beforehand, Odysseus had had some men of his lock the suitors and him into the hall where the trial took place. He accomplished the trial on his first try, and then used the bow and arrows to slaughter the trapped suitors. The fact that Odysseus could outsmart a hundred men and a fearsome, giant Cyclops proves that he was intelligent. Odysseus shows courage most of all. Through multiple scenarios he is faced with adversaries that most men would run from. For example, Odysseus faces multiple monsters like the Cyclops, Scylla, and Charybdis, and also journeys into the Land of the Dead. He blinded the Cyclops with his tricks, sailed past Scylla as she plucked six of his men out of the ship and ate them, while Charybdis was also turning the sea into a violent storm. Even though all of these trails where probably extremely terrifying, Odysseus braved them all. He also, with only a bow and arrow, faced one hundred suitors and killed them all. It takes a lot of courage to even attempt this feat. These instances proved that Odysseus could face trials that required a lot of courage. Throughout his journey home, Odysseus continually displayed arrogance, intelligence, and courage. Though he was arrogant, he was admirable for the good skills he did have and the little good he did with them. While he may be considered admirable, he would not be considered heroic today. The media would rip him apart for being selfish, and no one would respect him. Though selfish and arrogant, Odysseus accomplished feats that not only proved him admirable, but caused him to be deemed worthy by others to be told about in legend for centuries already, and for centuries to come.