Free Essays: The Many Challenges of Homers Odyssey :: Homer Odyssey Essays

The Many Ch all in allenges of Homers Odyssey   In The Odyssey, Odysseus had to face many challenges during his travels a fewer of these difficul connects were a cannibalistic Cyclops, huge whirlpools, determined suitors, along with many hardships.  Odysseus fought ever to return to his homeland of Ithaca, but to accomplish this Odysseus had to be clever, resourceful, and have bang-up leadership qualities.   Odysseus proved throughout the story that he was very clever.  When he was faced with having to get out of Polyphemuss cave, Odysseus first told the Cyclops, My name is Nohbdy mformer(a), father, and friends, / everyone calls me Nohbdy. (pg. 452, 341-342)  Odysseus told him this because he knew if the other Cyclopes would come and ask who was with him, they would think that Nohbdy was there.  In another episode, Odysseus outsmarted the Sirens he wanted to listen to their sweet song, but he knew he would render to jump overboard.  It was then he got the notion to tell his crew, ...you are to tie me up,  tight as a splint, / erect along the mast, lashed to the mast, / and if I prognosticate and beg to be untied, / take more turns of rope to muffle me. (pg. 459, 536-539)  This and vocalizing the crew members to put wax in their ears ensured that Odysseus, alone, could listen to the Sirens song and not die.    When Odysseus had to figure out how he could knock off the Suitors who were staying in his house, he had genus Athene disguise him as an old beggar and then told  Telemachus, his son, to hide all of the Suitors weapons and armor. If they asked Telemachus what he was doing, he was to tell them he was storing the weapons so that none of the suitors would kill each other if they got into a fight. Many times throughout the story, Odysseus had to be resourceful enough to accomplish a task by apply surrounding things, whatever was at hand.  When he was drifting back towards Char ybdis,  Odysseus grabbed onto a nearby fig tree and held on until a piece of driftwood fit out of the whirlpool then he grabbed a hold of the driftwood and soared to safety.    In order to escape from the Cyclopss cave, Odysseus wanted to blind the Cyclops.