Opportunity Found in Adversity

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with females. In other words, the Homeric hero is always ready to go the extra mile. Homer states “who advances, though he is rained on and blown by the wind, and both eyes kindle; he goes out after cattle or sheep, or it may be deer in the wilderness, and his belly is urgent upon him” (Odyssey 6.131-33). Here, Homer compares the hill-kept lion and his urgent hunger to Odysseus urgent need for affection and help. In the eyes of Homer, Odysseus has the power of cunning over his strength. For this reason, he is capable of thinking with his brain rather than with his physical strength. His capability of persuading others with his cunning proves to be the turning point in the epic at several occasions. "Cyclop, you ask my famous name? Remember the gift you promised me, and I shall tell you. My name is Nobody: mother father and friends, everyone calls me Nobody" (Odyssey 9.364-66). Odysseus play of trickery towards the Cyclop Polyphemus shows his capability of throwing off the enemy with his choice of words. His constant cunning proves to be his advantage point at several occasions.

Odysseus’ ability to overcome difficult life-threatening situations make him a homeric hero. Through all the obstacles Odysseus faced on his journey back to Ithaka, he proves himself right by using his knowledge to come up with solutions to reach his ultimate goal. Odysseus defines a stereotypical hero and an odyssey equally because the characteristic traits are made after him. Odysseus defines an odyssey because the experiences and obstacles he had to maneuver around are what make an odyssey or a journey. As a whole, it is important for people around the world to understand what an Odyssey is because it depicts from Odysseus story perfectly.

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