I like all the other characters more than I like Odysseus. He is incredibly lucky that so many people liked him, because he really does not seem that intelligent. So far the only thing he really has going for him is the debate and escape from the Cyclops Polyphemus. To be fair, he did help his men several times, but he is recounting his tales to the Phaeacians. We do not really know whether or not Odysseus is a reliable narrator. I feel like he very well could be, but everyone embellishes stories at least a little when they tell them. On the other hand, he does actually seem to listen to the requests of the gods and goddesses helping him out, and there is something to be said for that. The goddess Ino gave him a veil to help protect him from Poseidon, and when he was more or less safe, he obeyed. There is something to be said about that. It seems like out of any of his personality traits, his confidence is probably the one that got him in trouble in the first place, and probably is the one that gets him in trouble the most.
What on earth did Odysseus do to piss off Poseidon? It generally takes a lot to anger him, as opposed to angering some of the other gods, who already have terrible tempers, like Zeus or Ares. Poseidon is generally a lot more laid back than some of the other gods. Odysseus is seriously lucky that Athena likes him, and that she along with others are trying to help protect him. Most gods do not forget other people’s mistakes that easily, although they all seem fairly excellent at forgetting their own.
I seriously love Calypso’s character. Her story is so interesting, because she did not actually do anything wrong besides support her father Atlas in the Titan war. He was cursed to have to hold up the world, and he couldn’t put it down unless someone else agreed to hold it, and she was forced to live on an island in the middle of nowhere all by herself, with only Hermes as the occasional visitor. On top of that, sometimes men (like Odysseus) would wash up on her shores, but she was cursed to fall in love with only men who could leave. Only once she fell in love with them would they leave her behind, never able to find the island again. Also, her speech to Zeus about double standards is fantastic. She really knew how to use her words.
I really like all the separate stories in The Odyssey, and how they all come together in one big story. I am not a huge fan of Odysseus’s character, but he does have a few, minimal really, redeeming qualities.
Which story do you think best shows Odysseus’s character? Why?
Which god (that we find out about) has the worst temper? Which one has the worst temper?
Do you think Odysseus would have been able to do as much as he did and make it as far as he did if he had not had help from so many of the gods and goddesses? Why?
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