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Homer knew exactly how to craft a story that would trigger a deep emotional reaction in what was likely an audience that appreciated action and drama. That is, Homer had Odysseus go through a powerful reunion with his mother, only in the land of the dead. This serves as a greater wake up call to Odysseus to not delay any longer on returning home so that he may not miss out on anymore of his family's life. In a story that doesn't shy away from violence and gore, this scene managed to very effectively reach a tender part of the spirit.

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As Odysseus recounts his great travels, he tells of his experience with the sirens who lure men away forever with their beautiful song. Odysseus ordered all of his men to plug their ears with beeswax so that they may not be tempted, but he knew that at least one person would have to have their ears unplugged to know when it was safe. Being the responsible leader he is, he took the duty himself. Wisely, he ordered that he be tied down so that he may not make any action to be taken away by the sirens.

In Greek mythology, Sirens are typically described as being as either a hybrid of birds and women or mermaids who are meant to symbolize the power that women have over men and the danger that lurks when giving into temptation.

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After getting drunk on Circe's island, one of Odysseus' crew falls off a roof and breaks his neck, killing him. Odysseus isn't aware of this before departing for the land of the dead, but when he does finally arrive he meets Elpenor's spirit which tells him that he needs a proper burial.
After traveling for so long and being so close to finally making real progress towards Ithaca, Odysseus is faced with another set back that presents more as an errand than anything else. Nonetheless, Odysseus takes up the duty to bury and pour libations for the fallen Elpenor.

In ancient Greece, the act of pouring libations was considered religious and deeply important, which explains why Odysseus goes through the trouble to do so. The most religious among the ancient Greeks would be known to pour libations multiple times throughout the day. The practice of pouring libations still exists today, though it is considered much less of a religious and moral obligation.

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When Odysseus and his crew land on island of Lotus Eaters, they all indulge themselves in the drug and forget their urgency to return to Ithaca. It doesn't take long before Odysseus realizes how sinister the land and the drug truly are and makes a point to quickly strip himself and his men away from their false sense of paradise.
One must assume that with any kind of drug, espescially one with this kind of description, that it would immensely difficult to pull oneself away and return to a much more cruel and difficult life. But Odysseus does this out of his overwhelming sense of responsibility and love for his family and home.

There is actually a real plant which was named in reference to this passage from The Odyssey called Nepenthes, though it has no psychoactive properties.

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Though his hubris and impulsivity is a great hinderance to his leadership skills, one would be dearly mistaken to assume that he is irresponsible or consciously puts off what he acknowledges as right. Of course he cheats on his wife for a good seven years, and this could very well be construed as irresponsible according to modern standards, but it may be necessary to regard that matter in its highly patriarchal context. Much of this poem is driven by a sense of responsibility that runs alongside a passion for what he loves and knows is right, even if his process is far from ideal.

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Upon Odysseus' reunion with his son, Telemachus, the somewhat rare occassion of Odysseus dropping his trickster role is observed when the two share a deep and emotional moment.
As someone who is perceived as a strong and heroic leader, one would assume that Odysseus would want his only son to carry on that legacy, but instead Odysseus puts love first in their relationship, which with a less dynamic character would likely not be the case.
Through all the flaws Odysseus displays, it is difficult not to appreciate his more emotional and paternal qualities.

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This is likely the instrument the bard at Phaeacia was playing to accompany his story telling.
It is said that the lyre was first made by Hermes out of tortoise shell. As can be seen from the image and video, it is a stringed instrument, though there is no strict number of strings that it may have.

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The Ancient Greek Lyre of the Blind Bard Homer - Luthieros Music Instruments

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As Odysseus was enjoying his time being hosted by King Alcinous and Queen Arete in Phaeacia, a bard began singing stories of which Odysseus was the subject, though no one else knew this was the case as Odysseus hadn't yet revealed his identity. The bard's song reminded Odysseus of his fight with Achilles which prompted him to cry. Later the bard would sing of the Trojan horse and once again, Odysseus could be seen crying. Rather than being crushed at the thought of being away from his family, this time Odysseus is experiencing intense emotion of his past in battle. This continues to serve the dynamic and realistic quality Odysseus' character was given as rather than being depicted as an absolute war machine with no emotions he is instead seen struggling to cope with his very traumatic past.

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After building up this encounter between reader and Odysseus for five books, Odysseus, in all his anticipated glory, is introduced while crying on Calypso's island. There is no heroic battle scene, no display of great strength, nor stoic attitude. The protagonist is met not as a hero but as a human who dearly misses his family.
Some inspection of the previous companion work, The Iliad, reveals that Odysseus never wanted to leave his family at all and in fact deployed the trickster in an attempt to evade recruitment. It was only at the threat of his son's life that Odysseus failed to maintain his adopted persona, which would ultimately lead to his present situation.

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How far ahead of his/her time was Homer? The portrayal of Odysseus as being both a god-like hero and a man who embraces emotion paints an image of a well-rounded, dynamic character. By creating such a character, Homer was essentially embracing non-traditional gender roles. It certainly leaves one to wonder exactly how many steps backwards humanity took in terms of understanding and personal freedom as even today this character may be somewhat striking in that regard.

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After being welcomed by King Alcinous and Queen Arete, it was the intention of Odysseus to conceal his heroic identity so he may get what he may pass through as easily as possible. Upon being challenged in the discus throw, Odysseus becomes consumed by a desire to win and feel dominant and very impulsively reveals his god-like strength.
Today, the discus throw is still a very common sport as it is a part of track and field. Many throwing athletes, especially in the discus, have a reputation for being extremely strong. For men, the discus must weigh at least 4.4 pounds and while this may seem light, one has to imagine attempting to throw it 243 feet, which is the current men's world record.

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The specific Greek term to describe the source of Odysseus' impulsivity would be hubris, which could be thought of as a combination or pride, arrogance, and a desire to feel dominant. The classic myth that is frequently used to describe Hubris would be the story of Icarus, who perished because he flew too close to the sun thinking there would be nothing to stop him in all his perceived glory. Most, if not all Greek works portray hubris in a highly negative manner. This can even be seen in the Greek legal system where the term "hubristic violation" was used to describe crimes of sexual assault and theft.

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"Say it was the valiant warrior Ulysses, son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca."

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"Say it was the valiant warrior Ulysses, son of Laertes, who lives in Ithaca."

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One of the first examples of Odysseus' pride interfering with good decision-making comes shortly after the escape of Odysseus and his men from Polyphemus' cave when he decides to announce exactly who he is, who his father is, and where he and his whole family live. Little did Odysseus know that he invited a personal ongoing attack from Poseidon by doing so. One can understand some desire to boast upon such a clever victory, but to do so to such an extent as this likely makes most readers feel Odysseus deserves to be taken down at least half a peg.

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One of the traits of an ideal leader is the ability to make carefully thought-out decisions and also avoid any extreme emotional reactions. While certainly demonstrating moments of excellent leadership, one of the flaws of Odysseus is that he displays some moments of extreme impulsivity. This impulsive tendency largely comes from what appears to be an inflated ego.

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Though much of his journey was guided by the personification of wisdom, Athena, credit must still be given to Odysseus for the execution of those orders. This can be seen when Odysseus had to travel through xenophobic territory and present himself before King Alcinous and Queen Arete. By traveling in a shroud of mist, which can be thought of as a symbol for carrying himself in a manner that commands respect, Odysseus successfully made it to the palace. One may argue that Odysseus' natural posture is one where he believes himself to be superior and thus he is not displaying the trickster here. Whatever the nature of Odysseus' true self is, it cannot be denied that he still deployed the trickster at some point in this sequence of events when he went on to humble himself before the King and Queen, even after having the opportunity to remain perceived as a god.

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Once finally arriving at Ithaca, Athena grants Odysseus the disguise of a beggar so he may have time to hatch a plan and adequately assess the situation. Odysseus takes advantage of this when visiting Eumaeus, where he can be seen gauging the attitude of Eumaeus to know if he has an ally. It this decision to not immediately reveal himself in order to have honest dialogue that reveals the more calculating and cunning side of the trickster within Odysseus.

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One of the more clever uses of trickery by Odysseus occurs in Book 9 in Polyphemus' cave. While improvising a plan to escape, Odysseus decides to go by the name "Noman" so that when the Polyphemus screams out the name of his assailant, any alerted neighbors would be dismissed. Surely without the use of trickery here Odysseus and all his men would have perished on that island. Unfortunately, this encounter couldn't purely be a victory as will be discussed in other traits.

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Contemporary Religious Perception of the Trickster

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Contemporary Religious Perception of the Trickster

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In the Old Testament, there is story of the sons of Isaac, Jacob and Esau, which features the trickster presented through Jacob. In short, Jacob fools Isaac into giving him Esau's birthright. This depiction of the trickster is largely negative as Jacob ruins his relationship with his brother. This is in stark contrast to the depiction of the trickster in The Odyssey since Odysseus portrays a hero who's methods of victory were meant to admired. This is a clear example of how ideals can change through time.

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When discussing the trickster, especially in the context of Greek epic poetry, it would be a great disservice not to mention the Greek god Hermes. Out of the many duties and traits Hermes is meant to carry out and represent, the most relevant one is that of the trickster. It is no coincidence that it was Hermes who made an appearance to Odysseus on Circe's island in order to undo her plan to turn him into a pig. Odysseus was instructed to take Moly and play the part of the unsuspecting victim in order to have any hope of getting his men back. Here, Circe was acting as a trickster by inviting Odysseus to eat, but as shown by Odysseus' guided success, it takes a trickster to beat a trickster!

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To describe someone as a trickster is to describe them as someone who is well versed in deception, is cunning, and is capable of swift manipulation. The trickster is someone who is able to wear different "masks" and can easily fool others into believing whatever persona is presented. In the case of the Odysseus, the embodiment of the trickster is perhaps his most essential trait, upon which nearly every aspect of his journey relies on in some fashion.

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Odysseus is:

1. A trickster

2. Impulsive

3. Emotional

4. Responsible

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Odysseus is the protagonist of the epic poems The Iliad and The Odyssey, both of which are attributed to Homer. Here, four traits of Odysseus as displayed in various books throughout The Odyssey will be explored and analyzed.