Who is cunning in The Odyssey?

Cunning is Odysseus's greatest trait and it serves him well throughout the poem, perhaps nowhere more famously than in his triumph over the Cyclops, Polyphemus. Having introduced himself as “Nobody,” Odysseus subdues the giant with wine and blinds him by piercing his one large eye with a pointed stake.

When was Odysseus cunning in The Odyssey?

Odysseus' cunning is shown in many examples, such as when he encounters the lotus-eaters. Some of his men, hungry as they are, accept the lotus-eaters' offering of some of their lotus to eat. Soon they forget all about their efforts to get home as a result of eating the lotus.

How is Penelope cunning in The Odyssey?

Penelope in the Odyssey

In book 2 of the Odyssey, Penelope's clever deception of the suitors is revealed. She had been using the weaving of a great funeral shroud for her father-in-law, Laertes, as an excuse to avoid picking a new husband out of the suitors. However, as we learn, this was all a great ruse.

What was Odysseus cunning idea?

An example of a time that Odysseus showed his trait of being cunning, was when he used his disguise of an old suitor. This was a cunning idea because Odysseus could still be able to speak to the people that he normally spoke with prior to his return, but no one would know who he was.

How is Odysseus unfaithful to Penelope?

Odysseus is very disloyal to Penelope. For an example, he has sex with Calypso when he really had no reason to, he also stayed with Calypso for a very long time, and never even tried to get off of her island.

The Odyssey by Homer | Characters

Who betrayed Penelope in the Odyssey?

Melantho is not a well-known character in the poem. She is Penelope's maid and the sister of Melanthius in Odyssey. In the poem, Melantho betrays Penelope. She appears to be more loyal to the suitors.

Why did Odysseus cheat on his wife?

He already had a good woman at home who did not give in to the suitors and stayed faithful to him. Plus, he was supposed to be on a journey that would return him to his wife. Instead, he made the wrong decision to cheat on her with women that could not compare to his wife.

How did Odysseus use his cunning to defeat the Trojans?

Finally, Odysseus came up with the idea of pretending to sail away from Troy, leaving behind an enormous wooden horse as a gift to the Trojans— inside of which Greek soldiers were hidden. This trick enabled the Greeks to enter Troy at night and defeat the Trojans.

How was Odysseus clever?

Odysseus is a hero because he is smart. For example, when Odysseus and his men approach the giant he offers him ¨liquor to wash down your scraps of men¨ (Homer 991). Odysseus is clever by doing this because he can predict that the liquor will make him fall asleep.

How is Odysseus deceitful?

Another instance of deception is when Odysseus pretends to be a beggar to keep himself safe. He also pretended to be a beggar to test the loyalty of others and to devise his plan of overthrowing the other suitors (Homer 93-96). Amid all deceptions, the protagonist is viewed as an honest soldier going against all odds.

Why is Penelope clever?

The emblem of Penelope's cleverness is the device by which she tricks her suitors for three years, her weaving. She uses the weaving to buy herself time, but the weaving is itself an image of time. Time is a weaving and unweaving; it makes and unmakes beings and relations.

Is Penelope smarter than Odysseus?

Crafty, tricky, lying, man of many twists and turns, Odysseus is played like a lyre by Penelope, where she can confirm both through his physical skill and through his reactions/knowledge that Odysseus is who he says he is. She's smarter than Odysseus.

What kind of person is Penelope?

Some critics dismiss Penelope's role in The Odyssey as a paragon of marital fidelity — a serious and industrious character, a devoted wife and mother, but one who lacks the fascination and zest for life that some of Homer's immortal women display.

How is Odysseus arrogant in The Odyssey?

Following the visit to the Cyclops den in The Odyssey, Odysseus shows arrogance by declaring his escape from there to be a success despite having lost six men while trapped. He further proves his vanity by mocking the Cyclops while escaping, 448 Words. 2 Pages.

Why is Penelope a shroud?

To delay her remarriage, Penelope tells her suitors that she will not choose a future husband until she has finished weaving a burial shroud for her father-in-law. Each day for three years she weaves the shroud, and each evening, unseen, she carefully unweaves it.

Why was Odysseus intelligent?

Odysseus was told to be a brave and smart warrior in the Trojan War. He has a strategic mindset, a determination to return home, and the ability to be a convincing speaker. These characteristics help him succeed in his mission even through all the trouble he went through.

What is Penelope known for?

She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and naiad Periboea. Penelope is known for her fidelity to her husband Odysseus, despite the attention of more than a hundred suitors during his absence.

Is Odysseus wise?

Odysseus, king of Ithaka, was also the king of trickery and guile. He was renowned among his peers for his cunning mind and intelligence. In ancient literature, Odysseus was given the epithet metis, which means “wise” or “cunning.”

What is something clever that Odysseus did in order to escape the Cyclops?

While the cyclops is out with his sheep, Odysseus sharpens a piece of wood into a stake and hardens it in the fire. Next, he gives the cyclops wine to get him drunk, and he tells the cyclops his name is “Nobody.” When the cyclops falls asleep, Odysseus blinds him with the hardened stake.

How does Odysseus show cunning in the Cyclops?

Cunning is Odysseus's greatest trait and it serves him well throughout the poem, perhaps nowhere more famously than in his triumph over the Cyclops, Polyphemus. Having introduced himself as “Nobody,” Odysseus subdues the giant with wine and blinds him by piercing his one large eye with a pointed stake.

Who killed Odysseus in the Trojan War?

When ten years were up he returned to Ithaca, where he died at sea in a fight with his own son by Circe, Telegonus. Most of the legends here have their source in Homer's Odyssey.

What is Odysseus intelligence examples?

Odysseus uses his intelligence over strength to 'fight' through tough times and bring himself home to Ithaca. Odysseus uses his intelligence when he has his men tie him down while passing the Sirens, so he himself will be able to hear their beautiful song, but not be entranced by their singing.

Does Odysseus sleep with Calypso?

Calypso forces Odysseus to sleep with her against his will. These lines encourage us to condemn the powerful goddess's abuse of the powerless Odysseus.

Who did Odysseus love the most?

Calypso is an immortal goddess who holds Odysseus prisoner for seven years on the island where she lives and forces him to be her lover.

What was Odysseus biggest mistake?

Odysseus has made some mistakes. No one's saying otherwise. He blinded a Cyclops, he invoked the wrath of Poseidon, and remember that time he got distracted by a sexy sea-witch for an entire year? (Full disclosure, he also stole some cheese.) But by far his biggest mistake was hiring his crew.