Mini-Essay Rewrite: Odyssey
By: Jakob Butterfield
Class B2
Epic heroes embody the ideals of a culture. These epic heroes are often larger-than-life, and
represent that people can always be more than they are now. This is true in Homer’s epic, The
Odyssey. The central hero, Odysseus, is used to portray qualities the people of the ancient Greek
culture valued. Odysseus show that he is strong and cunning, and uses those qualities to
overcome his many challenges, to represent the Greek culture values he embodies.
First, Odysseus show that he is a strong man, which ancient Greeks aspired to be. When he
escaped Calypso’s island, Poseidon turns the sea against him. Odysseus tells Calypso before he
goes, perhaps as a bit of foreshadowing for the reader, “If some god wrecks me while I am the
sea, I will bear it and make the best of it,” (Homer 56). Here Homer uses Odysseus to show that
the Greeks favored strength, and has Odysseus say that he will survive even the wrath of a god,
and even survive to the best of his ability. Homer proves heroes need to show great strength here,
because if Odysseus lacked his superb strength, he would have no hope against an enraged god.
Second, Odysseus shows a great deal of cunning, another characteristic the ancient Greeks
valued. When Odysseus faces the cyclops, he knows that even his strength is not enough, and
instead uses his cunning to save him and his men. He tells the Phaecians after successfully
blinding the cyclops “I laughed inwardly at the success of my clever stratagem,” (Homer 98).
Homer uses Odysseus to show the ancient Greeks favored cunning by showing Odysseus had
enough confidence in his ability to use his cunning that it humored him while winning him a
great victory, physically and mentally. The statement was made in a positive tone, suggesting it
was positive in the eyes of Homer’s readers, which were the ancient Greeks. At this point in the
epic, the Phaecians were the audience, representing the average Greek audience, with Odysseus
acting as Homer. The Phaecians liked Odysseus’ tale, meaning the ancient Greeks would have as
well, and that the heroic traits represented were valuable to them.