Character Analysis - The Odyssey

Character
Analysis
Report by: Joseth Pasalo – BSED-
The Odyssey
Odysseus
- King of Ithaca
- Father of Telemachus and husband of Penelope
- He is the favorite mortal of Goddess Athena – his
protector and savior
- A strong and courageous warrior of Greeks.
- known for his intelligence because of his strategy to
defeat the Troy – which is the “Trojan horse” –
(wooden horse) and even the gods and goddess
praise him.
- Enemy of Poseidon because he blind his son
Polyphemus so he struggles in returning to his
kingdom Ithaca because of the wrath of Poseidon.
- Face many obstacles but overcome it and finally go
home in Ithaca.
- Struggles from his journey in returning to Ithaca.
- Face many obstacles in his journey and receives a lot
of help from Athena.
- He have an affair with Circe and Cyclops where he
got stranded.
- Even he have an affair to others he still think about
his wife and son that gives him hope to return to
Ithaca.
- He face the wrath of Poseidon towards him because
of what he did to his son Polyphemus.
- But after those hardship he still return to Ithaca and
punish the suitors of Penelope who tried to steal his
wife and also they’re treatment to him when he
became a beggar.
Telemachus
- Son of Odysseus and Penelope and was an infant
in the time Odysseus join the war in Troy.
- Despise the suitors of his mother because they
claim that Odysseus is dead and make their house
messy.
- He is a natural obstacle to the suitors desperately
courting his mother, but despite his courage and
good heart, he initially lacks the poise and
confidence to oppose them.
- Have a journey from Pylos to Sparta for the
search of his father if it still alive.
- Athena often assists him.
- Even he never meet his father he still believe that its still
alive in somewhere.
- He also receives help and guidance from Athena.
- He travel from Pylos to Sparta to get a information about
his father from King Menelaus.
- Even King Menelaus said that maybe Odysseus is already
dead because of what happened to them that cause their
separation.
- Then he receives a message from Athena to return to
Ithaca and from there he meet his father Odysseus and
they kill the suitors of his mother who want to steal his
father’s kingdom and make their house messy.
Penelope
- Wife of Odysseus and mother of
Telemachus.
- A faithful wife – believing and waiting
patiently for the return of his husband
Odysseus.
- Accept and treat well his suitors –
believe that Odysseus is dead.
- Homer portrays her as sometimes
flighty and excitable but also clever
and steadfastly true to her husband.
- A wife who has a strong faith to her
husband that someday it will return.
- She accept his suitors gifts even
knowing that they only wants the
position of Odysseus left not to love
her.
- Even his suitors know their position
they still strive for her answer so she
think an alibi to postpone and
extend her decisions to answer them.
Athena
- Daughter of Zeus and goddess of wisdom,
purposeful battle, and the womanly arts.
- She is the protector and aids of Odysseus and
Telemachus. And also comfort Penelope.
- Often help them by disguising as a mentor
and an old friend of Odysseus.
- Get angry to the Greeks because
disrespecting her sacred temple.
- Ask help for gods to ends the suffering of
Odysseus and safely return to Ithaca.
- She’s the protector of Odysseus.
- Also guide the Telemachus to find his
father.
- She plays a great role in the journey of
Odysseus in returning to Ithaca.
- A goddesses who can’t let his favored
warrior to die even he got angry to them.
- She still think of Odysseus safety and
even beg to the Zeus to help her to end
Odysseus suffering from Poseidon and to
other gods and goddesses obstacles.
Poseidon
- God of the sea
- Holding a wrath to Odysseus
because he blind his son
Polyphemus(cyclops) and constantly
hampers his journey home.
- Poseidon is the patron of the
seafaring Phaeacians, who ultimately
help to return Odysseus to Ithaca.
- His the responsible for the
suffering of Odysseus.
- He has a great anger and
hate towards Odysseus so he
do all things to don’t let
Odysseus return to his
kingdom.
- His really the antagonist in
the story a great hindrance in
the journey of Oddyseus to
return in Ithaca.
Zeus
- King of gods and men, who mediates the
disputes of the gods on Mount Olympus.
During the Trojan war he didn’t side to
anyone unlike the other gods and
goddesses.
- Zeus is occasionally depicted as weighing
men’s fates in his scales. He sometimes
helps Odysseus or permits Athena to do
the same.
- Being moved by the plea of Athena to end
the sorrow of Odysseus.
- In the war in Troy he remain static and
never sided to anyone.
- He shows that as a God of gods and
goddesses he must not support or sided
to anyone or participate in the war and
only observe.
- But when Athena ask a help from him,
he grant it.
- Maybe as he loves his children he gives
what they want.
Calypso
- goddess-nymph of the mythical island of
Ogygia and a daughter of the Titan Atlas.
- The beautiful nymph who falls in love
with Odysseus when he lands on her
island-home of Ogygia.
- Calypso holds him prisoner there for
seven years until Hermes, the messenger
god, persuades her to let him go by the
order of Zeus.
Circe
- Goddesses of magic
- renowned for her vast knowledge of
potions and herbs.
- The beautiful witch-goddess who
transforms Odysseus’s crew into
swine when he lands on her island.
- With Hermes’ help, Odysseus resists
Circe’s powers and then becomes her
lover, living in luxury at her side for a
year.
- She has a ability to make potion that can
be advantage and dangerous.
- He also take advantage of the situation
were Odysseus have no choice but to agree
to her demand.
- She has that kind of attitude to do what she
want even she know that Odysseus only
love his wife Penelope she become greedy
and jealous at the same time.
Antinous
- The most arrogant of Penelope’s suitors.
- Antinous leads the campaign to have
Telemachus killed.
- Unlike the other suitors, he is never
portrayed sympathetically, and he is the
first to die when Odysseus returns.
- He has a selfish attitude that he think he can do
everything he want (ambitious person) and he has
no mercy and respect.
- A not a good personality to become a king he will
become cruel to his kingdom if it happen and
bloodshed will never be avoid in that kind of
attitude.
Eurymachus
- A manipulative, deceitful suitor.
Eurymachus’s charisma and duplicity
allow him to exert some influence
over the other suitors.
- He only think of his self and how he

can manipulate everyone with his
sweet talk and a tricky person.
- Maybe this is his way to get Penelope
and become the new king of Ithaca.
Amphinomus
- Among the dozens of suitors, the only decent
man seeking Penelope’s hand in marriage.
- Amphinomus sometimes speaks up for
Odysseus and Telemachus, but he is killed like
the rest of the suitors in the final fight.
- He only show his sincere love to Penelope even he knows

Penelope can’t get over to Odysseus. But when Odysseus return
and know how kind of suitor he is, he tried to warn him about
what will happen which is the blood shed but he refuse to go
away instead he remain and died also.
- Amphinomus is a great example of a suitor who is trying to woo
a girl. He has his own way of loving a person without harming
others.
Thank you!!!

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Character

- He only think of his self and how he

- He only show his sincere love to Penelope even he knows

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