The character of Odysseus in the Odyssey Homer's epic tale The Odyssey is a story of triumphs and downfalls that are in store for the long plundering of a man's house warrior. Odysseus, the hero of the Trojan Wars, has led his people of Ithaca and other Achaean soldiers to victory and now longs to return home to his wife and family in Ithaca. During his twenty-year journey Ulysses is often put to the test not only of his physical strength, but also of his ingenuity. His numerous achievements earned him great status and recognition throughout ancient Greece. The mistakes he made caused the deaths of many men. As a result, we as readers are able to see the many characters that Odysseus brings with him. Odysseus possesses all the attributes that the Homeric Greeks admire. Show loyalty, piety, manly valor and intelligence. We see Odysseus' loyalty in the first book. Odysseus won the Trojan War and was trapped on the island of Ogygia with the beautiful nymph Calypso. For ten years Odysseus longed to return home to his wife Penelope, despite the attractions organized by Calypso. Never once did he accept his fate on the enchanting island. Odysseus' loyalty to Penelope is also evident in the following: Then, royal son of Laertes, Odysseus, a man of exploits, still eager to depart at once and return hastily to your home, to your beloved homeland? Good luck, anyway. Goodbye! But if you only knew, deep down, what toil is destined to fill your cup before you reach that shore, you would stay here, preside with me in our home, and be immortal. As much as you long to see your wife, the one you yearn for all your days... POEM VERSION (BOOK 4) This quote states that...... in the center of the paper... the tension is evident even in the brutal attacks by Melantius and Antinous. Melanthius kicking Odysseus humbly in disguise and Antinous hitting Odysseus with a stool. At first instinct one would react, especially with the strength and agility of Ulysses. However, Odysseus holds back and knows that a premature revelation of his true identity would ruin future plans for the total seizure of his palace. Then, just as any other beggar would react, the mighty Odysseus bows his head and returns to the hut, with visions of the coming victory in his head. Looking at Ulysses in his entirety, the strength, intelligence, arrogance and cunning restraint. stand out above all by creating a truly powerful and courageous leader. Works Cited: Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1998.