Character study of Odysseus
In book 6 Odysseus is on Schercie. Athene appeared to Nausicaa in a dream which resulted in her and her maids doing washing in a nearby lake to where Odysseus was sleeping. As the girls were playing ball they threw the ball in the wrong direction coincidently which made a large splash causing the girls to scream and wake Odysseus. He appears as a very grotty dirty and naked man, possibly imposing a threat to the girls so they run away, however Nausicaa stands her ground and hears him out. Odysseus approaches the situation from an articulate and respectful point of view by giving her a brief overview of what has happened to him. Then after feeling compassion over Odysseus she directs him back to her fathers castle where he will be helped home and onwards on his journey.
Some of Odysseus key characteristics are brought out in this chapter through dialogue and also through his response to certain situations. We see his modest side when he refuses the offer to be washed by Naussica’s slaves and insists on doing it himself as he hasn’t washed in days and is feeling a little grotty. ‘I am not going to take my bath with you looking on’ Not only does this show his modesty but it also shows his respect for women and the fact that he is aware that he sprung on the women and caught them by surprise and also due to the girls initial reaction he may have felt even more embarrassed and wanted time to review his current situation by washing, however we also see his gratitude at being helped as he compliments the ladies by saying ‘..elegant ladies’ this may also show us that Odysseus is aware that these women are important in society by Naussica’s articulate way of speaking and addressing the situation and also her awareness of xenia. Not only this, but, the fact she was also accompanied by two slaves just to wash clothes empathises my point. Odysseus could be trying to sweeten her up in order to be given a lot of help and start off well in this island as he would probably have already been aware of the worship of Poseidon in this land.
The Coursework on Gender Issues Girls Women Education
! ^0 Choose one aspect of the course and find an article or chapter from the reading list and critique it. You must draw out the key points and analyse the argument! ^0. Gender issues cover the movement of feminism, putting emphasis on the impact male dominance has had on society. For this critique I have chosen to focus on the importance of establishing equality in education. I have chosen a ...
We also see Odysseus’s humanity in the way he is so hungry and is dying for food and water ‘…who ate and drank with avidity..’ so despite his strong and stalwart exterior he still has needs!
Another characteristics we are showed is his coherent and logical way of thinking. This is shown when Odysseus is weighting up his options as to how to approach Naussica when he first sees her. We can see that the first thing that comes to his mind is to make a good and impressive first impression as from past experiences he knows that it really counts. We can again see his respect for women as he does not want to offend her by falling at her feet and begging for help, this may have sent Naussica running too and that was the last thing he wanted to happen. By speaking to her in an articulate manner and respecting her personal space he shows he intelligence and also shows that he is not a random person who has been shipwrecked that he is of importance where he lives and all he needs is help back on his journey home. ‘ … in the end his address was both courteous and full of subtlety..’
Lastly one point that really works in Odysseus favour is his tactical way, he knows that by flattering Nausicaa he has already gained her attention and sympathy, this would conveniently work in his favour as he could charm her into helping him, and as Athene has already put the idea of marriage into Naussica’s head it makes us wonder if he will get stuck on this island too! ‘..Your beauty, grace and stature most remind me of gods….’
Odysseus does not do a lot of interacting in this chapter however the small amount he does do is the most important and crucial to his circumstance and future. He interacts with Athene a little bit through prayer but the most important one is with Naussica.
The Essay on So What Makes A Person Attractive?
Beauty defines our culture. It often determines who gets a particular job, who makes the most money, or even who gets the signing contract. American’s typically utilize attractiveness as a tool more than a feature. It has become so prevalent in today’s society that vast markets exist only to supply beauty products. With so much of our civilization thriving on attractiveness, a simple ...
When Odysseus first meets her he is very dirty and has been at sea for a number of days. Odysseus’s tactical side helps him decide how to approach her and what would be the most suitable way to do so. He is very articulate in his first speech to her and very flattering of her beauty. Te act he is well spoken and respectful of Naussica make her sway more in his direction and show more compassion upon him. He sounds genuine and helpless, however at the same time through his well-spoken and power manner it is established I feel that he is of some importance somewhere, and I think Naussica despite being naïve at times picks up on this which may also be why she decides to help him.
Homer uses a lot of epithet’s to describe Odysseus in this chapter which prove effective as they give us a brief insight as to how the character may be feeling and show us a more emotional side to them but it also describes how they may be looking or peoples opinions of them. ‘Noble Odysseus’ etc. A epithet that helps us to understand society of that time is when Odysseus addresses Naussica as ‘white armed Naussica’ this shows that he is aware of her status as being pale showed you did not work out in the fields etc. She must hae aken this as a compliment.
Another very effective narrative technique used by Homer is similes and metaphors, these help us to visualise the scene or person and can also sometimes be used to help us become part of the dilemma through smells described or reactions from people. ‘then he advanced on them like a mountain lion who sallies out, defying wind and rain in the pride of his power, with fire in his eyes, to hunt down the oxen or sheep or pursue the wild deer.’ This metaphor gives us such a description of how Odysseus looks that it emphasises just how brave Naussica was to stand her ground as a event like that would be very scary and frightening. It also helps us to understand the character of the slaves as it makes us more sympathetic as to why they ran away from Odysseus, if I was in the situation I would too! I find the use of metaphors very effective as they help us relate to the person in the situation and also help us to understand their reason behind making certain actions.
The Essay on Power of Situations
In the,” The power of situations”, by Lee Ross and Richard E. Nisbett, the authors are trying to show the power of situations effecting the decisions of the people, how people react in different situations. The authors are trying to prove that social psychology rivals philosophy in teaching people that they do not understand the true nature of the world. The above claim is supported by two ...
Lastly I think many aspects of Odysseus character make him a hero in this chapter, such as the fact he uses he tactical thinking and logic to work in his advantage in the way that he balances compliments with pleading for help when talking to Naussica, this then makes him seen in need of help but no so much that he puts her under too more pressure or so that she feels obliged to. It also shows her power and status and also Odysseus awareness of this as he puts two and two together when he sees her white arms, this also reflects his place in society also this is shown, because if Nausicaa felt threatened or intimidated by him she has the power to persecute him or sent him away when it is clear he needs help. So I think he common sense and initiative are other aspect of a hero.
Finally Odysseus has lost all of his crew mates and so when he is awoken he has no choice but to get up and investigate the situation himself. At this point he has not idea if he has landed on a civilised land or lands like the previous few, so this illustrates his bravery and courage.
For all of these reasons I feel Odysseus is a hero and the fact he did it without the help of the Gods is a factor in this.