What was odysseus transformation

Achilles tells Odysseus that there are many reasons why he will definitely not return to the fighting and instead, will return home to Phthia, but his tutor Phoinix and his friend Ajax seem to soften his anger.

He tells Phoinix that in the morning they shall both decide if they should return home, and to Ajax he pledges to return to the battle if Hektor reaches the ships of his people, the Myrmidons. The embassy has succeeded in changing Achilles' mind in some ways, and there seems to be some cause for hope. Why then did Odysseus only repeat the words Achilles spoke to him when he returned to Agamemnon and the others, omitting the more hopeful conversations that Achilles had with Phoinix and Ajax?

When he did not, why then did Ajax not expand on what Odysseus related to the king? The answers to these questions are open to speculation. Did Odysseus assume that the best course of action was to put thoughts of Achilles aside since his future involvement was so precarious, and better to plow ahead with other strategies? Or was he so confident in his own capabilities that he decided that all was lost if he could not change Achilles' mind? Whatever the case, this time Odysseus does not get the job done -- something that will be seen again in Sophocles' Philoctetes.

Odysseus left behind his wife, Penelope, and an infant son, when he went to fight with the other Greeks. He did have responsibilities to his family and his subjects, and was trying not to take chances with his life. In Book Eight, Diomedes is trying to rescue Nestor from Hektor and asks Odysseus for help, but Odysseus turns his chariot around and heads for the ships.

Diomedes call him a coward, "but long-suffering great Odysseus gave no attention as he swept by Odysseus is one of the many who comes forward to throw their lot in Agamemnon's helmet. Also in Book Ten, the Greeks are seen in terrible straits, beaten back to their ships. Nestor has advised them that they need to know the Trojans' future strategy so they will be in a position to counteract it.

He again calls for volunteers to cross enemy lines. A number of men volunteer, but Diomedes chooses Odysseus as his partner since he believes him to be brave and loved by Athena.

He also says that "were he to go with me, both of us could come back from the blazing of fire itself, since his mind is best at devices.

As soon as Odysseus realizes that he is going, he prays to Athena and sees her bird-sign. He seems to look to her as his own personal daimon. It should be pointed out that it is probably easier to be brave when a goddess like the powerful Athena loves you and protects you. There also can be no question that Odysseus carries out most of his actions for the same reasons that the other heroes do: for glory.

Heroes are primarily looking for material wealth and for immortal glory. In Book Six, Helen talks with Hektor about the activities of heroes that will be sung about by the poets. In some respects, the description of the night mission into enemy territory creates the greatest moments of apprehension and fear in the poem. Besides being the only military operation to take place in the dark, the reader also seems to be creeping along with Diomedes and Odysseus, who are slowly making their way through body parts and pools of blood.

Hektor has also sent out a spy that night, a man named Dolon, and it is "illustrious Odysseus" 17 who hears him approaching and thinks of a plan to trap him. Diomedes savagely kills him. Odysseus asks Athena for guidance in finding the way to the newly arrived Thracians, who have brought many horses with them.

Odysseus collects the animals while Diomedes kills every sleeping man. When they return to their own ships with the booty, Odysseus gives the credit to his comrade and never mentions his own input. All in all, the incident shows that Odysseus is brave, modest, and protected by Athena.

This is illustrated again in Book Eleven when Odysseus is stabbed by Sokos, and yet saved from death by the goddess. Odysseus is again commissioned to hold the army together. Agamemnon wants to move some of the ships and believes the gods are against a victory for them. He ends his speech with, "the man does better who runs from disaster than he who is caught by it.

He even says, "I wish you directed some other unworthy army and were not lord over us He is sensible and must speak his mind when he sees poor judgement being used. He also tells Achilles that the men need to rest and eat before they can do their best in battle, and to send them out would be foolhardy. Odysseus again fails to convince Achilles and he does not eat.

Later, Athena must give Achilles nectar and ambrosia for strength, proving that Odysseus was right again. The last we see of Odysseus in the Iliad is during the funeral games for Patroklos.

Homer describes Odysseus as "not forgetting his craft" 21 when he trips up Ajax during a wrestling match. Odysseus then joins the foot race and will seemingly lose without Athena's help and prays to her for extra strength. Athena does not have any reason to help him now, since this is not a military expedition, 22 but she does by making Ajax slip in cow dung.

The competition between these two men had very serious consequences for the future, when Ajax is certain he was maneuvered out of another prize by Odysseus. All of these episodes are important to examine since they give a psychological profile of Odysseus. Homer sees him as a man of words, who is capable, brave, sensible, modest, and patient. The Atreidae see him as a friend in much the same light and make use of his capacities as an ambassador for them, and as someone to hold the army together.

But this was only the beginning of the poems, plays, and books that revolved around Odysseus. Homer's second epic poem has him as a central character and focuses on many of the qualities he is first given in the Iliad. He uses disguises, calls himself 'nobody' and his trickery is shown in full force in the Odyssey. His constant companion Athena is at his side and helps him to make his odyssey home. His cunning is used to escape the Cyclops and to listen to the Sirens; to fool his wife and son; and to entrap the suitors.

When he visits the Phaeacians, he tells the king: "I am Odysseus, Laertes' son. The whole world talks of my stratagems, and my fame has reached the heavens. The Odyssey must be mentioned in a discussion of Odysseus because without it, a large gap of material is left out of his tradition.

I would like to further discuss the meaning of the passage in book X, page lines — , specifically the ones we were assigned to pay close attention to, lines One way this could be interpreted which seemed to be the most common interpretation was that the crewmembers were the ones that were filled with wild regret and longing, this makes the reader question why they would regret being turned back into a human.

A common explanation I saw was that the men would rather stay pigs than continue on this never ending journey to return home. Taking a step back for a moment to explain where the confusion may have occurred may help in properly analyzing the true meaning of the text. I think the problem arises simply because of the grammar. For the reader, it may be hard to determine who is feeling the regret and for what purpose. This action can be seen as a way of following him, taking his hand so he can guide them.

This is no way seems like a hostile action out of anger. The use of the word tears connects the idea that because of the regret and longing they saw, it caused them to cry. On his journey home, Odysseus continues to lose men in battle. When they encounter Kirke, Goddess and enchantress, she disables them turning them into swine.

Because Odysseus sent him out to explore, he may feel guilty when he sees them in such a weak state that he inherently put them in. Focusing on the physical transformation of the men back into humans is too much a narrow scope to view this context from. I believe Kirke was referring to a transformation that occurred within Odysseus that she pitied.

When Odysseus left for Troy, he had already established his reputation as a hero. His participation in the war was crucial to the Greeks' victory. It was he who disguised himself as an old beggar and infiltrated the enemy. As Menelaus tells Telemachus in Book 4, it was Odysseus' legendary ruse of the Trojan horse that led to the defeat of Troy.

Certainly Odysseus does grow in wisdom and judgment throughout his ventures. His self-control while dealing with the suitors' insults is exemplary and contrasts, for example, with his earlier irresistible urge to announce his name to the Cyclops in Book 9. In other ways, however, he seems slow to learn. The most notable example being his difficulty in controlling his men.

After the victory over the Cicones, Odysseus wisely wants to take the plunder and depart quickly 9. His men prefer to stay, leading to a defeat at the hands of reinforcements. When Aeolus grants the Greeks fair winds to Ithaca, Odysseus falls asleep within sight of home, enabling his suspicious, undisciplined crew to open the bag of ill winds and let loose a tempest that blows them off course.

Again, on the island of the Sungod Helios, Odysseus' men disobey strict orders and feast on the sacred cattle when he goes inland to pray and falls asleep. The struggles Odysseus faces make his growth as a character more realistic and more credible because it is not simple or absolute. The Greeks army is formed, including Achilles he commands the Myrmidon soldiers; Achilles is known for being the most powerful warrior.

Nestor king of Pylos the oldest commander known for his wisdom, Odysseus of Ithaca the cleverest among all the commanders, and Patroclus, Achilles beloved friend, companion and advisor web. As a result, the line between who is good and bad and what is right and wrong is blurred. However, in the Odyssey, there is a clear cut good guy and bad guy.

The protagonist is Odysseus who is on a journey to get home to Ithaca. His son, Telemachus is actively trying to search for him. This quote reveals that Odysseus had the idea to give a wooden horse to the Trojans, as a gift, when it was really used to end the war.

After Odysseus and his men won, he was admired and loved for his glorious actions. Another example of Odysseus displaying glory would be when Homer talks about his achievements.

This section of the text shows Homer telling the story of the brave and glorious Odysseus. They used it as a shield so when the enemies would shoot arrows it would hit the wooden horse.

While hiding under it they where able to go to the enemies wall and kill them. Odysseus thinking of that trick made them win a battle that was going on for 10 years. Him building a horse and winning a war because of that shows lots of intelligence by Odysseus.