The Odyssey, written by Homer, is a series of poems that describe the heroics of Odysseus following the events of The Iliad. Throughout the books, there are many characters who show the features of a hero, who is someone who overcomes an impossible task or foe, even themselves, and can be occasionally given recognition for their feats. Two characteristics that a great hero and a great leader need are caution and cunning, and none show these better than Penelope and Odysseus. Penelope shows caution and Odysseus shows cunningness, who show these traits the best, which shows that great leaders need to be cautious and cunning. Caution, as shown by Penelope, illustrates the concept that great heroes need to be cautious. In book twenty-three, lines 94-100, Penelope is in distress, trying to think of how to approach the stranger who …show more content…
An example of this is when he and his crew are on the Kyklopes Island, and he was talking to Polyphemos, and in response to a question about his name, he quickly says, “‘Nohbdy is my name. My father and mother call me Nohbdy, as do all the others who are my companions’” (9.366-367). This quote is showing that Odysseus is a cunning mind who can quickly create a sound strategy in the matter of moments. This creativity of his makes him a valuable asset to any quest or adventure. Another example of his ingenuity is only a few lines later in the same book, book 9 in lines 421-422, where the Odysseus says, “...planning so that things would come out the best way… combing up all my resources and treacheries.’” This says that when they had been preparing to attack Polyphemus but no way of doing so, Odysseus was searching for any nearby item that he could fashion into a weapon. He eventually does this with a long wooden pole, sharpening and hardening it into a spear so they could stab Polyphemus in his