Characterization in the Odyssey
In this topic, you are going to explore how some of the different character types apply in the Odyssey. Before you begin, review the different character types in this non-graded activity. Read each description and drag and drop the correct term in to the blank provided. Then, click SUBMIT to check your responses. Click the player button to get started.
A Character Profile - Odysseus
Based on what you have read (as well as the name of the epic), you already know that the Odysseus is the most important, or primary, character in the Odyssey. Even though the epic begins in medias res, you have seen his character change throughout the story and since the time he left the Trojan War. Through his trials and tribulations, Odysseus has learned, grown, and experienced loss. Because of this he can definitely be considered a dynamic character. In addition, Odysseus exhibits a range of emotions. At times, he is brave and clever. Other times, he becomes so emotional that he weeps. This is indicative of a round character.
Odysseus as the Epic Hero
Odysseus is a model epic hero. View the table below to see how the characteristics of an epic hero match up with those of Odysseus. Is there another character in the epic that could also be considered an epic hero?
| Characteristic of Epic Hero | Characteristic of Odysseus |
| The hero is part god or protected by a god | Throughout the epic, Athena has protected and assisted Odysseus |
| An epic hero has some major, or tragic flaw | Odysseus is extremely proud of his cleverness, which leads to trouble for him and his men |
| The hero will complete tasks of incredible strength, bravery, or cunning | Odysseus had the idea for the Trojan Horse, blinded a cyclops |
| He or she encounters supernatural or other-worldly forces such as gods, monsters, or demons | Odysseus has faced the wrath of Poseidon and the interference of Zeus; he has fought the cyclops, the Charybdis, and the Scylla |
Books XVIII - XX of the Odyssey
In this interactivity, find out what happens in Books XVIII - XX of the Odyssey. Click on each of the vertical bars to learn about the content of each book, and prepare yourself to read Book XXI, Book XXII, and Book XXIII. Click the player button to begin.
View a printable version of the interactivity.
Book XXI, Book XXII, and Book XXIII of the Odyssey
Now, read Book XXI, Book XXII, and Book XXIII of the Odyssey by Homer. Make sure to use your active reading strategies with any unfamiliar vocabulary words. While you read, take specific notes about the triumph of Odysseus. How did he get the best of the suitors? What happens after the journey finally ends?
Book XXIV of the Odyssey
In the final book of the Odyssey, the ghosts of the suitors meet Achilles and Agammemnon in the Underworld. The suitors explain to Achilles how they were killed by Odysseus, and Achilles is happy for his friend. In Ithaca, Odysseus goes to see his father, Laertes. They have a complicated reunion, and then go back home. While the townspeople and the father of one of the suitors want to wage war with Odysseus, Athena appears and orders them to stop.
Characterization in the Odyssey Review
Now that you have learned about characterization in the Odyssey and completed your reading of the epic, review your knowledge in this non-graded activity. Read each question and select the appropriate answer. Then, click SUBMIT to check your response. Click the player button to get started.