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We all breakdown at some point in our lives. No matter how strong we may seem on
the outside, all of us our weak on the inside. Some of us choose to hide it from others so that
we won't be ashamed on what they might think of us. Some of us choose to open this side of
ourselves to others to show that we are sensitive. Odysseus, just like anyone of us, follows
From the beginning, Odysseus has always been portrayed as a strong leader. He is
fearless, witty, and patient. Whatever problem comes his way, he strives to find a solution to it
no matter what. Because of these descriptions, Odysseus seems like the perfect role-model
for man to follow. However, Odysseus, despite being god-like, is a man like us nonetheless.
He too falls prey to his emotions, but he simply chooses not to show it to any of his men
because he feels that he needs to be the strong one. Odysseus sees the need for him to take
up the sword and lead his men to victory, and because of this, he has to show no
weaknesses. His men believe in his capabilities as a their master, and so Odysseus takes on
the burden of being a fasade. He needs to be the man his men see him as. He needs to be
the husband his wife, Penelope sees him as. Most of all, he needs to be the ruler that a
Odysseus chooses not to show his true feelings to others, but when he is alone and at
his most vulnerable, he fasade begins to crumble. In the passage, Hermes, sees the
Odysseus, a powerful man, weeping. This simply act of weeping shows that Odysseus is not
perfect. He may seem to be the brave and strong one, but he is actually the most broken man
among his men. All the hardships they've experienced throughout the years build up within
Odysseus for he is their leader. He feels responsible for the mistakes they've made even
though they were not his. The ideology that a leader is in charge of every aspect of the
journey is firmly planted in Odysseus's mind. Thus, allowing him to be overwhelmed by all he
Every man feels responsible for what he has done and what he has not done. Every
man feels the need to hide their emotions to become the man others see him as. Odysseus is
just like any other man. The only difference is that he hasn't given up.
Books IX-XII
The main goal for most people is to live a long and happy life. It may seem simple at
first glance, but it is actually something that will be built up out of all the choices you will
make. A life like this would come with costs. There will always be a catch no matter how
Odysseus, throughout his journey, has done things he is not proud of. The main reason
why he did these things what based on necessity. He needed to commit certains acts that will
help keep he and is men alive for another day. Because of these, Odysseus has become
someone who is willing to pay anything for a long and happy life. He is willing to lie to his wife
The excerpt shows that Penelope is so trusting of Odysseus that she does not harbor
any bad thoughts about him. She does not regret anything he has done, nor does she wish
for him to be better. She loves him just the way he is. However, she hasn't seen the true
personality of Odysseus. All she sees is a white night coming to her rescue. She fails to see
The risk of losing the life that he wants, a perfect one. If he does tell Penelope all the
unfaithful things he has committed, he feels that Penelope will no longer love him. Because of
this fear of losing the one he loves most, he resorts to lying and withholding any information
From this we can see what love Penelope holds in her heart for Odysseus, and what
“love” he has in his heart for her. The journey home for Odysseus has changed him into a
new man. Someone who is willing to do anything for love, but his love that he thinks he has
for Penelope is flawed. Somehow he sees her as an object that he needs to hold on to. She is
no longer a wife to him, rather a mistress because what he feels for her may no longer be the
So many things can affect relationships between a man and a woman. Odysseus like
any other husband in the real world experiences events that will alter his personality forever,
but his wife, Penelope, will still see him as her knight in shining armor. Love truly is blind.