In "The Iliad," the character Odysseus is one of many Achaean commanders that led the Achaean troops into battle with the Trojan army. Despite not appearing in many scenes, Odysseus plays an essential role for the Achaeans. Odysseus characterized as a wise intellectual; in fact, it is stressed every time his name appears. He is greatly respected by the entire army of Achaeans due to his experience and knowledge, which he uses for the well being of the army. The great tactician speaks with intelligence just as he acts with intelligence. This suggests that Odysseus' words are directly related to and explain his actions throughout the poem. The combination of both his words and actions are what makes him an incredible warrior.
In Book 10, Odysseus is persuading the men to take initiative and begin their raid on the Trojans while there is still time, "Let's move out. The night is well on its way/and daybreak's near. The stars go wheeling by/the full of the dark is gone" "(Iliad 10. 293-295, Fagles284). Odysseus is urging the men to move out quickly while they still have time. Being the smart warrior that he is, he knows that the Trojans will be sleeping and at a disadvantage during the night; therefore, he encourages a night raid. The act of the night raid is wise because it puts the Achaeans in the best position to weaken the Trojan army. .
As Odysseus uses his intellect to help the Trojan army he also displays cleverness as well. Not only does Odysseus exemplify clever actions but also exhibits this cunning personality when speaking with other characters. The biggest example of his cleverness is when he is attempting to get Achilles to rejoin the Achaean army. Although it may not have been the proper proposal, Odysseus crafts a clever speech to convince him to come back and fight. His objective here is to make Achilles feel guilty by stressing the fact that the Achaeans will fall without his presence.
