What Qualities Help Odysseus Survive?.
In "The Odyssey," Odysseus is able to survive his laborious journey due to his sense and wits, paired with strong desire and endurance. Odysseus' exemplary and heroic qualities enable him to withstand his grueling trek across the Mediterranean Sea. Although he makes foolish mistakes on account of his pride and the love of women, Odysseus' intelligence, cunning, leadership, and bravery compensate for the evils within him and enable him in the end to survive any opponent. .
On his journey, the honorable Odysseus is praised for his astuteness and intelligence, which are undoubtedly some of his premium characteristics. He manages to save himself and his men from numerous predicaments on his long journey. For example, when Polyphemus seizes Odysseus and his crew in his cave and eats his men, he does not lose his composure. He quickly thinks of a plan to sedate the beast. "My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy" (Homer 913). By tricking Polyphemus, Odysseus' men sneak out of the Cyclops cave under sheepskins and from his clutches. Because of his cleverness, Odysseus is able to resist urges that a normal human would not. Once he reaches Ithaca, instead of losing sensibility and running to his beloved Penelope, he investigates, which is how, in the end, he is able to slay the suitors. Because of Odysseus' wits, he is able to outlive many men. .
An important characteristic of Odysseus is his endurance and perseverance. Odysseus shows this both physically and mentally. Throughout his journey, he faces seduction. "Now Circe, loveliest of all immortals, persuades Odysseus to stay with her" (Homer 913). To free his men from her island, Odysseus must sacrifice himself and his body to the witch. It pains his heart because he deeply misses Penelope, but he does this for her. Another example of his mental, or rather, emotional endurance is when he faces his dead mother in the Underworld.
