The Odyssey is an epic poem that has been a significant piece of literature since it was first composed and will remain so for ages to come. Odysseus posseses both positive and negative qualities which proclaims him heroic throughout his journey.
Odysseus is one of the first Greek mythic heroes renowned for his brains as well as his strength. In the book, Odysseus out smarted Cyclops by telling his men to cling to the underside of one of the Cyclops' goat. The monster checks the backs of the goats but neglects to check underneath them, so when they go out to pasture they carry Odysseus and his men to freedom. Odysseus saved his men from danger proves his intelligence. .
Meanwhile, Odysseus is physically powerful and athletic, as we see when he strings the bow that none of the suitors could handle or hurls a discus further than any of the Phaeacians. He is nearly invincible warrior when he single-handedly destroys more than a hundred suitors in one sustained fight. In book 21, suitors fail to string Odysseus but Odysseus strings and shoots an arrow through the twelve axes while leaping to the threshold and shoots and arrow through the neck of the leader of the suitors. One by one, He took them all down while he disguised himself as a beggar.
Odysseus hesitates before acting, because he uses his reason to evaluate thing. This patience is one of his most important attributes. His patience saves him and his men many times, and it can be easily seen in various instances throughout his travels such as when he disguises himself as a beggar when he finally reaches Ithaca, waiting for the right moment to reveal himself.
As great as he is, Odysseus still have some weaknesses that prolongs his voyage back to Ithaca. His most important weakness is that of pride. Pride is good to have, but in Odysseus' case, he has too much of it. This is clearly evident in the episode on the Cyclope's island. When Odysseus and his men are clearly safe away from the island, Odysseus brags about his exploit, Polyphemus hears this and hurls giant boulders in the direction of the ship.
