It is the way other people perceive your character that identifies who you truly are as a person. Homer's, The Odyssey, tells the story of a man, Odysseus, who has been stranded on an island, prohibiting him from his safe arrival home from the Trojan War. The brave soldier is now trying to return home to Ithica, to reunite with his family, and reclaim his estate. The first four books of The Odyssey prepare the readers for the introduction of Odysseus, as he is seen through the eyes of his closest friends and foes. His wife, Penelope, patiently awaits his return, while his son, Telemachus, eagerly seeks out to find him; neither of them knowing what to expect. Even the Gods speak highly of Odysseus, despite his falling out with Poseidon, and attempt to give him a safe return home. .
King Nestor is among the friends of Odysseus who accounts for his character. Nestor was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of Telemachus to his quarters, but took no time to realize that Telemachus was Odysseus' son, comparing their way with words (Odyssey 3. P.36). He tells stories of his time during the Trojan war, and how he and Odysseus would never quarrel. If you were to base Odysseus' character simply on the words of Nestor alone, he would be the combination of all things that describe a hero: cunning, brave, strategic and intellectual.
Athena gives the audience the most insight to Odysseus' character, as she shows much concern for his well being during the first four books of this epic. She knows he deserves to be home by now and does whatever she can to assure he does so, to the point of disguising herself as Mentes to get Telemachus to help her (Odyssey 1. P. 5-6). When trying to persuade Telemachus to join her on her rescue mission, she often compares him to Odysseus, stating that if his "father's spirits courses through [his] veins " he would "lack neither courage nor sense. " (Odyssey 2. P.27). This makes it clear that she admires Odysseus.
