Homer's Odyssey On a ten-year voyage across cold, rough seas with nothing but the biting wind at your back, physical strength is a necessity. The chances of successfully returning home with weak limbs are not great. In Homer's Odyssey, Odysseus is the epitome of power. His muscular physique undoubtedly grants him the strength to swim, climb, run, and even kill to get back to his wife. But Odysseus cannot return home by physical strength alone, as many of the obstacles he faces are mental. Perhaps the greatest of these obstacles is temptation. The odyssey of the "battle-weary" man is filled with temptations of mind, body and soul from which he must not only free himself, but also overcome, in order to return home and stake his glory. The first clear example of temptation in Ulysses The Journey takes place on the island of the Lotus Eaters. The delicious but devious lotus fruit, he and his men discover, has the power to mess with one's memory enough to make one forget home. While some men succumb to the fruit, Odysseus demonstrates remarkable self-control. This is in stark contrast to how he behaves in other tempting situations on the trip. In this scene, however, Ulysses does not forget his desire for home and this is why his reaction to this temptation is interesting. He immediately shows us that he has self-control and has a goal that he is eager to achieve. This suggests that the willpower he lacks later in the poem is, in fact, always within him. It's not something he needs to learn, but something he needs to improve and make a permanent part of his identity instead of fleeting. This scene shows that Odysseus has the power to confront something fascinating and not be fooled.Notp...... middle of paper......and journey, the cunning fighter is not hasty at the end of the poem . Disguised as an old beggar, he could have revealed his true identity much sooner than he does. Instead he waits for the right moment to strike. Suitors test his patience and perhaps his temper boils inside, but he doesn't show his fury until the perfect moment. When the time comes to strike, he combines the cunning he's always had with a newfound sense of control. The belief that what doesn't kill someone can only make them stronger is especially true in the case of Odysseus. His journey is peppered with temptations that collectively strengthen his will. Some of them distract him temporarily, while others are meant to seal his fate. And even as he falls, makes mistakes, and tests limits along the way, his courage and desire to return home lead to ultimate enlightenment...