Epic poems usually contain characters classified as heroic and strong. Ulysses is the main character of this epic poem. He is the Ithaca king with a wife and a son. Odysseus left his home to join the Trojan War, but his crew was disloyal to the gods, making his journey longer than he had planned. There are three traits that Odysseus possesses, and these are the main things that bring him home. Although Odysseus is both heroic and strong, he is also courageous, responsible, and loyal. Bravery shines through Odysseus and there are several stories where he proves everything that is in him. One instance would be when he visited the land of the dead. Odysseus had to go to a place where spirits go before moving on to the underworld. Odysseus continued to perform the ritual even though he was terrified of the spirits. Another time he shows his courage is when he crosses paths with a Cyclops, who is a giant one-eyed man who possesses abundant strength. When the men were trapped by the Cyclops, Odysseus continued to attack him, saying: "But you are crazy, unbearable, a damn monster! After this, will another traveler come to see you?" He knew the Cyclops could have crushed him at any moment. The fact that he continued to sail the sea knowing that Poseidon was out to catch him was very brave. When he finally arrived in Ithaca, he and his son, Telemachus, had to fight off a crowd of suitors. He always fought them mercilessly, even though he was outnumbered. While there are several other stories where Odysseus showed courage, he also showed great responsibility. Heroes must be responsible for anything to be done. A can't decide that when he hears... middle of paper... Without him, they would be fighting much longer. After the men had passed the walls, they began the battle. As they fought the Trojans, they began to retreat, but Odysseus shouted at them to keep fighting. Odysseus had confidence in success and they won because of him. No matter how many islands Odysseus had to go to, he was always confident that Ithaca would be the last. Every hero had to demonstrate courage, faith and responsibility. Homer exploits them wonderfully within Ulysses throughout the epic. Odysseus was never influenced by his crew and tried to set a good example for them to follow. Although none of the crew except Odysseus have returned home, he still shows these traits at home with his son. If Odysseus had lost any of them during the journey, he would never have returned to Ithaca. Homer shows that people must carry on no matter what.