The Odyssey tells a story of a man named Odysseus who is trying to find his way home to Ithaca. Although I have read only half of the Odyssey I can tell that the Odysseus is a dynamic character. Odysseus learns how to conduct his life and lead his crew from the challenges and obstacles that he faces throughout his journey. This supports the theme that as an individual experiences the challenges of life; he or she grows, matures, and learns how to conduct his or her life successfully. Mistakes (if they aren’t fatal) are learning experiences. The events in the Odyssey, mainly Odysseus’s journey home portrays that Odysseus changes his behavior, matures and develops through out the book; the mark of a dynamic character.
In Greek mythology there was a custom to give sacrifices to the gods, as a symbol of gratitude. However after winning the battle of Troy, Odysseus and the people of Ithaca did not thank the gods with a sacrifice. This shows immaturity and irresponsibility in Odysseus because he should have told his people to thank the gods. Therefore the gods become angry with him. After he leaves the battle of Troy, a goddess named Calypso holds Odysseus captive on her island.
Odysseus suffered many years on Calypsos Island. The gods finally decide to force Calypso to release Odysseus because they realized his suffering. Every God except for Poseidon, the god of the sea, pities Odysseus. Poseidon is angered by the release of Odysseus because he is still enraged that Odysseus blinded his son. Poseidon decides to make Odysseus journey home extremely difficult. The first misfortune that Odysseus faces after leaving the island of calypso is that his boat gets caught in a huge storm that was caused by Poseidon. The storms’ waves bash into the side of his boat and break his mast. Ino, a sea nymph sees that he is struggling and quickly decides to help him. Ino hands Odysseus a scarf that will protect him against the sea. Ino has specific instructions with this...