In the book The Odyssey, how is Odysseus a man of contradictory?

Question

In the book The Odyssey, how is Odysseus a man of contradictory? Were his actions justify? Why or why not? Finally, how did he change from beginning to the end of the book?

Answer 1

I cannot understand the sytax of your question, so I'll answer what I believe your question is: 1) The contradictions of Odysseus (Ulysses?) are those of mankind itself. He is reported as a God-like superhero, but we find that Homer describes him in all too-human terms (for instance, he is a man of integrity who often wins by trickery - not only at Troy, but in each of his adventures on his way home). 2) Were his actions justified? Usually not - otherwise his story would not be so compelling to readers over a thousand years in time - remember again, it is his very "human-ness" which draws readers into the story. Did his wife's suiters deserve what he did? 3) His change was very natural - again his human-ness - in that at the beginning he was a fiery patriot willing to sacrifice his life. But his Odyssey took many years, and when his youthful strength was gone, he began to depend upon his mental abilities time and again to save him and his followers. He is much older and wiser when he returns home.

Answer 2

One big contradiction is that he is always wanting to get home...yet he often stops over at islands for years at a time, shacking up with the goddesses. I guess he didn't want to get home THAT badly ^_~