Characters

• The Suitors


  Young, handsome and from noble families, expected for heroes, but subversive as they are immoral men.
• Antinous


  Ringleader and most obviously malicious.

  Throws stool at beggar Odysseus.

  Leads the assassination plot against Telemachus.
• Eurymachus


  Clever and manipulative one.

  Affair with Melantho.

  Only suitor to charge Odysseus head on in the battle of the hall which shows honourable attitude to kleos
• Amphinomus


  Most sympathetic suitor

  Liked by Penelope

  Marked for death by Athene and killed by Telemachus
• Odysseus' Crew


  Sometimes sympathetic - Cyclopes

  Sometimes incompetent and disobey orders - Aeolus’ bag of wind and Helios' cattle
• Eurylochus


  Member of Odysseus' crew

  Disobedient and challenges Odysseus' authority

  Persuades others to kill Helios' cattle

  Smart - doesn't fall into Circe's trap
• Calypso


  Subversive female character - supernatural/divine

  Keeps Odysseus on her island, Ogygia, for seven years

  Complains about males being able to keep lovers but not her

  Hermes tells her to let Odysseus go and she eventually does

  Provides xenia to Hermes and gives resources to Odysseus
• Eurycleia​


  Odysseus' childhood maid

  Recognised Odysseus due to a scar on his leg - unplanned

  Odysseus uses violence to keep her quiet
• Penelope 


  Odysseus' wife

  Presented as the ideal wife

  Intelligent - fools the suitors by weaving funeral shroud and unravelling it at night

  Tests Odysseus to see if it is really him
• Nausicaa


  Ideal young bride

  Too shy to talk to her father about marriage and plays with other girls her age - highlights her youth

  Mature too - Protects him from xenophobic Phaeacians, brave when Odysseus begs for xenia.
• Circe


  Initially presented as antagonistic

  Is defeated by him

  Gives Odysseus lots of advice - Hades, Scylla and Charybdis, Sirens