Journal 1: Please describe Ulysses-What does he look like and act like? Try to be specific.


Ulysses is a man who lived around the time of the Trojan War. He was one of the Greek soldiers during that war and also the person who thought of using a wooden horse to trick the Trojans into thinking that they had won. After the war, Ulysses and one hundred-fifty men sailed back to their homeland, Ithaca; however they encountered many ordeals along the way, resulting in Ulysses losing his whole crew.

Although the book does not give us an exact description of Ulysses, it can be assumed that he looked like a typical Greek. He would have, of course, looked wild after his many hardships. On page 71, it says that "His shoulders were bleeding, his legs muddy, and his hair crusted with salt."

Ulysses was a very stragetic and clever man. His intelligence came at hand before the Trojan War (When he suggested that all of the suitors of Helen should say an oath that would refrain them from killing her husband and join together) and during the Trojan War, when he came up with the Trojan Horse trick. When at Circe's island, he was told by Circe that he would be turned into a fox by her when he was close to death, to match his swiftness and cunning ways.

Ulysses usually thought about saving his sailors' lives instead of saving his life. For instance, in the land of the Lotus Eaters, he resisted the effects of the flowers and dragged every one of his crew to the ship so they could escape. However, there was one exception where during the trip to meet the ghosts, he deliberately killed one of his own men in order to find the entrance to the Underworld.

On whole, Ulysses was a great hero who proved himself to be worthy of any challenge. In my opinion, he was even greater than any other hero who came before his time.