Be sure to write specifically and coherently. All generalizations should be supported by examples. I do not expect you to be able to quote form the works we have read, but if you are able to give a reasonable paraphrase, do not hesitate to do so.

Discuss Odysseus as an ideal of manly conduct and resourcefulness in ancient Greek society. Naturally you should concentrate on the The Odyssey, but the Iliad may also be relevant. What traits does Odysseus embody, and why there these especially valued by the Greeks? Towards what individuals or groups does he show the greatest affinity? What individuals or groups stand at the farthest remove from remove from Odysseus and his system of values? What temptations does he overcome in his journeying, and what kinds of knowledge and understanding does he derive from it. It's possible for an Odysseus to exist today, except as a limited, he-man parody? In this context you may want to compare him to contemporary cinematic action heroes, such as James Bond, or the characters portrayed by Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, and Tom Cruse. Can the adjective polumetis, which Homer applies to Odysseus, be applied to these characters as well?