Greek Hero Odysseus: The Kingly Man

George F. Kennan, an American political scientist and historian, once said, “Heroism is endurance for one moment more” (BrainyQuote). That means that perseverance even in the darkest hour is what qualifies someone as a true hero. With that in mind, it is difficult to refute the fact that Odysseus is a hero by both modern standards and a hero in Greek mythology. This Greek war leader, who spent 20 years away from home taking on challenge after challenge, surely pressed on through every moment in which his heroism was tested. Everything he did was for his men, the soldiers that at times questioned his leadership, only to find out that he was correct all along. While he had moments in which his pride overshadowed him, that was simply his confidence showing through, one of the very virtues that kept him alive. If he had not been a confident leader, perhaps his crew would have had trouble following his brilliant schemes. Odysseus was a clever man who always knew how to get out of a sticky situation. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus repeatedly proves his worth as a hero by evading trouble with his cleverness, persevering through the trials he faces, and overall acting as a loyal shepherd to his flock of men.

Odysseus uses his cleverness to save himself and his crew on many occasions throughout his journey. For one, when the men arrive at a cave that is inhabited by a Cyclops, Odysseus decides to conquer the beast and steal what goods he has. Upon finding the men feasting on his food, the Cyclops traps them and slowly begins to eat the sailors. Fearing the worst, Odysseus concocts an idea that will save them all. He is intelligent enough to know they cannot simply kill him as he explains, “If I killed him we perished there as well, ...

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...rished and he was left alone. He was loyal to his crew and never gave up on them, even after they defied him. When Odysseus returns to Ithaca he sees his son Telemachus for the first time since he was just an infant. Telemachus says to his father, “All my life your fame as a fighting man has echoed in my ears - your skill with weapons and the tricks of war…” (Homer 926-928) This shows us that Odysseus has a reputation as a hero, and while his son grew up he heard how heroic his father was. In The Odyssey, Odysseus lives up to his reputation time after time while using his cleverness and loyalty to persevere through danger.

Works Cited

Homer. “The Odyssey.” Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. Adventures in Reading. Orlando: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1989. Print.

BrainyQuote. Xplore. Web. 12 Jan. 2014. .