An Epic Odyssey

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The stories of epic heroes remain important to many cultures, the Greeks in particular. These tales of heroic men not only entertain, but they teach people about morals and values that most epic heroes exemplify, such as intelligence and bravery. To be an epic hero, characters are usually highly born, favored by the gods, perform great deeds, and have flaws. These tales are told in heightened style and occur in grand settings. Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, meets these traits and is considered a prime example of an epic hero. His story is told in Homer’s The Odyssey and The Iliad. However, Odysseus’s journey sets him apart from other epic heroes. Most heroes follow the hero’s journey, in which a hero begins in the ordinary world, is called to destiny, crosses the threshold, defeats obstacles, receives help, defeats the undefeatable, and then returns home. Odysseus does not strictly follow this typical structure because his return home is one of the biggest challenges of all.

Odysseus meets the first trait of a hero, to begin with, by being highly born. Although Odysseus is not a descendent of the gods, like some epic heroes, he is the King of Ithaca. Odysseus is a strong leader and is loved by his servants, many of whom stay loyal to him while he is gone. Odysseus keeps Ithaca very close to his heart. On his journey, he longs to return to Ithaca’s soil to be with his wife Penelope. Heroes are often associated with a group of people or land, as Odysseus is associated with Ithaca.

The next trait, being favored by the gods, Odysseus meets, but not completely. The goddess Athena particularly favors Odysseus. Athena constantly watches over Odysseus, and she makes frequent appearances to him to guide him. For example, Athena appears ...

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...tep because his whole journey’s purpose is to return home. His true return home is when he reunites with Penelope and his father, Laertes. He is finally with the people who love him and are faithful to him, and the conflicts are over. However, not everything is the way it used to be. Many of Ithaca’s greatest men are dead, killed for their lust. Servants are dead as well for not being faithful to their master Odysseus. There is almost another outbreak of violence between the people of Ithaca and Odysseus for killing the suitors, but Athena ends the violence. Peace is restored in Ithaca.

In summary, Odysseus is a unique character, but he has all of the traits of an epic hero. His journey follows a hero’s journey, but in a different way than most other heroes. His heroism and unique journey are reasons that The Odyssey is popular thousands of years from its origin.

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