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Epic hero characteristics
Epic heroes characteristics
The epic hero characteristics
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Odysseus has shown the qualities of a hero in The Odyssey. Odysseus can be described in many words, and among those is confident. Odysseus was able to overcome the wildest of challenges that the army faced and overcame adversity through perseverance and a strong will to keep fighting along with the gift of strength and intelligence in war. Odysseus was able to fight of creatures such as the Cyclopes and spend long days and nights out on sea for months and maybe years at a time while Poseidon was angry with Odysseus and sent the dangerous of waters to Odysseus. And when Odysseus finally returns home he unleashes his fury on the suitors that tried to replace the throne of Ithaca with one of their own and take all of the belongings which Odysseus had owned. Odysseus the strategist is what Odysseus is called and so he absolutely is a mastermind at strategy. After all, he did come up with the idea of the Trojan Horse, perhaps one of the greatest war stories ever told. …show more content…
Although Odysseus is confident and can lead just about any group of people to victory, Odysseus also showcases tons of arrogance like when he taunts Prometheus just to slay him.
Arrogance is not ideal in a leader or hero because no one wants an arrogant megaphone guarding their lives or protecting them from harm. This also does not make Odysseus seem to symbolize that Ithaca or Greece as a whole needed as a king. Yes, he possess a plethora of talents but arrogance is the anvil that continues to propel Odysseus downwards into a spiral along with the civilians of Ithaca and not to mention the suitors which he kills towards the end of The Odyssey. All in all Odysseus ultimately displays the criteria for an epic hero. Not only that, but Odysseus also doubles as a leader and chief of an army. Odysseus is cunning, confident, and a fighter. Odysseus may be arrogant but he sure has a reason to be. Without Odysseus The Odyssey would no longer be an epic without it’s epic
hero.
One of Odysseus’ traits is bravery. One example of Odysseus’ bravery is when he injures a Cyclops that is 5 times his size, “I drew it from the coals and my four fellows/ gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclops/ as more than natural force nerved them, straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it/ deep in his crater eye. 329-332” This quote shows how brave Odysseus and his men are to face the Cyclops. Odysseus was intelligent to think about this idea, but he was brave for actually following through and doing it. Odysseus was also brave for fighting Penelope’s suitors even when he was outnumbered, “Now shrugging off his rags the wiliest fighter of the islands/ leapt and stood on the broad doorsill, his own bow in his hand/ he poured out at his feet a rain of arrows from the quiver/ and spoke to the c...
Being so cunning and intelligent allowed Odysseus to be such a tactical person when it came to battle. Odysseus' reason for being so good at battle is the fact that he was a fearless person and would stop a nothing.
When people think of Odysseus, they think of a great, cunning, warrior. Who wouldn’t see him that way, he fought his way through Troy and embarked on a journey back home to see his son and wife again. On the surface Odysseus seems like a genius but in Homer’s, The Odyssey, Odysseus shows many instances where he outwits his foes but his foolishness heavily outweighs his smarts; he becomes boastful after a victory which leads to more hardships, he leaves precious cargo in the open for his brutish crew to mess with, and refuses help from the gods which nearly leads to his demise.
Arrogance has been the downfall of many great leaders including Odysseus. Examples of Odysseus’s arrogance are clearly discernible at the Cyclops’s island. “Here we stand, beholden for your help, or any gifts you give – as custom is to honor strangers. We would entreat you, great Sir, have a care for the gods’ courtesy; Zeus will avenge the unoffending guest” (Homer 900). This exhibits Odysseus’s arrogance as he threatens a much stronger foe with the god’s power, not his own. “Cyclops, if ever mortal men inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca!” (908). This is another illustration of Odysseus’s deadly ego. Despite his crewmate’s suggestions, he taunts Polyphemus, almost
Odysseus is strong, loyal and brave. Odysseus is referred as being strong and hard working. He is the friend you'd want to call for help to finish all the tasks you need to finish. Odysseus is strong and hard-working, but above it, he is the hardest working for anyone else. Odysseus has never ordered his men to do something he won't or can't do. He manages to constantly challenge himself more than his men. Odysseus is a born leader based on all of his qualities. He isn't ruling his men around him because he wants power. Odysseus was born to become a great leader and have control and powered. He is not a lazy slacker who is bossing his servants around; instead, he is next to the building and cutting on whatever task needs to occur to complete his ship. Eurylochos could have complained about overworking and not having time to relax, but Eurylochos recognizes Odysseus work ethic and respects him for
Homer’s Odyssey has been a well-known story that has been passed down for generations. The story that Homer is telling conveys some valuable historical information representative of the ancient Greeks of his time. One such thread that can be traced throughout the ancient Greek world is on the subject of human conduct. The best way to examine the human conduct portrayed in the Odyssey, one must examine the characteristics of the individual. As such, two examples of the good and bad role models of human conduct can be seen in Odysseus and Telemachus.
Once studied in depth, Odysseus, from the epic poem, Odyssey by Homer, is not a hero. Odysseus, although known as a “kingly and wise man” (I, 87) to the gods, clearly does not behave like one. A hero is one that attempts to help others despite putting themselves at risk and is also a good leader. One is not a hero if he is helping just so that he has bragging rights, but is helping because he or she wants other people to be able to achieve their goal, end their pain, or even go home after a long journey. As Odysseus makes decisions throughout the story, Odysseus becomes less and less like a hero, when he demonstrates hubris, shows poor leadership skills, and kills unmercifully.
Although Odysseus shows he is prideful in Homer’s Odyssey, he also demonstrates rhetorical skills, wisdom, and compassion, which makes him an effective leader.
Odysseus is a hero because he is a courageous leader, a quick thinker and a modest man. Odysseus shows many forms of courage throughout the epic, weather he is saving a fellow crew member or regaining his crown over Ithaka. Although he might have started out his journey as a selfish man he changes into a just and fair man who not only cares about himself but also the lives of his fellow crew. he also learns to trust the gods and let them rule his life. Odysseus is a true hero whose action save lives and help him return home.
In the story the Odyssey by Homer, a very important question is asked: Is Odysseus admirable or not admirable as a hero as a leader. Within the text, it’s shown that he is admirable because he tried everything in his power to get his men back home to their families safe and sound in Ithaca. Many people can read in the text that Odysseus did indeed have his flaws (as does every human being no matter the era) but he tried to make up for his flaws by using his knowledge and skill to get his men out of dangerous situations.
Odysseus intelligence and ability to inspire his men was heroic, because he inspired his men. He inspired them by making them brave and to keep rowing towards Scylla. Odysseus was also very intelligent that made him and his whole men brave. He wasn’t afraid of anything even if he knew danger was around but nothing would stop Odysseus.
The main character of the Odyssey, Odysseus the King of Ithaca is given a complex personality to an extent where it is hard to identify whether he is a true hero or not. True heroism is only achieved when a person achieves certain qualities that portray heroism. Odysseus is not a hero based on the standards of merciful, selfless, and gentle because of his actions of sacrificing his men, killing the suitors and being ruthless throughout the Odyssey. Along with many others qualities these three are helpful and necessary in a hero. A hero must be willing to do service for others and put the needs of others safety and protection before his own. Odysseus does not even come close to matching these qualities because he is a person, who only serves of himself, and he sacrifices his allies to achieve his goals and often he takes action ruthlessly.
I belive that Odysseus is not an epic hero and the following reasons expilans why.One reason that Odysseus is not an epic hero is because he is not loyal to his wife. In the Odyssey Odysseus sleeps with Calypso, a beautiful nymph. His gloating also has gotten him into some trouble. When he was gloating to polyphemus Odysseus shouted his name and that caused Odysseus and his crew to get cursed. One last reason why Odysseus is not an epic hero is because when he gets the bag of winds from Aeolus he did not tell his crew that that was going to bring them home.
When talking about Odysseus, people often describe him as heroic, brave, and intelligent. They recall the many incredible feats he achieved like that of outsmarting and blinding a Cyclops. They also mention Odysseus’s brilliant idea of the Trojan Horse that helped the Greeks defeat the Trojans. While Odysseus did show the makings of an excellent leader, his actions continually contradicted them. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus’s tragic flaw, hubris, pushes him to act in ways that go against the definition of a good leader. He allowed arrogance to interfere with his job of bringing his troops and himself home, and for that he is an inadequate commander.
Odysseus went through many tough challenges including the ten year war and being stuck at sea for another ten years. But he always kept one goal in mind and that was to get home to his family and his land. Odysseus is labeled as a epic hero because of his courage, his quick thinking, and strength.The definition of a epic hero is “a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events” and odysseus fits this description.