Epic Hero In The Odyssey

Definition: “An epic hero is the larger-than-life character in an epic--a long narrative poem about important events in the history or folklore of a culture. The epic hero demonstrates traits that are valued by society. The character’s traits can be communicated in narration as well as through dialogue.”

Example: “And I was filled with laughter to see how like a charm the name deceived them...I drew on all my wits, and ran through tactics, reasoning as a man will for dear life, until a trick came--and it pleased me well...Three abreast I tied them silently together, twining cords of willow from the ogre’s bed; then slung a man under each middle one to ride there safely, shielded left and right” (lines 364-364, 373-375, 378-382). Homer, The

Odysseus obviously presents these traits in the way that he is able to escape and defeat Polyphemus. His crew looks up to him as an honorable leader and trusts him with their lives, and he feels the same way toward them. Homer constructs a perfect example of a strong protagonist and Odysseus’ cleverness of his little scheme evidently creates a feeling of success and accomplishment for him and his crew. This is only one example of many different occasions that Odysseus is rightfully claimed an epic hero. A similar condition arises when Odysseus has to block out the song of the Sirens, a threat to sailors, when he and his crew pass by their island. He urges his crew to “tie me up, tight as a splint, erect along the mast, lashed to the mast, and if I shout and beg to be untied, take more turns of the rope to muffle me” (lines 695-698). True heroism is displayed in this scene by the way that Odysseus is able to sacrifice his strength or sanity and trust his crew in order to fulfill their goal of passing the Sirens. Through Odysseus’ achievements, Homer forms an incredible epic hero that is able to draw the plot of the