Odysseus’ Heroism Some say that the character Odysseus was the greatest hero of all time. This may be true, however, as any human would, Odysseus definitely possesses substantial flaws in his personality aswell. Although he is persistent and wise, rash actions may take place due to the altering of his behavior by his overconfidence and his prideful mindset. Odysseus also bears the ability to react swiftly and effectively in the face of danger, which he displays multiple times in the story. In effect, the traits of Odysseus define him as a hero, although, a controversial one at that. One of Odysseus’ most substantial attribute that makes him the hero that he is, would be his continuous persistence. This trait is partly caused by his motive. It is to achieve his one goal: return home and take back all that is his. This includes his family, his kingdom, and his home and possessions -all of which were left behind when he went to fight in the war. All these things are extremely important to Odysseus so it would …show more content…
make sense that he possesses such great persistence. This constant persistence is shown in multiple ways in just about every book in the Odyssey. For instance, Odysseus’ entire crew was killed and his boat destroyed, yet he continued on with ease. This portrays just how vital his return home is to him. In addition to persistence, Odysseus bears a high level of self-confidence which can be a disadvantage at times.
This trait grants him fearlessness and valence. Also, this overconfidence of self leads to inflammation of ego and then ultimately to sometimes careless, rash, unjust actions. In the Odyssey, after deceiving the cyclopes, Polyphemus, Odysseus and his crew begin to sail away from the island when Odysseus yells insults and curses the helpless, defeated cyclopes and informs him of his true identity. This only brings anger to Polyphemus who then hurls boulders at the ship. Odysseus, who was unable to swallow his pride, risked the lives of his crew members. Also, later in the story, one can easily see a darker side of Odysseus show during his disguised homecoming. In the scene, he is having his feet washed by Eurycleia, his childhood nurse whom he is very much close to, and he rudely threatens to end her life if she gives away his
concealment. Odysseus also possesses the innate ability of quick mindedness and cleverness (especially in the face of danger). One must bear these abilities in order to undergo what Odysseus had. There are many moments in the story when Odysseus takes advantage of his wits in order to survive and keep his crew alive. Towards the end of the story, a wise choice of Odysseus is to attack the suitors when the time is best. Odysseus arrives at his own home disguised as a poor vagabond who is unknown to everyone until now. Wisely, Odysseus patiently waits for the opportune moment to strike. Some of Odysseus’ actions could be argued whether or not they are truly heroic, however, Odysseus is a hero. He possesses qualities of courage, strength, and wisdom. Although he may bear some flaws and traits that negatively alter his behavior, his heroism is true.
Odysseus, during his long journey, exhibited many heroic qualities including bravery, strength, and determination. He was determined to return to his family after hs journey, and he bravely fought to stay alive during the cyclope situation, as well as other situations, and showed strength by being able to battle the cyclopes in self-defense. However, Odysseus was also obnoxiously arrogant about his victory and was actually very selfish throughout his entire story; he almost did not leave his town to help with the war because he did not want to leave to protect his family. Although Odysseus exemplified heroic qualities, this does not make him a true hero.
In the story The Odyssey, Odysseus showed many traits. I believe the most important trait he showed was loyalty. He showed it in multiple situations. Odysseus showed loyalty when dealing with the sirens, the louts eaters, and the cyclops.
Odysseus has all the qualities made to be a true hero. Not only did Odysseus fight on behalf of the Greeks in Troy (Trojan War), but everything he went through he learned a valuable lesson at the end; Odysseus endured so much during his journey going back to Ithaca but he never gave up on any of his principles. He also had good escape strategies, and he risked his life to save others. Imagine you being on the same journey Odysseus went through, do you honestly believe you would have survived? He made some minor mistakes along the way but nobody’s perfect. That’s why Odysseus is a hero because, he’s strong, and intelligent and was able to get out of sticky situations.
Christopher Reeve once said that “a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” While he showed this by persevering after disconnecting his brain from his spine, Odysseus showed this though his actions. He fought monsters and went through various hardships, but never gave up. Throughout his journey in Homer’s The Odyssey, he portrayed three lessons that can also be learned in real life.
Odysseus, the epic hero blessed with great strength, intellect, and wit demonstrated that he was recognizable through his human error and flaw. Throughout the epic, Odysseus was well aware of his faults and did what was possible to control himself. His journey was a torment of temptations which he needed to overcome and each one of them challenged him to stay true and increased his will. While some of the temptations were just obstacles and others controlled his destiny, each one defined Odysseus. Odysseus evolved from a flawed man into an epic hero, overcoming his submission to temptation and receiving the ultimate glory he deserved.
The Odyssey shows the hero’s ordeal. Odysseus blinds Polyphemus, the one-eyed cyclops, causing him to ask his father, Poseidon, to make Odysseus return home alone after a long voyage. Poseidon sees Odysseus leaving Calypso's and he rams “the clouds together-both hands clutching his trident”(161:321-322) which turned the waves into chaos. Poseidon is furious that Odysseus is escaping Calypso’s island, so he tries to stop him. Odysseus is facing the biggest life or death crisis. Odysseus
Overall, Odysseus is a hero because Odysseus is a clever and intelligent man, he is a courageous soldier and leader, and he is loyal to his crew. He never gives up even though it seems like nothing will go right. Odysseus fights against difficult odds and takes unimaginable risks, but stays loyal to his crew one hundred percent of the way. Odysseus is not only a model hero, but he is an epic
Odysseus portrays himself as anything but a hero throughout Homer’s The Odyssey. Odysseus goes through his life believing he is the best. He has no regard for anyone’s feelings but his own, and he believes nothing and no one can harm him, not even the gods. Odysseus feels he is always the leader and no one can tell him otherwise. Odysseus should not be considered a hero because he portrays himself as a selfish man that failed his crew, and is controlled by his hubris.
The Odyssey demonstrates Odysseus' hero and human characteristics throughout his journey. His humanism is demonstrated when he displays his curiosity and feelings during his encounters on his journey. However, Odysseus demonstrates heroism when he is defeating obstacles in his journey. Another way his heroism is shown was when he saves his crew for danger. In the Odyssey, Odysseus demonstrates characteristics of a hero and human.
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.
A great trait of a hero is loyalty. Odysseus must not understand the concept of loyalty because he does not show in his actions this trait. One event which shows Odysseus loyalty is when he stays with Calypso for seven years. Odysseus did not remain faithful to his wife while he was away from home. Another occasion when Odysseus is not loyal to Penelope is when he stays for quite some time with Circe because she gives him many
For a man to turn down the opportunity for immortality and go through the years of hardships that Odysseus does, he has to have an immeasurable amount of motivation to return home. The forces driving Odysseus to get home had to run deep in his soul for he knew of the journey
In his epic, Odyssey, Homer reveals the monomyth of the hero named Odysseus faces by retelling his call to adventure, the many trials he must face, and his return to his family.
Odysseus, man of many wiles, husband of Penelope, father of Telemachus, Son of Laertes and Anticlea, has all the qualities of a hero, but also has some flaws. Odysseus seems to be more than the average person, therefore he is an average person with a mixture of good and bad qualities. Intelligence, and strength, are both great traits that describe Odysseus, and his weaknesses are his pride, sensuality, lack of leadership, and temptation. First of all, Odysseus shows great heroism through his intelligence. This quote for example “It was so strong that we usually diluted it in water twenty to one.
The concept of heroism has been a topic of hot debate since the beginning of time itself. The disparities between the Greek concept of heroism and the modern concept of heroism are huge. In this century, a hero is the one in shining armor, willing to lay down his life for the safety of others. However, it will be preposterous to dismiss this definition, although it does not exactly exemplify the Greek concept of heroism. It is, in fact, one of the qualities of a hero as shown in not only The Odyssey, but also in The Iliad. In these two poems by Homer, the heroes eventually die, but their deeds precede them.