What makes literature so special is the fact that some words never have one rigid definition. What a word truly means is always up for debate, and can be defined differently by all. One of the most common aspects of a true hero such as Odysseus is the possession of the willingness and self-control that is required to endure both physical and mental hardships. Moreover, some even go to say that it is this willingness and self-control that truly defines ones heroism (Ames 4). The rational behind this statement lies in the observations that not only must a true hero overcome their desires completely (Ames 4), but suffering in general provides opportunity for human distinction (Ames 2-3). If Odysseus proves that he has been able to overcome …show more content…
In order to lure the men inside the horse to come out, Helen of Troy began to mimic the voices of the wives of the men inside the horse, Odysseus included. Odysseus disregarded his thoughts and desires and was not only able to resist it himself, but was able to make each and every man in the horse able to resist (CITATION). Now looking at his journey home, Odysseus ran into the infamous Seirênês, who lure seamen with their irresistible singing and then trap them at their island. Whereas the majority of seamen are unable to control their vices and end up losing their lives as a result, Odysseus forced his crew to tie him up and. Once again, Odysseus was able to overcome his desires by having complete disregard for his hunger. After his crew had possession of one of the cattle’s of Helios, the entire crew was immensely overcome with hunger, as a result of being out in the ocean for days. There was specific instruction not to eat the cattle, as it would anger the god, Helios, and confirm certain doom for all that ate it. Despite these severe consequences, thoughts of eating the cattle crossed the minds of all, including Odysseus, but one ______ separated Odysseus form the rest. One stormy day, his crew could not suppress their temptations, and while Odysseus was under the main deck, his crew decided to feast on the sacred …show more content…
Sarpedon, hero of the Trojan War himself even talked about how the people that are given the best seat at the table, the best land, those that are looked upon as heroes and immortals, are those that have shown bravery (Gray 2). Bravery provides a certain level of distinction for a man because of the sheer difficulty it takes to possess. Diomedes, famed hero of the Trojan War, says it best when he says, “Courage. The greatest power of all…stands above honor, ruling, or anything else (Ford 1). Risking ones own life in order to save those of many others can be considered one of the most valorous actions, and these actions are performed many times by Odysseus. One example was when his fellow crewmates were lured into the house of Kirke. Kirke was able to use her evil powers to turn all of the men into pigs, and then lock them up in a cage. Knowing the lives of his friends were in jeopardy, Odysseus was willing to go into the house of Kirke, and save them, despite knowing there was a great chance he himself would not return. However, bravery is often double-sided, because not only does it mean one is willing to put ones life on the line, but it also mean that one never falls in to the pit of despair. For example, the island of Polyphemos, when all hope seemed to be lost inside the cave, Odysseus rose up with strength and led his crew to safety. What Odysseus had at times like
Opposed to that of common thought, superman is not the only type of character that fits the heroic persona. Although “superheroes” typically come to mind when one thinks of a hero, there are many other ordinary people capable of extraordinary things. A hero is a person who takes the initiative to set out on a journey of internal growth. During this symbolic journey, one truly finds himself and betters the lives of other mentally and physically. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus takes the path of heroism, resulting in the reborn spirit of a selfless, modest hero. During the process, Odysseus is faced with many challenges that he must overcome in order to earn the noble title. Odysseus proves himself to be a well-deserving hero because he is intelligent with his decisions, he displays cleverness, and he rids himself of hubris.
Odysseus had many horrible experiences throughout his trip but one of the worst is the encounter with the Land of the Lotus Eaters. After him and his men ate the lotus flowers they forgot their mission to get home which made their trip even longer and he lost some of his men. After the Lotus Eaters they encountered the island of the Cyclopes and he lost even more men there fighting off the horrible creature. Once they started sailing the seas for longer periods of time things became worse for Odysseus and his men. He had to fight the urge to eat Helios’s cattle even though all he had was bread and rice. He had to be tied to the post on the boat to fight the urge to fall into Sirens trap, but not all his men were as strong as he was. He had
Odysseus is unique among epic heroes in that his strength comes not from inhuman powers or exceptional physical ability, but mainly from his mind. Odysseus, regularly uses cunning, guile, and superiority of intellect to overcome obstacles. In this paper I will compare Odysseus to other epic heroes, both in terms of character and in terms of responses to crises, comparing his reactions with those of other heroes placed in similar situations.
To begin with, Odysseus deserves to be called a hero because his courage is necessary for his survival. If Odysseus did not have courage, then he wouldn’t have survived the journey. Even though Odysseus is not fearless, he still has courage because he fights of the terrors. When approached with Polyphemos, the Kyklops, Odysseus was very afraid because the Kyklops was a huge man-eating monster. But Odysseus had the ability to not worry, control his men, and have the courage to fight the Kyklops using his wits. Another example is when Odysseus had the option to either go to Skylla and have only six men die or go towards Kharybdis and have either all men die or all men live. Odysseus was not very sure which one to go towards. The quote “that sight-far the worst I ever suffered” (XII, line 334) shows the reader that he was not fearless and rather frightened, but he was courageous by going with his “gut” feeling and going towards Skylla to risk six men instead all of them. Odysseus is also calm when in difficult situations, which means he doesn’t worry when things take a turn for the worst. Odysseus was calm when he was floating on the middle of the sea after the gods had destroyed his ship and his companions had died because they had eaten the cattle. It took him a lot of mental courage to stay calm and have hope that the gods would...
“Oh for shame, how the mortals put the blame on us gods, for they say evils come from us, but it is they, rather, who by their own recklessness win sorrow beyond what is given,” (1.32-34) is a simple quote reminding us the entities in charge of all characters in the poem The Odyssey – the gods. Hubris, or excessive human pride, is most detested by the gods and likewise is most punishable by them. The Odyssey is a story about Odysseus and Telemachus, two heroes who throughout their adventures meet new people and face death many times. Telemachus goes to find his father after he learns from Athena that he is still alive. The two meet, and Odysseus attempts to go back to Ithaca after he was lost at sea, and on his way there becomes one of the most heroic characters in literature as we know it. Like all heroic characters, Odysseus began to display hubris as he learned how true of a hero he was. James Wyatt Cook, a historian and an expert on The Odyssey, wrote about how hubris can affect the characters that display it. He says, “Because Homer’s Odyssey is essentially comic, that episode [opened wind bag destroys ship] is only one of a series of setbacks Odysseus experiences before reaching his home in Ithaca and recovering his former kingdom and his family. Such, however, is not the case for those who display hubris with tragic outcomes.” (Cook 1) Initially, Odysseus learns about Aias who died as a cause of the excessive pride he portrays. Proteus warns Odysseus when he says, “…and Aias would have escaped doom, though Athena hated him, had he not gone widely mad and tossed outa word of defiance; for he said that in despite of the gods he escaped the great gulf of the sea, and Poseidon heard him…...
...has learned nothing from this. He sails to Thrinakia, but loses all his men because of his foolhardiness and temptation. Instead of sailing onward to another island to obtain provisions when he remembered the prophecy, he stays on the island until he runs out of sustenance. According to the Odyssey however, the ship was still intact when they reached Thrinakia, so Odysseus could have sailed on, but he must have been lured by the bleating of sheep and the lowing of cattle. Throughout Odysseus’s many sufferings the things that should have kept him up at night (like the death of his companions) did not but things such as strategies on how to slaughter the suitors have. Odysseus weakness is to his excessive hubris and overconfidence in his capabilities, in addition to that, his disability to learn from his past mistakes and failures.
Temptations of Odysseus Odysseus: a hero in every way. He is a real man, skilled in the sports, handy with a sword and spear, and a master of war strategy. Most of the challenges and adventures in his return voyage from Troy show us this even if we had no idea of his great heroic stature and accomplishments in the Trojan war. I found in my reading of the Odyssey that most of the trials the gods place upon him are readily faced with heroic means. These challenges are not necessarily welcomed by Odysseus but accepted as part of his role.
Picture this: a hero of great legends who travels to the underworld and back to get directions to his home from a blind prophet. It sounds like quite an impossible journey, but that is exactly what makes Odysseus all the more fascinating. The Odyssey, an epic poem orally transmitted by Homer, a Greek poet who wrote The Iliad, had to contain some variety of attributes that Greeks valued in a person. That one embodiment of what the Greeks found intriguing in a character is Odysseus. Odysseus is known as what is called an epic hero. An epic hero is a protagonist of a story that represents the most important attributes of a civilization. Odysseus, being based in ancient Greece, is the embodiment of intelligence, loyalty, and strength.
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.
Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey, describes the journey of Othello’s ten year long struggle to return home to his family in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus had faced many tough obstacles on his expedition, but was able to use his intelligence and ability to prevail in the end. Odysseus’s brilliance mentally and physically has been recognized by kings, fellow soldiers, and even by the gods. By looking at the epithets of Odysseus, we can see that he is recognized by not only people, but gods, to embody divine or superhuman qualities. Though those skills help him return home, they are also over amplified and causes Odysseus’s excruciating journey home and the death of all his crew.
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.
The idea of a true hero is varied from person to person, because each viewpoint has a different idea of the personality that makes one a hero. There have been many fiction and non-fiction heroes that show different character traits, which influence people’s definitions of a hero. However, each person’s unique thought about a hero still focuses about one central idea: a hero must prove himself in order to earn his heroic status. This is the cornerstone of all the opinions about heroes because heroes have to show their heroism in order to become who they are in the end. At the beginning they are inexperienced, ordinary people who go on their adventures, and face their fears and weaknesses, but they develop greatly throughout these journeys. After comprehending what true heroism is and following it only then will they become heroes even though each of them has different traits. In the epic poem The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus gains the title of hero during his journey back to Ithaka, from Troy, by proving to be one. It is through his characteristics and experiences that he becomes the well developed man at the end of the book. In truth, because of his confidence, loyalty, and difficult struggles, Odysseus becomes a genuine hero to the people he defended.
Imagine facing a giant monster with overwhelming strength that could eat two men at a meal and had you trapped with no obvious escape! Could you control your fear and plan an escape from this dire situation? Within the poem, The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus is faced with this among many other dilemmas. His life and the life of his men often depended on his ability to defeat adversaries or escape. Odysseus was a brave clever leader, but also had flaws like most men. Throughout the story, he displays his heroic character in various situations, including the encounter with the giant Cyclops monster. From “The Odyssey”, Odysseus becomes an archetype hero of many heroic stories that follow.
In the “Odyssey” there are many epic adventures and obstacles that Odysseus had to overcome with knowledge and strength but the one he had to use was his
Odysseus is unlike many heroes who seem invincible. They have no life, no feelings, no weaknesses. Odysseus feels pain, frustration and grief but at the same time his has his family and friends and those relationships and emotions are what makes him like every