The Odyssey is a classic example of the hero’s journey. Odyseus, a king, sets out to fight in the Trojan war for ten years, only to travel home for ten more. Along the way he is forced to fight monsters, witches, and encounter gods. During this endless journey his only goal being to see his wife and son once more, and return his men home safely. Modern literary scholars have begun to argue that Odysseus is not a hero. However, upon further examination it is clear that Odysseus is in fact a hero for the following reasons. He blinded the cyclops, he travelled to the underworld, and he saved his men from being turned into animals forever. As stated earlier, the Odyssey tells the tale of Odysseus’ journey back to his kingdom, Ithaka. He and …show more content…
his fellow warriors must overcome extreme challenges if they wish to see their loved ones again. For example they fight a sea monster, narrowly escape a hungry cyclops, and evade a witch who has the ability to turn men to animals. Through it all our hero, Odysseus, never failed to sacrifice himself, and remain level headed for the benefit of his crew. First of all, Odysseus is a hero for blinding the cyclops and allowing his men to escape.
If he had killed the cyclops his men would have died in Polyphemus’ cave. Instead Odysseus’ wit and cleverness allowed his men to escape, and live to see another day. This proves he is in fact a hero, because he is always thinking one step ahead with the survival of his crew being his first priority. It shows leadership, and courage, both of which are listed in the definition of a hero. Odysseus is also a hero because he travelled to the underworld, a feat which no mortal man had ever accomplished. He was seeking the blind prophet Tiresias who would grant him the answers he needed to find his way back to Ithaka. He sacrificed himself, and only himself, to get his men home safely. He insisted that no one else go with him because it was too risky. This selflessness, and willingness to sacrifice himself for the benefit of others is what makes him a hero. He showed extreme bravery in the face of danger, and managed to return …show more content…
alive. Finally, Odysseus is a hero for saving his men who had been turned to animals. Despite the fact he was starving he spared the pig from being eaten for the small chance it could be one of his men. While the others just wanted to eat him, Odysseus climbed a mountain and drank a witches potion to reverse the curse placed on his crew. He was hungry, and tired, but he persevered in order to save lives. He didn’t let temptation get in the way of what he knew was right. Once again Odysseus displays selflessness to defend the well being of his crew. On the other side of the spectrum, all of Odysseus’ men were killed and he returned to Ithaka alone.
By today’s standards this would definitely be considered poor leadership. A captain goes down with his ship. However time and time again Odysseus sacrificed himself for his crew and still they perished. At one point they even went against what he had directly told them not to do, which was open the bag. That cost them several years of trying to return home. In the end there is only so much you can do as a leader and Odysseus did everything he could. He put his life on the line for others and that is a hero. In conclusion, Despite what some literary scholars believe, Odysseus is in fact a hero. He blinded the cyclops, travelled to the underworld, and reversed a curse on his men. He never wavered from his course, that course being Ithaka, and making sure his men get there alive. Today, every soldier overseas is considered a hero because they are risking their lives for our safety. Odysseus risked his life over and over for others, thus making him a
hero.
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.
Odysseus confirms his role as a hero because he puts thought into all of his choices, he is quick-witted, and he frees himself of excessive self pride. From sacrificing six of his own men to surrendering his self pride to the gods, Odysseus accepts the noble title and proves himself deserving of being a hero. He took on a journey in which he grew into himself and rid himself of the one thing that held him back all along; his hubris. At the end of the journey, Odysseus went from being a selfish, cocky leader to being a selfless, modest hero.
The Hero’s Journey is never an easy one. This particular journey, as detailed in Homer’s The Odyssey, is one of struggle, loss, heartache, pain, growth and triumph. It is comprised of many steps that Odysseus has to overcome and battle through in order to achieve his final goal of reaching his home and his loved ones. From the Call to Adventure to the Freedom or Gift of living, Odysseus conquered them all. The story begins in the middle of the story, as many of the oral Greek traditions did, with the Journey of Telemachus to find his father. Although Telemachus has not yet met his father, it is almost as if they are journeying together, where the end of both of their journeys results in being reunited. Telemachus journeys from being a boy to becoming a man, while out in the sea Odysseus is battling Poseidon to return to the home that wife that he loves and the home he has left behind.
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.
Odysseus is not a hero because, he is foolish, lacks faithfulness and is consumed by his Hubris and selfishness. Although he may be considered a war hero, Odysseus is not a hero in other respects. This is so because he is self-centered which is clear because he doesn't value other people's lives. He also is foolish risking the lives of his crew members for unnecessary reasons. He also outright disrespects the Gods at more than one point in the epic. As well, he lacks the loyalty of a true hero as shown by his affairs with other women even though his wife remained faithful. A hero is someone who does something for other people out of the goodness of his heart, Odysseus clearly is not this.
Odysseus starts his journey relying on himself more than others. He does not distribute responsibilities but rather does everything himself as he is not trusting of people. Odysseus not trusting others is a sign that he is failing as a leader. He does not trust his wife Penelope to be home alone all those years without him while he is off with Calypso (which is why he wants to return home to her) and he does not put any trust into his crew members, whom he will be journeying onwards with for many years in the future. His lack of trust in others is seen when he receives the bag of winds from Aeolus as a parting gift and he does not allow the men in his crew to open it and refuses to inform the men what is in the bag. This obviously backfires once the crewmen open the bag and strong winds that are suppose...
In conclusion, Odysseus deserves the title of a hero because he shows bravery, displays a change in character, and has the Gods supporting him throughout his journey home. Odysseus has the courage to overcome physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges. While Odysseus he is on the hero’s journey, he vastly improves his character. He changes from arrogant to humble, and learns leadership qualities, and most importantly, his place in the world. Odysseus has the revelation that the gods are above him, and are in control. Because he realizes the supremacy of the gods, his reward is assistance from the gods themselves. Odysseus is not a perfect man, and is flawed, just like every other human. However, heroes are not gods.
...s throne. Odysseus, even today, is considered a modern day hero; the adventures he experienced on his way to Ithaca were portrayed in unlike any other literature piece. However, like most heroes, Odysseus’ flaw was his hubristic attitude towards the gods, particularly in the beginning of Homer’s Odyssey. Some actions, especially against Poseidon, caused his trip to be delayed, but he eventually made it home, and will forever be with Penelope, like it was meant to be since the beginning, for the gods spared his life despite his acts of hubris.
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
To begin, one feature that makes Odysseus and epic hero is his intelligence. In order for him to have survived through his journey, he has to have a massive amount of intellect. To have survived a Cyclops is an accomplishment of its own. His ability to think on his feet and to plan situations and ability to make a right decision in horrid environments has helped him survive throughout his disastrous journey. When he is trapped by the Cyclops, Polyphemus, he has to carve, smooth, and sharpen a gigantic spear-shaped-pole out of a large tree that he and his strongest men would then use it on the Cyclops to blind it. In order to follow through with his plan, Odysseus has to sedate him. He gives Polyphemus an extremely strong wine, in which Polyphemus asks him his name. Odysseus replies: “My name is Nohbdy; mother, father, friends, everyone call me Nohbdy”(9.274-9.275) When the Cyclops passes out, Odysseus and four of his strongest men stab Polyphemus in his eye with the sharpened pole that he and his men ...
In the return the hero must return to everyday life and often becomes a better person. Odysseus’ return is filled with murder but he does become a better person afterwards. He now thinks things through more and he plans how to deal with the death of all the suitors,”Then sponge down all of the beautiful tables and chairs,”(22;350;464-465). This quote shows that he knows that he must get rid of the evidence and break the news of the suitors death himself. In the Return the hero is often has gifts in Odysseus’ case it is his family,”This brought tears from deep within him, and as he wept he clung to his beloved wife,”(23;360;238-239). Odysseus weeps when he is finally with his wife. The main point of The Odyssey is Odysseus getting home to the family he loves. This quote shows just how much Odysseus cares and loves his family. Odysseus has received many gifts throughout the Odysseus and has lost all of them one way or another, except for the greatest gift of all his family. The Return is the last part of The Hero’s Journey and is where the a person becomes a hero, Odysseus finally achieves that title at the end of the
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.
Odysseus is not a hero based on the standards of merciful, selfless, and gentle. His actions against Polyphemus, the Suitors, and his men truly show that he is in fact the opposite of a hero. The actions he takes to return home safely and to get back his throne are very cruel and show signs that he lacks the nobility of being called a hero, or a king, or a warrior. He has shown that he powerful, destructive, and ruthless and these are qualities that a hero must not have. Odysseus, the mighty King of Ithaca is not a hero because he is not selfless, gentle, or merciful.
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.