Odysseus: A Tragic Hero

For millennia Odysseus has widely been regarded as a hero, but when a closer look is taken at the Odyssey it can be seen that Odysseus possess many traits generally held by villain. Odysseus is unnecessarily cruel, is extensively selfish and lacks the leadership qualities. Odysseus seems to be more morally related to Jason of Argonauts, a man regarded as an anti hero, than the great hero Achilles whom he is often compared to.

Throughout the epic poem, Odysseus is unnecessarily cruel and violent, a trait that is generally possessed by a villain. Early in the attack Odysseus leads to take his home back he tells Eumaeus and Philoetius to “wrench Melanthius’ arms and legs behind him”, then “hoist him up a column” and “let him dangle in agony,

When Odysseus and his crew were attacked by the Cicones he blames his crew saying “Then I urged them to cut and run, set sail, but would they listen? Not those Mutinous fools”(9.51-51). A good leader should be able to control his men, lead them and inspire them to follow but Odysseus does not do this instead he blames them for not following him when told. When Aeolus gave Odysseus the bags of wind his crew believed he had “Heaps of lovely plunder he hauls home from Troy” instead, so the stole bag and opened sending the ship miles off course and miles away from Ithaca. Odysseus does not have a trusting relationship with his crew, otherwise they never would have opened the bag in the first place, showing that once again Odysseus’ mission is thwarted by his inability to lead. When Odysseus and his crew becomes prisoners to the storm on the island of Thrinacia, Odysseus goes “up the island, there to pray to the gods”(12.359), the crew, in response to the abandonment of their leader, proceed to eat the forbidden cattle dooming themselves and Odysseus. A good leader is responsible for his crew and should never abandon them, especially in a time of need, and yet Odysseus does abandon his crew, leading them to fend for themselves with no leader. It is almost understandable that his crew fell victim to temptation, as if Odysseus was there they most certainly