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Christopher Reeve, a famous actor, once said,“A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway.” An epic that was written thousands of years ago to teach the young Greek boys of their time about the ideals the Greeks faced was The Odyssey. Odysseus, the main character, shows these ideals and also the qualities of a hero from the quote above. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is an epic hero because he performs brave deeds, is on a quest, and risks death for glory or for the greater good of society. Odysseus performs many brave deeds throughout his adventures across the Mediterranean Sea. Eventually, he comes across Polyphemus the Cyclops who decides to be a savage, cruel cannibal
and eats a few of Odysseus’s men. At this, Odysseus is outraged and plots his revenge. He tells King Alcinous,”I drew it from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand, lugging near the cyclops as more than natural force nerved them; straight forward they sprinted, lifting it, and rammed it deep into his crater eye…”(288-292).Odysseus goes to get his revenge on the Cyclops and has courage. Fighting something that has greater qualities takes tons of bravery due to the threat of death. Judging the way he got his revenge, it must have been unnerving to actually be able to do such a dangerous task. Odysseus has many quests and adventures throughout the Mediterranean as he tries to return home to Ithaca. Homer asks the daughter of Zeus, Muse, to sing in him the story of Odysseus.”...and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy” (1-5). If someone is “skilled in all ways of contending”, then they probably have experience. Odysseus shows his heroic experience as the many quests he completes and becomes wiser. The word wanderer also suggests that Odysseus has many quests and probably hardships. By continuing on in life, one can find many quests and the wisdom to prevail over them. During these quests and great tests of bravery, Odysseus has risked his life multiple times. After Odysseus and his crew stabbed the Cyclops in the eye, it screamed in pain as the bloody spike was still in his eye. “The Cyclops bellowed and the rocks roared round him, and we fell back in fear. Clawing his face he tugged the bloody spike out of his eye, threw it away, and his wild hands went groping... ” Since the Cyclops “bellowed”, it suggest that he is hurt in some way. How “his wild hands went groping” indicates that the Cyclops was still alive and was trying to find them. The way Odysseus and his men “fell back in fear” also meant that they’re scared for their lives. Overall, Odysseus did risk his life for the greater good of his crew. Through the entire epic, Odysseus has showed all of these epic hero qualities. These qualities include risking his life for glory or the greater good of society, going on a quest, and performing many brave deeds. Odysseus is a definitely an epic hero.
A hero is someone who would sacrifice himself for others, someone who is selfless and caring. Odysseus from Homer’s, “The Odyssey” does not have these traits. Throughout the book, Odysseus displays many negative character traits that show he is not someone to be admired or treated like a hero. He is too proud, he does not listen, and he constantly puts his needs before that of his men.
There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.
Often through great literature, there is an epic hero. In the Odyssey, Homer tells the journey of one man’s journey home from the Trojan War. The protagonist of the epic poem Odysseus is often regarded as a great hero. However, Odysseus is not quite the glorious soldier that people often see him as. Odysseus disproves his title of a hero through his pride, his disloyalty, and his bloodthirstiness.
What are heroes? Are they special human gods or normal every day people who help the society in a positive way? When one looks at The Odyssey by Homer, one distinct character appears to be heroic:Odysseus. Even though Odysseus is arrogant and boastful throughout the epic, he pays the price by having to escape the cyclops and the wrath of Poseidon. On the other hand he is a good man who has the following attributes: leadership, loyalty and perseverance.
The question has been raised as to whether or not Odysseus, the hero of Homers The Odyssey, is an epic hero. An epic Hero portrays many classic properties, including being very strong and courageous. Odysseus is an epic hero, because he portrays many of these and other traits, such as having a goal that is foremost in his mind, and having descended into the underworld.
“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…...
In summation, Odysseus can be classified as an epic hero. Although he is not perfect it is only appropriate to acknowledge that his heroic qualities outshine any negative ones by far. Through his sharp intellect, modest humility, and unyielding leadership one is able to make the conclusion that Odysseus earns every right to the title of being a hero. He endured a difficult journey that lasted twenty years and in the end he became a better person. When a person goes through this kind of transformation and is able to overcome such a challenging journey, it is a matter of proper respect to call him a hero. By all means the Odyssey provides the perfect example of a person’s journey to become a hero.
An Epic Hero is a person who is a prominent figure in histories and legends. Epic heroes do not posses super powers, but rely on his or her own attributes to combat some sort of battle that a typical person could not accomplish. Such Epic Heroes are read about mostly in tall tales, myths, and legends, but they all own human traits that can relate to the average person. These human traits make it easy for people, such as the Greek people, to associate with the character. Inside Greek mythology qualities of braveness, determination, and decisiveness are prized. In Homers’ epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus’ traits are perfectly aligned with the values of the Greek people.
People are heroes in different ways for different reasons. American soldiers are heroes because they fight boldly for their country. Corrie Ten Boom is also a hero because she took risks and saved hundreds of Jews. Abraham Lincoln is another example of a hero because he fought for what he thought was right and helped free all slaves. Similarly, Odysseus, the main character in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, possesses all of these characteristics and many more, making him a true epic hero.
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 ...
A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Although he is looked up to Odysseus is not a hero because he is selfish and disobedient. He has gotten advice from many but has not followed them leading many of his men into death.
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.
He always wanted another way to conquer things he never just wanted to pass them, he wanted to face his problems face to face with no fear. Odysseus demonstrates heroic, god-like qualities throughout The Odyssey. In one instance, he cleverly tricks and blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus, saving his crew from certain death. Odysseus also bravely travels to Hades to learn his fate. Upon reaching Ithaca, Odysseus takes on all of Penelope’s suitors, defeating them to reclaim his rightful place.
His over-confidence and egocentric decisions create more problems even than it solves. These decisions that run throughout the poem puts his life as well as his crew’s lives in danger. The infamous incident with Polyphemus, the one-eyed cyclops is a prime example of Odysseus’s recklessness. When Odysseus and his crew wandered into an island of cyclops who were said to be lawless, without culture and direct descendants from Poseidon, they got into a cave that was inhabited by Polyphemus. Odysseus quickly realized the danger that he poses to him after eating six of his men and that he cannot kill him even though he got him drunk off of his wine. Of course, there is no denying that Odysseus was cunning and intelligent man with great insight when he was asked what his name was, he replied, “Noman is my name. They call me Noman – My mother, my father and all my friends” (Homer 279). But at the same time, he tried to taunt
In society we have heroes because they give us hope, help us when we are in trouble, help us when we are down, and much more. In The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus is called a “hero” by his people back home in Ithaca, the people of greece, and most men of his crew. A hero is defined as,someone who puts themselves before others, is willing to be a leader, and has empathy and compassion for other.