What do homework, chores, and a job all have in common? All of these things, and several more, are responsibilities that civilians encounter in their daily lives. It is arguable to say that most people have at least one responsibility in their lives, and this includes heroes such as Odysseus, son of Laertes. Our responsibilities define the course of life we take, and, for Odysseus, his responsibilities led him through the course of being a hero. Furthermore, throughout the Odyssey, which is Odysseus’s story, Odysseus demonstrates not only amazing feats of bravery and pure heroism, but he also demonstrates his ability to accept and take on his numerous responsibilities. Heroism is not about having responsibilities, but more often than …show more content…
Furthermore, Odysseus is an exceptional example of a hero with responsibilities, for he had the responsibilities of reaching home for his wife, child, and kingdom, making life or death decisions in combat, and being a leader by example for his crew. One of the most prominent and heart-wrenching responsibilities Odysseus had was that of making it home to Ithaca where both his wife and his child reside. This is a responsibility that gave Odysseus an incredibly large percentage of his motivation to keep fighting off creatures and to also keep fighting to reach home. Often, when tempted by tempting creatures such as Circe or Calypso, Odysseus, after staying for some time, will always leave because he has to find his way home to his wife, child, and home. One example of this is in this quote where Odysseus is reminded of home and what he left behind, and it goes, “ ‘Captain, shake off this trance, and think of home - If home indeed awaits us, If we shall ever see your own well-timbered hall of Ithaca. They made me feel a pang, and I agreed” (X.182-185). This quote supports the argument that making it home was one of Odysseus’s
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.
In Homer's Odyssey Odysseus is a character who, sometimes behaves like a proper hero and also as a very self-centered character at other points. He earns the respect of his men during the Trojan War by making good sound decisions and caring about the welfare of his men. But, in his adventure home Odysseus is definitely not taking the responsibility of a hero among his men. On almost any page you turn to in the epic, you can find some act of greed or foolishness coming from Odysseus. He plays with the lives of his men with no regard for the well-being or their families. Odysseus is not a hero because, he is foolish, lacks faithfulness and is consumed by his Hubris and selfishness.
In conclusion, Odysseus deserves to be called a hero because he displays courage, employs cunning, and contains humility instead of hubris. Odysseus is not always fearless, but he has the courage to fight off his fear and do what he has to do. Also, Odysseus’s cunning is able to get him out of tough situations by having him think on the spot. Lastly, Odysseus realizes his faults, one of them being that he didn’t think the gods were higher than him and that they have more power than him. Altogether, Odysseus’s journey has changed his life for the better and he is recognized as a true hero.
In the epic poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus’ heroic deeds are recounted through a narrative, written by Homer, that describes his arduous journey of his return from the Trojan war to his homeland of Ithaca. Loyalty, patience, and determination, are necessary traits to survive the perilous, painstaking journey that Odysseus embarks upon to return to his native land. Loyalty is exhibited when Odysseus goes to rescue his crewmen on Kirke’s Island despite the probability of jeopardizing his own life. Odysseus presents patience throughout the entirety of his journey, but most specifically when his crew opens the bag of wind, which causes much regression on the embark homeward. Determination is displayed when Odysseus is on Calypso’s island.
In homer's Odyssey the main character Odysseus is a person who only tries to help himself. Although he earns the trust of his men while in Troy, he loses it on his perilous journey home. Many times in the epic he manipulates others, commits foolish acts and is full of hubris. He tries to take shortcuts and as a result of this is men are killed and his boats destroyed. He plays with the lives of his men and he is punished for it. Odysseus is not a hero because, he is foolish, lacks faithfulness and is consumed by his Hubris and selfishness.
Heroes are found everywhere. They are seen in movies, on television, in books, and in reality. A hero can be anyone from a friend to a fictional character. To be considered a hero, one must make selfless sacrifices, develop and learn, overcome challenges and temptations, and ultimately present their known world with a gift of any kind. Homer’s The Odyssey paints a picture of the supposed savior Odysseus. The irony of Odysseus’ situation is that he really is not the marvelous hero that many who read The Odyssey see him to be. When imagining a great hero, the words of cruel, unfaithful, selfish, or careless never come to mind, but the son of Laertes sets examples for each attribute. Odysseus makes many poor decisions that cause his dislikable traits to highly outweigh his few better ones. Several of his more prominent characteristics are exhibited on numerous accounts. Odysseus cannot possibly earn the title of being a hero because he harbors hubris, he displays a lack of faith, and his self-centeredness causes unfortunate events.
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
In the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, the reader learns of unheroic traits such as being self-centered, unfaithful, and lack of sympathy. Readers can come to the conclusion that one theme is to be courageous and to take risks. Odysseus could’ve tried to resist Calypso’s power but instead he admitted defeat and pleasured her anyway. As a result, this epic poem is suggesting that anyone can be a hero as long as they have the ability to care for others more than themselves. The poem’s theme lives today in America because although there are many crimes done every day, some have a heart and leave an act of kindness no matter how small it is. Consequently, heroes should be able to instinctively care for anyone even if it’s just a stranger and to risk their own lives for another in order to make them happy.
How would someone handle being away from home for a long time, not knowing if they would ever return? Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer’s The Odyssey, spends 20 years at sea while enduring many trials and tribulations that only a true hero could overcome. He encounters numerous obstacles on his journey home, some of them including monsters and gods. Most of his obstacles come from Poseidon, who he angers by blinding Polyphemus and priding himself for his accomplishment. In spite of his tragic flaws, Odysseus’s bravery, cleverness, and unwavering determination all contribute to portraying him as a true hero.
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.
Coming home after a prolonged stay anywhere is difficult for anyone. Life has a funny way of moving on regardless of our presence. Reestablishing ourselves in people lives that we care about is the most difficult. I believe that because of this Odysseus’ hardest struggle was finding his place back into the society and family that he left behind. Reuniting with his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus was a challenge far more fearful than the ones he encountered. When Odysseus was reunited with Telemachus, Telemachus was in utter disbelief as to his father’s identity even after seeing his transformation from a beggar to his actual form (16.215-220). With his wife Penelope, Odysseus was faced with the challenge of having strangers ransack his
What attributes make up the heroes of myth? Is it due to their struggles and challenges or maybe the skills they possess? Either way Odysseus, Son of Laertes, embodies these qualities on his quest home. After defeating Troy Odysseus is lost from home for seventeen long and hard years. On this voyage he is met with supernatural adversity thrown at him by the gods and mythical monsters. However, Odysseus pushes through these challenges driven by his will to return home as an epic hero. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus proves to be an epic hero due to his skill, resolve, and confidence.
Everyone has a home. Regardless of its location, it is a place of acceptance and belonging. In a sense it’s where the heart is. Though in The Odyssey, the concept of home is blurry and for the most part incomplete, it is the most important thing to Odysseus, and he is willing to go through utter hell to return to his home.
Odysseys has been away from home for almost 20 years and is having trouble making his way back. For example, when Odysseus gets homesick he states, “I long for home, long for the sight of home. If any god has marked me out again for shipwreck, my tough heart can undergo it. What hardship have I not longed since I endured the sea, in battle! Let the trial come” (Homer 1210). This quote shows that Odysseus has a goal to get back home. He focused on getting home because he is sick of being away from it for so long. He has been loyal to his wife the whole time and is determined to reunite with her. Odysseus has gone through a lot throughout his life, he has seen most of his men get killed, eaten by a cyclops, and struck by lightning, by now he is the only one left and wants nothing more than to get back to his homeland. Odysseus is a hero because he has a goal to get home and is determined to
Homer’s literature served as a moral messenger to the people of ancient Greece. The Odyssey by Homer demonstrates the character development of Odysseus, the epic hero, and his journey of self-discovery. Odysseus was a great, wise, noble, and well respected war hero to his people. Odysseus had one tragic flaw that was demonstrated by his actions throughout the book. The author Homer continued to strip Odysseus of his arrogance throughout the story, by throwing challenges his way, making him pay for his mistakes, and allowing him to continue to overcome obstacles. The main purpose of Odysseus journey also to reach his home a more humble man. Reading Odysseus’ journey also served as a way to look at morals. The