Odysseus As A Hero In Homer's Odyssey

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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

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