Qualities Of Odysseus As A Hero In Homer's Odyssey

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Odysseus was the most prominent hero of the Greeks who fought in the Trojan War. Some of the qualities of a hero usually include: courage, bravery, dedication, sacrifice, intelligence, and perseverance. Odysseus had all the qualities of a hero throughout his journey. In the Odyssey written by Homer, the text suggests that the main character, Odysseus maintains his identity despite the experiences he faces throughout his journey towards home. Odysseus had a heroic identity before he was separated from his family and the people of Ithaca, and throughout his journey he continues to keep his past heroic identity.
Odysseus usually used his cunning tricks to get out of difficult situations in the past. One example was the Trojan horse idea that …show more content…

Also Odysseus’s heroic attitudes are still portrayed after escaping. For example, he expresses hubris, which is excessive glory and pride. Odysseus at last yelled out his own name to show how very proud he was. Odysseus believes a hero should be known and the people of Ithaca know him based off his …show more content…

For example, he ordered the men to return to the ship and he tied them to the seats. Odysseus knew if he did not led, then he and his men would be at Lotus Eaters forever.
Odysseus believes in sacrifice and he would do anything to protect his men, which a hero always does. The author explains in Book 12, “They approach the island of the lovely Sirens, and Odysseus, as instructed by Circe, plugs his men’s ears with beeswax and has them bind him to the mast of the ship.” “He alone hears their song, promising to reveal the future.” This fact proves that Odysseus would protect his men from the seductive sirens, but he would hear it alone. Odysseus knew his men would not resist the seductive sirens. Not only Odysseus sacrifices, he shows good leadership.
Odysseus tried his best in Books 19-20 to keep his identity a secret from Penelope, his wife, because his goal was to conquer the suitors with the help of his son, Telemachus. He wanted to face Penelope when he dealt with all of his problems in his house. Odysseus wanted to show Penelope when he was ready and he was also testing Penelope’s faithfulness in a way. He is a still hero because he is not sure if he can trust Penelope and he knows he needs to protect his home from the suitors

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