Odysseus was the Hero in the Epic, The Odyssey, by Homer

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Odysseus is the hero in the Epic “The Odyssey” by Homer. He embodies many characteristics of a typical Epic hero, but he still strays from the norm in some ways, which makes him unique. He values Ithaca, his home, so much that he spends years getting back, struggling the whole way, and doing what it takes to protect his home.
Throughout the whole story, Odysseus is trying to get home. Odysseus’s purpose is to get his men and himself back to Ithaca. On the way, he and his crew face many challenges meant to prevent them from getting home, such as harsh sailing conditions provided by Poseidon, a god who is mad at Odysseus for blinding his son, the Cyclops. Throughout the story he uses his intelligence to fulfill the goal of getting back home. Despite the obstacles, Odysseus still manages to return back to Ithaca. He also serves as the protector. He tries to protect his crew members by advising them what to do. His men make it through each obstacle when they do as they are told to by Odysseus; however, when they fail to do what Odysseus advises, they die. All of the men die because they do not do what Odysseus tells them to do when Odysseus is trying to protect them. He also protects his home by killing the suitors who tried to marry his wife as soon as he finished proving he was Odysseus by shooting his bow that no one else could shoot.
Odysseus worked hard to get home because it is something that he valued. In book one, the reader learns that Odysseus would rather die than not be able to return home. This shows that Odysseus’s home is one of the most important things in his life. He prevailed through all of the struggles, such as being hungry, losing his men, and sailing through rough seas, because he would not let anything stop...

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...acteristics that make him unique. Epic heroes are usually attractive, but Odysseus is not attractive at all. In book nine, the Cyclops talks about how unattractive Odysseus is. Despite being unattractive, he still has women wanting to marry him. Part of the reason can be attributed to his outstanding intellectual abilities. It is common for an Epic hero to be wise, but it is not common for an Epic hero to be as wise as Odysseus. His wisdom is atypical, but it is still a large part of who Odysseus is as a character.
Odysseus embodies many characteristics of a common Epic hero, but is still unique in his own ways. He is determined to get home, which shows how much he values it. His wisdom plays a large role in getting him home. Odysseus is an epic hero because of his obvious characteristics that make him an epic hero, but he is still a unique and complex character.

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