Hero or Hoax?
Hero: “a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities” (Merriam-Webster). Evident in many classic stories, the hero is depicted as the character who makes the justifiable choice. Their role is never questioned, and the they always prevail. In the end, the hero accomplishes the journey with greater wisdom, knowledge, and reestablished views of the world that compensates for the horrors they encounter along the journey. In this story, however, the main character cannot be justified as the hero; he can only aspire to be one. Throughout the epic poem, The Odyssey, Homer vividly illustrates how often times, a person who has gained a certain title will struggle under the pressure of maintaining the constant justification
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of the role. This is seen through Odysseus’ endeavor to maintain the responsibilities of a hero along his journey as well as managing the role that comes with being a hero. Although Odysseus ventures to become the responsible, classic hero, he acts irrationally whenever he encounters an obstacle as seen through his confrontation with Scylla and Charybdis, proving his intentions of a hero but the lack of ability to execute his heroic actions to the fullest. “‘Hug the cliff of Scylla, take your ship through on a racing stroke.’ ‘Only instruct me, goddess, if you will, how, if possible, can I pass Charybdis or fight off Scylla when she raids my crew?’ ...Circe’s bidding against arms had slipped my mind, so I tied on my cuirass...” (Homer 12. 68-69, 72-74, 164-169). Upon returning from the Underworld to Circe’s island, she offers warnings and insights to what may come ahead in Odysseus’ upcoming journey. He is eager to learn what obstacles he may face throughout the final stretch home. When Circe mentions Odysseus’ most difficult challenge, Charybdis and Scylla, he asks, “‘...how, if possible can I pass Charybdis or fight off Scylla...’” (Homer 12. 72-74) Within his question, he continues to say “fight off Scylla” (Homer 12. 74) despite Circe’s clear assertion to flee instead of fight earlier as seen through her advice to take the “ship through on a racing stroke,” (Homer 12. 69). Despite his opinionated view to fight past the obstacle instead of fleeing, his question shows great concern and the proper intentions to succeed as a hero, even if he is predisposed to fight, being a soldier. As he and his men near towards Charybdis and Scylla, they begin to panic and lose essentially all rational thinking as seen when Odysseus’ “bidding against arms...slipped” (Homer 12.165). His mind favors his natural inclination of being a soldier, not a leader. To maintain the justification of a hero, one must continuously execute heroic acts to prove the title. To be a hero is often associated with a physical, progressive act. Nevertheless, in certain situations, the heroic duty is in holding back. Odysseus is told to refrain himself and fleeing, but he does not. He takes up arms and prepares to fight. Although Odysseus proves his intentions of a hero by attempting to gain advantage from Circe’s advice, he neglects the valuable insights, assuming his usual role as a soldier when encountering dangers. Odysseus realizes his role as a hero to his men, so he attempts to become a more liable and prepared leader, but whenever he faces the obstacle, he fails to do so, showing the internal battle between the soldier and hero sides of him. He cannot be justified as a hero if he cannot distinguish the difference between helpful or hurtful, right or wrong. Along the journey, Odysseus struggles with the responsibility of maintaining the power of an accountable leader despite his natural inclinations as seen through his encounter with Polyphemus.
“Now when I cupped my hands, I heard the crew in low voices protesting... ‘Why bait the beast again? Let him alone! That tidal wave he made on the first throw all but beached us.’ I would not heed them in my glorying spirit, but let my anger flare and yelled: ‘Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire...Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye.’” (Homer 9. 406-410, 414-418) When Odysseus and his men are trapped in Polyphemus’ cave, Odysseus successfully makes a heroic deed when helping his men escape. He conceals his men within the sheep and flee to the ship where they board and begin to sail away. Consequently, Odysseus revokes his honorable accomplishment with his arrogance. When he taunts Polyphemus from afar, forgetting his duty as a hero and leader, his men beg him to stop. His first taunt nearly destroyed the ship, and the act of taunting presents Odysseus’ natural flaw of selfishness and arrogance which put his men in danger. A hero, even if he is flawed, should not overpower the hero’s purpose. In this case, the goal of the journey is to go home, but when Odysseus taunts Polyphemus, he dangers his men and derives from the purpose, favoring the relish of triumph. Odysseus refused to “heed” (Homer 9. 414) his men’s cautions in his “glorying spirit” (Homer 9. 414) gained from his heroic act of helping his men escape. In this instance, Odysseus loses his rational thinking, and instead of being cautions, he forgets his role and puts his men in jeopardy. Despite his men’s well-meant admonition, Odysseus rebuffs the advice, and his men do not have the power to stop him. Even if unintentional, he abuses his power of being a leader. Although heroes may have flaws, their flaws do not danger the people around them as well as the goal of the task. Most of all, it is not
achieved through the expense of abusing the power the hero obtains. The aura of victory, as well as the semblance of safety, makes Odysseus reckless, so he resumes the presumptuous behavior. His first taunt causes a “tidal wave” (Homer 9. 409) that “all but beached” (Homer 9. 410) the ships. Even though Odysseus is not in the immediate danger of Polyphemus, he is still susceptible to harm. In times of need, Odysseus has the ability to accomplish a heroic deed as seen when he successfully helps his men. On the other hand, his ability and power allow him to take and abuse it. He is unsuitable to be a hero. His erratic behavior shows his struggle with the responsibility of a hero. To be a hero, he must be a leader. To be a leader, he must take the responsibilities that come with it. Being a leader calls for a role model, but Odysseus is not one. A simple heroic act will not define a person as a hero; it is the execution of the instances beside the tasks that indicate one. Odysseus is not a hero because he cannot grasp the liability of continuously being one, instead, he lets it slip in favor for self-gain. Throughout the story, Odysseus shows many attempts to become a more rational, responsible hero, but it does not end as originally planned. He struggles with assuming the role of one when he ignores the warnings others advise in good will, and he strives to manage the responsibilities and role of a hero. He also shows how he is unsuited to be considered a hero for the flaws he cannot overcome.
A true hero will go through immeasurable lengths to benefit not him or herself, but the people around them. Heroes are neither selfish nor uncaring. They seek every opportunity they get to help those in need. One must have also gone through the entire hero’s journey to be deemed a hero. He must start off naïve and inept and through his challenges, transform into someone worth calling a hero. Most importantly, a hero is not perfect. He must listen to other’s ideas and utilize them. However, in The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus disrespects his crew men and the gods’ advice, lets hubris interfere with his men’s lives, and is unfaithful to his wife Penelope.
After escaping Polyphemos’s cave, Odysseus’s crew remains loyal. As a result, the focus changes to Odysseus being the epic hero. Odysseus takes control of the situation and allows most of his crew to escape safely. The crew is helpless and directs the attention to how Odysseus rescues his crew by blinding Polyphemos with a spear. He has escapes by having his men hang on the underside of rams. Odysseus laughs and keeps calm during the entire tense situation. “They lumbered off, but laughter filled my heart…” (9.461). Odysseus’s ability to keep his cool is what separates him from an ordinary man. Odysseus rises up when his crew is in predicaments. His lea...
There are many instances where Odysseus lets his pride get in the way. When he and his men are leaving Polyphemus’ island, he stops to taunt the beast and boast about what he had done. He tells Polyphemus that, “if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye.” This quote clearly displays how prideful and Odysseus is. Rather than leaving the wounded and betrayed cyclops alone, he goes out of his way to taunt and enrage him even more. He lets his pride and his arrogance get the best of him in this instance, purely to tell the wounded creature to spread the glory of his name. When he is discussing Scylla with Circe, Odysseus asks how he can “fight off Scylla when she raids [his] crew.” He does not want to accept the fact that he can’t fight his way through something. The fact that he can not fight Scylla makes him feel inferior to the monster, because he is driven by his pride which demands that he
This shows that Odysseus’ self-serving nature extends beyond material greed into the equally sinful realm of pride. In a classic display of hubris, Odysseus taunts the Cyclopes fulfilling the sole purpose of stroking Odysseus’s ego. At first it appears that our hero is lacking foresight, but Odysseus tells Polyphemus his name in hopes that tales of his cunning will spread throughout Greece: a very selfish goal, directly resulting in the endangerment of the lives of both him and his men throughout the remainder of their travels.
Throughout the whole book he is having his men go and do crazy things that make them risk, and some even lose, their lives. After Odysseus offends Poseidon by harming the cyclops he started taunting the cyclops. One of his men scream, “God Sake Captain! Why bait the beast again? Let him alone!” (493-494). This is showing that he was “baiting the beast” again and putting his men in even more danger after he just saved his life and all of theirs. Odysseus also puts his men in danger by not telling them about Scylla. He doesn’t tell his men that six of them are going to die. Odysseus says, “Voices came down on me in distinguish, calling my name for the last time,” ((820-821). This is showing that Odysseus just put his men in even more danger plus he isn’t fighting for his men. Odysseus was such a bad leader to his
A hero is someone who is confident and competent. They show that they are fearless and put others before them. A hero is alert and aware of the lives he or she lives. Heroes usually have a passion for what they do and they do it and finish it, no matter the consequence. Therefore sacrifice contributes more to heroism because heroes putting themselves before others shows that they are selfless.
Odysseus displays his desire for glory through his careless actions during his encounter with the Cyclops Polyphemus. The desire for glory Odysseus displays is shown through the words he speaks to Polyphemus. He is a clever character but makes rash decisions that affect the outcome of his original goals and intentions. While Odysseus is trapped inside of the cave of the Cyclops, he begins to taunt Polyphemus. “I called back to the Cyclops, stinging taunts: So, Cyclops, no weak coward it was whose crew you bent to devour three in your vaulted cave—with your brute voice! Filthy crimes came down on your own head, you shameless cannibal” (Fagles, 226). Odysseus was insulting the Cyclops, and those insults caused the rage of the monster to boil over. The Cyclops was already angry with Odysseus blinding him, and was even more demoralized and angry when Odysseus began to taunt him. As Odysseus goes on with his insults and as his anger rises, he says, “Cyclops—if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed—say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, La...
Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus shows us a vast amount of bravery and courage; the primary thing a hero needs. In book 9, when Odysseus battled Polyphemus (the Cyclops) to try and save the lives of all the crew members held captive in the cave, he was demonstrating bravery the entire time because, the true meaning of bravery is when you have the ability to challenge fear, or danger which is exactly what he did in this situation. Even though Odysseus was afraid to confront the Cyclops, he did it anyway in order to get him and his crew members out of the Cyclops cave alive; despite the 2 men the Cyclops ate. Another way Odysseus demonstrates courage and bravery was when he didn’t give us on his crew even when things got rough for example, when he faced Scylla knowing he would lose se...
The definition of a hero is unique for every individual; however there are several regulations that majority of individuals can agree on. A hero must exhibit traits such as humility, kindness, and courage. Once the candidate expresses hubris, displays cruelty, or retreats from a formidable challenge, he cannot be considered a hero. Lastly, a hero candidate must overcome challenges that defy the odds. He must deliver a gift to society that benefits society as a whole; such gifts can be freedom, liberty, or hope. Odysseus in The Odyssey, by Homer, fulfilled these requirements and rightfully earned the title of a hero. Odysseus is well deserving of the title hero because he has put the needs of others before his own, shown signs of courage in the face of adversity, and displays humility by ridding himself of his hubris.
To start, within the course of The Odyssey, Odysseus displays hubris through many of his actions. The most prominent instance in which Odysseus shows hubris is while he and his men are trying to escape from the Cyclops Polyphemus. They drug the monster until it passes out, and then stab him with a timber in his single eye. Polyphemus, now blinded, removes the gigantic boulder blocking Odysseus’ escape, and waits for the men to move, so he can kill them. The men escape from the cave to their boat by tying themselves under flocks of rams, so they can easily slip by. Odysseus, now proud after beating the giant, starts to yell at Polyphemus, instead of making a silent escape. Odysseus’ men ask him to stop before Polyphemus would “get the range and lob a boulder” (436). But Odysseus shows hubris by saying that if they were to meet again, Odysseus would “take your life” and “hurl you down to hell!” (462; 463). Polyphemus, now extremely angry with Odysseus, prays to his father, Poseidon, to make Odysseus “never see his home” again, and after which, throws a mountain towards the sound of Odysseus’ voice. (470). Because of Odysseus’ hubris after blinding Polyphemus, Poseidon grants the prayer, and it takes Odysseus 20 years to return home, at the cost of the lives of all his men.
Before letting him leave the island, Circe tells Odysseus that he must face Scylla, a sea monster, and Charybdis, a whirlpool. Circe says, “Better by far to lose six men and keep you ship” (274). Odysseus is told beforehand that no ship could pass unscathed, but he chooses to not to tell his crew. He knowingly sacrifices his crewmembers’ lives and has no qualms about it, which shows his inner selfishness. He makes sure to protect his own life, but he sees his crew as disposable. Homer characterizes Odysseus this way in order to convey his views about humanity: humans are instinctively selfish. Odysseus also carelessley kills his remaining crew when he taunts the Cyclops. After hearing Odysseus’s name, Polyphemus prays to Poseidon and asks that Odysseus “never reaches home” but if he is destined to return, make sure he returns “a broken man—all shipmates lost, alone in a strangers ship” (228). If Odysseus had never told Polyphemus his name, he and his crew might have made it home more quickly and safely. Instead, his hubris causes an inescapable curse. Odysseus cannot bear the thought of forfeiting his fame, which leads to even more hardship on his quest to return home. Homer uses Odysseus to demonstrate the danger of egotistical
In Homer’s The Odyssey, the main figure Odysseus has excessive pride, a lack of faith, and selfish intentions, which prevent him from earning the title of hero. These mannerisms are just several examples of his multiple derogatory traits. They completely overpower the few positive attributes Odysseus possesses. The numerous negative behaviors that he displays are not those of a hero. Being chivalrous, determined, growing, or courageous in any way can make a hero. Helping others is an essential and main part of being a true hero. Even the smallest selfless act can make one a hero in another’s eyes. Heroes are discovered in every way possible, from pop culture to social interaction to the pages of a poem – just not this one.
After escaping the wrath of the Cyclops, Odysseus boasts, “Cyclops- if any man on the face of the Earth should ask you who blinded you , shamed you so- says Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca!” (Homer 227). Odysseus’s hubris and hamartia are evident when he boast to the cyclops that he, Odysseus blinded him exemplifying his ignorance and greed. Odysseus wants everyone to know that he beat the mighty Cyclops that tried to eat him. His hubris ends up causing him to face further hardships down the road. When Odysseus uses the phraseology “raider of cities”, it again shows his hubris. Odysseus is especially greedy and believes that he is superior to others. He believes that every man on the face of the Earth should know about his ultimate battle win, proving his overbearing pride. Challenges allow his bad qualities to shine through even though many would change and step up to the game. He goes against the theme of the cliche motto, “treat others the way you want to be treated” and treats the poor, lonely Cyclops like the gum on the bottom of his shoe. What further makes this hardship even worse than just the Cyclops himself is the father of Polyphemus, Poseidon. When Polyphemus tells Poseidon that Odysseus blinded him, Poseidon acts rather rashly and harshly.
“Step on a crack, break your mother’s back!” As a kid, everyone repeated this saying. An important theme in The Odyssey by Homer is that people get what they deserve. When a person does something bad, the gods return the action with a bad outcome. Do something good, you get rewarded, like ying and yang. People get what they deserve due to their actions.
It started out when Odysseus had made his decision to say this, “Now when I cupped my hands I heard the crew in low voices protesting… I would not heed them in my glorying spirit, but let my anger flare and yelled: ‘Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca!’ ”(9.274,284-287). Odysseus telling Polyphemus who he is was a horrible decision but Odysseus couldn’t resist of not getting credit for defeating a monster anyone would be afraid of. His reputation would be ruined, therefore, making him shout out with joy of who he is: Odysseus, the son of Laertes. This resulted of Polyphemus telling his dad, Poseidon, who later on gives Odysseus and his men a very hard time on their expedition which includes all of his men dying. The men did not deserve this consequence for it was all because of Odysseus’