Why Odysseus Is Not A Hero

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We owe a lot to the Ancient Greeks. They bestowed us with vital knowledge of mathematics and the sciences, and passed on breathtaking literature. They entertained us with daring and mystical stories about gods, demons, monsters, and most importantly: Heroes. Heroes are the basis of any good story, but one in particular stands out. Odysseus. Odysseus is what you would call the poster-boy of greek heroes; he is strong, cunning, and lionhearted. But think about what I just said. Do those traits really define a hero today? And if you said yes, consider this: murderers, liars, and cheaters are not heroes. If that is true, what does that mean for Odysseus? Therefore, Odysseus is not a hero, because he was critically flawed.

Many of us can be big-headed and egotistical, but Odysseus was in a class of his own. Conceited and self-absorbed, the so …show more content…

This detrimental and often dangerous trait was clearly exemplified through Odysseus’s unnecessary and senseless encounter with Polyphemus, the one-eyed cyclops. Odysseus and his men had traveled to Polyphemus’s island to gather food and resources, nothing more. But his arrogant curiosity was bound to land them in trouble, as shown in the following quote, “ That done they said we should be off to sail to sea. But I ignored their counsel, though that course would have avoided many griefs for us” (Mandelbaum Book IX 176). It is in this quote Odysseus openly admits if it wasn’t for his ego and shortsightedness, his crew wouldn’t have entered Polyphemus’s cave and suffered the terrible events that followed. But Odysseus’s men did enter the cave, and while many met their end, Odysseus wasn’t done stoking the flames of his pride. As Odysseus and his men attempted to escape the clutches of Polyphemus, Odysseus couldn’t help but goad the Cyclops, and boasted about his achievement of blinding Polyphemus in the cave, though many of his men had to be disgustingly ingested by the Cyclops’s flesh-riddled maw for that

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