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Christopher Reeve, a famous actor, once said,“A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway.” An epic that was written thousands of years ago to teach the young Greek boys of their time about the ideals the Greeks faced was The Odyssey. Odysseus, the main character, shows these ideals and also the qualities of a hero from the quote above. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is an epic hero because he performs brave deeds, is on a quest, and risks death for glory or for the greater good of society. Odysseus performs many brave deeds throughout his adventures across the Mediterranean Sea. Eventually, he comes across Polyphemus the Cyclops who decides to be a savage, cruel cannibal
There are numerous heroes throughout “The Odyssey,” but none of them are as significant as Odysseus. “The Odyssey” is a narrative poem written by Homer (around 800 and 600 BCE) to show the numerous adventures and experiences Odysseus goes through. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus a prominent Greek epic hero is on a quest to return back to his home in Ithaca; to his wife Penelope, and his son Telemachus. Just like real life, not all heroes are picture-perfect; they all have imperfections. In this case, Odysseus is sometimes insolent, and discourteous; but he is still considered an epic hero because of the many heroic qualities he endures. Odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways such as showing loyalty, intelligence, bravery, strength, and courage which are all some of the most momentous qualities found in a hero. If a true hero can prove they are a true hero, makes them a true hero.
The question has been raised as to whether or not Odysseus, the hero of Homers The Odyssey, is an epic hero. An epic Hero portrays many classic properties, including being very strong and courageous. Odysseus is an epic hero, because he portrays many of these and other traits, such as having a goal that is foremost in his mind, and having descended into the underworld.
Is Odysseus, the main character of Homer’s The Odyssey, really an epic hero? An epic hero embodies several heroic traits such as; having superior or super-human strength; being intellectual and courageous; and being a strong and responsible leader. An epic hero struggles and is overwhelmed with difficulties. An epic hero is on a quest of self discovery, war or some sort of goal. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is on a quest to return home to Ithaca after ten years of war in Troy. Odysseus, during his quest, is forced to venture through a merciless Cyclops, angered Gods, deeply obstinate Goddesses, the underworld, and determined suitors that are after his wife Penelope. Odysseus surmounts over these obstacles and returns home safely with courage, intelligence, superior strength, brave leadership, and also performs brave deeds.
In summation, Odysseus can be classified as an epic hero. Although he is not perfect it is only appropriate to acknowledge that his heroic qualities outshine any negative ones by far. Through his sharp intellect, modest humility, and unyielding leadership one is able to make the conclusion that Odysseus earns every right to the title of being a hero. He endured a difficult journey that lasted twenty years and in the end he became a better person. When a person goes through this kind of transformation and is able to overcome such a challenging journey, it is a matter of proper respect to call him a hero. By all means the Odyssey provides the perfect example of a person’s journey to become a hero.
Often through great literature, there is an epic hero. In the Odyssey, Homer tells the journey of one man’s journey home from the Trojan War. The protagonist of the epic poem Odysseus is often regarded as a great hero. However, Odysseus is not quite the glorious soldier that people often see him as. Odysseus disproves his title of a hero through his pride, his disloyalty, and his bloodthirstiness.
An Epic Hero is a person who is a prominent figure in histories and legends. Epic heroes do not posses super powers, but rely on his or her own attributes to combat some sort of battle that a typical person could not accomplish. Such Epic Heroes are read about mostly in tall tales, myths, and legends, but they all own human traits that can relate to the average person. These human traits make it easy for people, such as the Greek people, to associate with the character. Inside Greek mythology qualities of braveness, determination, and decisiveness are prized. In Homers’ epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus’ traits are perfectly aligned with the values of the Greek people.
People are heroes in different ways for different reasons. American soldiers are heroes because they fight boldly for their country. Corrie Ten Boom is also a hero because she took risks and saved hundreds of Jews. Abraham Lincoln is another example of a hero because he fought for what he thought was right and helped free all slaves. Similarly, Odysseus, the main character in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, possesses all of these characteristics and many more, making him a true epic hero.
A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. Although he is looked up to Odysseus is not a hero because he is selfish and disobedient. He has gotten advice from many but has not followed them leading many of his men into death.
He always wanted another way to conquer things he never just wanted to pass them, he wanted to face his problems face to face with no fear. Odysseus demonstrates heroic, god-like qualities throughout The Odyssey. In one instance, he cleverly tricks and blinds the Cyclops Polyphemus, saving his crew from certain death. Odysseus also bravely travels to Hades to learn his fate. Upon reaching Ithaca, Odysseus takes on all of Penelope’s suitors, defeating them to reclaim his rightful place.
In society we have heroes because they give us hope, help us when we are in trouble, help us when we are down, and much more. In The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus is called a “hero” by his people back home in Ithaca, the people of greece, and most men of his crew. A hero is defined as,someone who puts themselves before others, is willing to be a leader, and has empathy and compassion for other.
The Odyssey by Homer is said to be one of the most gripping tales for the contest of an ideal hero. An ideal hero in an adventurous tale is said to be a perfect man with great courage, no character flaws and always thinks about what is best for people around him. Of course, people would argue that Homer did not go through the whole struggle of writing this epic poem just to prove that Odysseus, the protagonist is an impostor, but there are a lot of cases throughout this story where he makes questionable choices. Odysseus is driven to many wanderings during which he sees many wonders and endures many sufferings to finally reach his family which would be a perfect definition for a hero according to a dictionary but if we look deeper Odysseus is man who is self-centered, rash and ignorant to other people's values and needs.
The main character of the Odyssey, Odysseus the King of Ithaca is given a complex personality to an extent where it is hard to identify whether he is a true hero or not. True heroism is only achieved when a person achieves certain qualities that portray heroism. Odysseus is not a hero based on the standards of merciful, selfless, and gentle because of his actions of sacrificing his men, killing the suitors and being ruthless throughout the Odyssey. Along with many others qualities these three are helpful and necessary in a hero. A hero must be willing to do service for others and put the needs of others safety and protection before his own. Odysseus does not even come close to matching these qualities because he is a person, who only serves of himself, and he sacrifices his allies to achieve his goals and often he takes action ruthlessly.
Once back at his ship, Odysseus could have easily sailed away unscathed, but his pride interferes, and he tells Polyphemus his real name and even where he lives so the giant will know who has blinded him: “‘Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son whose home’s on Ithaca!’” Then the Cyclops calls on his father Poseidon to punish Odysseus, and the god of the sea makes Odysseus's home very difficult.
What are heroes? Are they special human gods or normal every day people who help the society in a positive way? When one looks at The Odyssey by Homer, one distinct character appears to be heroic:Odysseus. Even though Odysseus is arrogant and boastful throughout the epic, he pays the price by having to escape the cyclops and the wrath of Poseidon. On the other hand he is a good man who has the following attributes: leadership, loyalty and perseverance.
The Odyssey by Homer is an epic about how Odysseus is unable to get home after about 16 years until he learns that he needs the gods and can’t do everything on his own. In the Odyssey, Homer clearly develops Odysseus as an epic hero, he is a great warrior,he travels over vast settings, and he is recognized as a national hero.