What do homework, chores, and a job all have in common? All of these things, and several more, are responsibilities that civilians encounter in their daily lives. It is arguable to say that most people have at least one responsibility in their lives, and this includes heroes such as Odysseus, son of Laertes. Our responsibilities define the course of life we take, and, for Odysseus, his responsibilities led him through the course of being a hero. Furthermore, throughout the Odyssey, which is Odysseus’s story, Odysseus demonstrates not only amazing feats of bravery and pure heroism, but he also demonstrates his ability to accept and take on his numerous responsibilities. Heroism is not about having responsibilities, but more often than …show more content…
Furthermore, Odysseus is an exceptional example of a hero with responsibilities, for he had the responsibilities of reaching home for his wife, child, and kingdom, making life or death decisions in combat, and being a leader by example for his crew. One of the most prominent and heart-wrenching responsibilities Odysseus had was that of making it home to Ithaca where both his wife and his child reside. This is a responsibility that gave Odysseus an incredibly large percentage of his motivation to keep fighting off creatures and to also keep fighting to reach home. Often, when tempted by tempting creatures such as Circe or Calypso, Odysseus, after staying for some time, will always leave because he has to find his way home to his wife, child, and home. One example of this is in this quote where Odysseus is reminded of home and what he left behind, and it goes, “ ‘Captain, shake off this trance, and think of home - If home indeed awaits us, If we shall ever see your own well-timbered hall of Ithaca. They made me feel a pang, and I agreed” (X.182-185). This quote supports the argument that making it home was one of Odysseus’s
Every hero should show bravery, faith, and responsibility. Homer wonderfully exploits these within Odysseus throughout the epic. Odysseus was never influenced b his crew and tried to set good examples for them to follow. Although none of the crew, but Odysseus, made it home, he still shows these traits at his house with his son. If Odysseus ever lost any of those along the journey, he would never have made it back to Ithaca. Homer shows that people must keep going no matter what happens.
Odysseus has been away from home for nearly two decades and is being held captive by the Nymph Calypso. Calypso is holding Odysseus on her island for her sensational desires. Odysseus yearns to get home, it deeply saddens him that he has been away for his kingdom, home, and family. Odysseus says “Yet, it is true, each day I long for home, long for the sight of home.” (X 228-229). By this he means that he never stops thinking about home and his wife, Penelope. Ithaka is constantly on his mind. He will do anything to see his home or to touch foot on its soil. An epithet showing Odysseus’ determination is “much-enduring” (VII 107) . By Homer calling Odysseus to much-enduring he is saying Odysseus can handle anything and everything, which goes to make him extremely determined. To endure is to continue through tough times, determination is the trait that posses endurance. This endurance and yearning for home makes Odysseus
In Homer's Odyssey Odysseus is a character who, sometimes behaves like a proper hero and also as a very self-centered character at other points. He earns the respect of his men during the Trojan War by making good sound decisions and caring about the welfare of his men. But, in his adventure home Odysseus is definitely not taking the responsibility of a hero among his men. On almost any page you turn to in the epic, you can find some act of greed or foolishness coming from Odysseus. He plays with the lives of his men with no regard for the well-being or their families. Odysseus is not a hero because, he is foolish, lacks faithfulness and is consumed by his Hubris and selfishness.
How would someone handle being away from home for a long time, not knowing if they would ever return? Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer’s The Odyssey, spends 20 years at sea while enduring many trials and tribulations that only a true hero could overcome. He encounters numerous obstacles on his journey home, some of them including monsters and gods. Most of his obstacles come from Poseidon, who he angers by blinding Polyphemus and priding himself for his accomplishment. In spite of his tragic flaws, Odysseus’s bravery, cleverness, and unwavering determination all contribute to portraying him as a true hero.
In the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, the reader learns of unheroic traits such as being self-centered, unfaithful, and lack of sympathy. Readers can come to the conclusion that one theme is to be courageous and to take risks. Odysseus could’ve tried to resist Calypso’s power but instead he admitted defeat and pleasured her anyway. As a result, this epic poem is suggesting that anyone can be a hero as long as they have the ability to care for others more than themselves. The poem’s theme lives today in America because although there are many crimes done every day, some have a heart and leave an act of kindness no matter how small it is. Consequently, heroes should be able to instinctively care for anyone even if it’s just a stranger and to risk their own lives for another in order to make them happy.
Coming home after a prolonged stay anywhere is difficult for anyone. Life has a funny way of moving on regardless of our presence. Reestablishing ourselves in people lives that we care about is the most difficult. I believe that because of this Odysseus’ hardest struggle was finding his place back into the society and family that he left behind. Reuniting with his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus was a challenge far more fearful than the ones he encountered. When Odysseus was reunited with Telemachus, Telemachus was in utter disbelief as to his father’s identity even after seeing his transformation from a beggar to his actual form (16.215-220). With his wife Penelope, Odysseus was faced with the challenge of having strangers ransack his
But I alone anchored my black ship outside, well clear of the harbor’s jaws...they speared the crew like fish...but while they killed them off in the harbour depths I pulled the sword from beside my ship and I hacked away at the ropes that moored my blue-prowed ship of war and shouted rapid orders at my shipmate...but the rest went down en mass. Our squadron sank.” (Homer, 23). When they land on Laestrygonian land, Odysseus already has his own plans. He parks his ship in a way that would make it easier for him and the small crew on board with him to get away if needed. While the giants killed off his shipmates, Odysseus doesn’t help any of them . He escapes with the small crew he has. Odysseus sailed off leaving a huge portion of his crew to die. They later end up on Circe’s island, where his men get turned into swine and he makes a deal with Circe. Despite the fact that his comrades consistently begged him to go home, Odysseus stayed at Circe’s island for a year. “It’s time to help me home. My heart longs to be home, my comrades’ hearts as well. They wear me down, pleading with me whenever you’re away,” (Homer, 27). The intent of the trip was to go home, but his “stubborn spirit” caused them to remain there for
Today in our society, we have many movies, books, and comics about superheroes and their amazing quests and adventures. To be recognized as a “hero,” these characters must defeat the evil villain, a force of anti-civilization, much like the homeric hero Odysseus in The Odyssey by Homer. This epic poem is about Odysseus and his ten year journey home from the Trojan War during which he is away from his wife Penelope and son Telemachus. Odysseus encounters many challenges on his way home and must deal with many anti-civilized forces including Cyclops and the goddess Circe. Although he receives help along the way, Odysseus faces some of his greatest challenges on using his own personal judgement. Eventually, Odysseus returns home and he and Telemachus deal with the suitors, all of which have been disrespectful and rowdy during his absence. Through fighting the forces of anti-civilization and maintaining arête when battling the Cyclops and Circe, Odysseus proves he is truly an epic hero.
What attributes make up the heroes of myth? Is it due to their struggles and challenges or maybe the skills they possess? Either way Odysseus, Son of Laertes, embodies these qualities on his quest home. After defeating Troy Odysseus is lost from home for seventeen long and hard years. On this voyage he is met with supernatural adversity thrown at him by the gods and mythical monsters. However, Odysseus pushes through these challenges driven by his will to return home as an epic hero. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus proves to be an epic hero due to his skill, resolve, and confidence.
Odysseys has been away from home for almost 20 years and is having trouble making his way back. For example, when Odysseus gets homesick he states, “I long for home, long for the sight of home. If any god has marked me out again for shipwreck, my tough heart can undergo it. What hardship have I not longed since I endured the sea, in battle! Let the trial come” (Homer 1210). This quote shows that Odysseus has a goal to get back home. He focused on getting home because he is sick of being away from it for so long. He has been loyal to his wife the whole time and is determined to reunite with her. Odysseus has gone through a lot throughout his life, he has seen most of his men get killed, eaten by a cyclops, and struck by lightning, by now he is the only one left and wants nothing more than to get back to his homeland. Odysseus is a hero because he has a goal to get home and is determined to
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.
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.
In homer's Odyssey the main character Odysseus is a person who only tries to help himself. Although he earns the trust of his men while in Troy, he loses it on his perilous journey home. Many times in the epic he manipulates others, commits foolish acts and is full of hubris. He tries to take shortcuts and as a result of this is men are killed and his boats destroyed. He plays with the lives of his men and he is punished for it. Odysseus is not a hero because, he is foolish, lacks faithfulness and is consumed by his Hubris and selfishness.
In conclusion, Odysseus deserves to be called a hero because he displays courage, employs cunning, and contains humility instead of hubris. Odysseus is not always fearless, but he has the courage to fight off his fear and do what he has to do. Also, Odysseus’s cunning is able to get him out of tough situations by having him think on the spot. Lastly, Odysseus realizes his faults, one of them being that he didn’t think the gods were higher than him and that they have more power than him. Altogether, Odysseus’s journey has changed his life for the better and he is recognized as a true hero.
Everyone has a home. Regardless of its location, it is a place of acceptance and belonging. In a sense it’s where the heart is. Though in The Odyssey, the concept of home is blurry and for the most part incomplete, it is the most important thing to Odysseus, and he is willing to go through utter hell to return to his home.