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“The Odyssey” is a classic representation of an epic in literature. A Hero’s journey is never an easy one. It is packed with many struggles, loss, pain, headaches, growth, and triumph. To be known as a hero takes a lot, but what is a true hero? To some, a hero might just be a person who is courageous and brave, to others a hero might be a person that is a strong warrior and leader who wins battles; however, to some to others, a hero might just be a person who uses his brain just as much as a warrior uses his sword. Odysseus, in Homer's epic, "The Odyssey", portrays the ideal human qualities that Homer's Greek society mostly admired. Odysseus was known for his physical and mental strength, along with his patient and compassionate intellect. …show more content…
He takes on the very human roles of athlete, warrior, sailor, storyteller, carpenter, beggar, and lover. He displays human qualities like buff and boldness while being sensitive and shy at the same time. He must struggle, suffer, and deal with the inescapable fate handed down to him from the great beings atop Mt. Olympus. The average human can relate to Odysseus' human qualities while admiring him for the heroic traits they can only hope to attain. To survive twenty years of fighting, storms, and the wrath of gods, Odysseus proves he possesses the super-human qualities of a hero. Odysseus showed he was a hero early on, as a talented warrior in the Trojan War. He was a leader throughout the battle, always trying to keep things in order so the battle for Troy could move forward. He was a great fighter, and could be ruthless as well as tricky. He was always, "first by a long way in all plots and schemes." …show more content…
He must struggle, suffer, and deal with the inescapable fate handed down to him from the great beings from Mt. Olympus. Odysseus suffered on both land and sea, yet used his brain for any issue he ever faced.Which in the end, was similar thinking to the Gods’. He came up with great plans to help him on his adventures, such as the time he was trapped in the Cyclops' cave. He came up with the ingenious plan to take an olive wood poll and, "rub it into his eye while he was sound asleep." (106). This way, the Cyclops would be blinded and the sailors could make their escape. He was always quick to use his brain, which is a great leadership
As seen throughout The Odyssey, a hero is perceived as a person who achieves great success never before seen and whose legacy lives beyond their years. Since The Odyssey was written around the eighth century BCE, the people that we view as heros in present day tend to embody different traits than the heroes of that time. Even though the word, “hero” does not have one specific definition, a hero is generally categorized as someone who is idolized for their bravery and does anything necessary to defend their people. Although Odysseus embodies the Homeric ideals of heroism in that he accomplishes triumphs that others have not, his successes are the product of divine intervention and his actions were primarily selfish; therefore, he is not a true
The epic heroic journey of Odysseus was a story written in Greek. The story is a great example of the epic journey tale. Manny story's are based off of the epic of Odysseus. The hero Odysseus may be worthy for a hero for the Greeks by the extraordinary travels and the odds that he was up against. There is two different opinions if Odysseus was really a hero or not.
Homer's epic poem The Odyssey was written after his Iliad which told the tales of the Trojan War. This Odyssey told of the wanderings of a prominent warrior and ruler, Odysseus. Odysseus fought in the Trojan War and, after the Greeks claimed their victory at Troy, began his prolonged journey home. During his travels Odysseus faced many obstacles which he had to overcome. Through his wanderings, Odysseus had to prove his valor, intellect, and determination. Incorporated into The Odyssey are many current-day characteristics of man including a constant dependence on others, the presence of a greater vision, or lack there of, and the essence of a sensitive side behind courage and pride.
Throughout the epic, Odysseus is portrayed by his friends and peers as a magnificent man, a godlike figure. But, throughout the journeys of The Odyssey, Odysseus’ true character shows. Heroes are no exception to human nature; all people tend to act differently in public than in private. A commonly accepted definition of a hero is, “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.” Odysseus has not shown the noble characteristics of a hero by acting cowardly, barbaric, selfish and greedy in certain situations; such qualities do not deserve such a title. To be a hero, you must have a noble and courageous purpose. As The Odyssey moves along, Odysseus is revealed not to be a hero through his ignoble acts. Homer uses the character of Odysseus to depict false morality which undermines the concept of his heroism.
A hero accepts who he is as an individual, but strives to change himself for the better. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, the main character Odysseus is a valiant king who embarks on a life-changing voyage. While traveling from Troy back to his home in Ithaka, King Odysseus overcomes daunting obstacles, and in doing so discovers his place in the world. Odysseus is truly a heroic figure because he demonstrates courage, improves his character, and wins the support of the gods.
What do gods, soldiers, and a one-eyed man all have in common? They are all in the Odyssey by Homer. In the Odyssey, Homer uses Odysseus’s journey to show how one’s journey can define them as a person. This essay will show, whomever may read this, how Odysseus is loyal, witty, and violent.
To begin with, Odysseus is an intelligent and clever man. He is a hero because he has the capacity to understand the situations and think through the struggles they are going to face. Odysseus is put against all the odds possible, and at times it seems like the gods are against him. Odysseus tricks the Cyclops, Polyphemus, in a very strategic way and handled the situation effectively. “My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, / everyone calls me Nohbdy (Homer 498). Odysseus’ cleverness is brought out because he conceived an idea that would be adequate enough to trick a Cyclops. Later when Polyphemus is stabbed, he screams, “Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked
The battered and wooden Trojan horse stood tall while the amber sky enclosed the large structure as the Trojan War had finally ended. The structured horse stood tall and proud once Odysseus’s crew had been renounced upon winning the war after 10 dreadful years of battle, as Odysseus was titled as a “hero” to his crew and to the people of Ithaca. Odysseus showed few heroic characteristics in the novel, however, the negative traits outweighed the good in his character. Odysseus is a villain in The Odyssey by Homer due to his excessive pride, disloyalty, and heartless acts and attitudes through the text. He retold many stories of his victories while glorifying his good deeds, and avoiding the elaboration on the mysterious and deformed aspect of his true character through his experiences on the sea, and in the palace. The waves created by the fury of Poseidon tracked Odysseus’s journey through 20 long years,
He uses his intelligence to make the right decision and he does it quickly. Odysseus displays wit and great speech skills in this one conversation with the Cyclops, “My name is Nohbody: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbody.” This ended up paying off for after he drove the spike into the Cyclops’s eye the Cyclops called for help to no avail for he said that Nohbody had harmed him and the other Cyclopes understood that Nobody had harmed him, “Nohbody, Nohbody’s tricked me, Nohbody’s ruined me!”(Pt 1, L 320). The other Cyclopes responded, “Ah well, if nobody has played you foul there in your lonely bed, we are no use in pain given by great Zeus.”(Pt 1, L 323-324). This shows that Odysseus tries to make the right decisions for the future. He does sometimes that he is this naturally smart on his own sometimes and doesn’t give the gods any credit. This is what ended up turning Poseidon against him. However Odysseus does learn from his mistakes and gives Athena credit when he is battling the suitors, showing that he can learn from his previous blunders.
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 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.
The idea of a true hero is varied from person to person, because each viewpoint has a different idea of the personality that makes one a hero. There have been many fiction and non-fiction heroes that show different character traits, which influence people’s definitions of a hero. However, each person’s unique thought about a hero still focuses about one central idea: a hero must prove himself in order to earn his heroic status. This is the cornerstone of all the opinions about heroes because heroes have to show their heroism in order to become who they are in the end. At the beginning they are inexperienced, ordinary people who go on their adventures, and face their fears and weaknesses, but they develop greatly throughout these journeys. After comprehending what true heroism is and following it only then will they become heroes even though each of them has different traits. In the epic poem The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus gains the title of hero during his journey back to Ithaka, from Troy, by proving to be one. It is through his characteristics and experiences that he becomes the well developed man at the end of the book. In truth, because of his confidence, loyalty, and difficult struggles, Odysseus becomes a genuine hero to the people he defended.
In the Odyssey, written by Homer, Odysseus had many strengths and weaknesses that he, and his crew, were aware of. He was too proud, and the Gods punished him for it by forcing him to spend many years at sea. He often let his temper get the best of him and he was a sore winner, as evidenced by his taunting of the Cyclops. However, despite all of this, he was a natural born leader, smart, brave, and strong, He never gave up on returning to Ithaca, even though he spent 20 long years at sea. He had many flaws, and he did struggle, but the many challenges he faced highlighted his strength as a leader and a warrior.
Homer’s literature served as a moral messenger to the people of ancient Greece. The Odyssey by Homer demonstrates the character development of Odysseus, the epic hero, and his journey of self-discovery. Odysseus was a great, wise, noble, and well respected war hero to his people. Odysseus had one tragic flaw that was demonstrated by his actions throughout the book. The author Homer continued to strip Odysseus of his arrogance throughout the story, by throwing challenges his way, making him pay for his mistakes, and allowing him to continue to overcome obstacles. The main purpose of Odysseus journey also to reach his home a more humble man. Reading Odysseus’ journey also served as a way to look at morals. The
Homer’s The Odyssey is a Greek story that follows the journey of its primary character, Odysseus, back to his home in Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus encounters many challenges in his journey home, from encounters with Polyphemus the Cyclops, the witch Circe and even the ghosts of dead Greeks. Meanwhile, his household in Ithaca is being threatened by suitors of his wife, Penelope, all wanting to inherit Odysseus’ possessions in the belief that he was already dead. Like many epic heroes, Odysseus possesses many admirable qualities. Three good characteristics of Odysseus are—cleverness, bravery and strength—here are some supporting instances from the epic that demonstrates Odysseus possession of such characteristics.