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Character development introduction
Character development sample essays
Character development introduction
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An Epic hero is thought to be over an ordinary individual. The qualities of a run of the mill epic hero are quality, reliability, strength, and insight. Odysseus satisfies the greater part of the necessities for an epic hero and then some. He shows his capacity to be an eloquent speaker, and his balance helps him on his trip. His perpetual interest has gotten him into issues, while his heavenly shows of quality and guile have helped both him and his group escape risk. His self-importance sets him back, however his reliability is the thing that drives him forward on his long and deceptive endeavor. In the initial couple of lines of The Odyssey, Odysseus depicts himself as "formidable for guile in peace and war". He realizes that he is an imposing …show more content…
He doesn't need his men to overlook their definitive objective: to return home to Ithaka. Notwithstanding, in light of the fact that the three men were not in their correct personalities, Odysseus needed to go and recover them. Odysseus' constancy to his men is additionally appeared through this statement, "She ate them as they shrieked there, in her den, / in the dire grapple, reaching still for me- / and deathly pity ran me through / at that sight- / far the worst I ever suffered, / questing the passes of the strange sea" (Homer 218). Because of the faithfulness and empathy Odysseus feels for his men, he portrays losing his men as one of the most noticeably bad things he had ever needed to endure. He had been compelled to watch his companions kick the bucket, realizing that there was nothing he could do to spare them. Odysseus' steadfastness and commitment to his men would not give him a chance to desert them in their critical moment. Odysseus is dependable to his men, in any case, his devotion is to his home and family. As Circe says to Odysseus amid his adventure, "Now give those kine a wide berth, keep your thoughts / intent upon your course for home, / and hard seafaring brings you all to Ithaka" (Homer 213). She cautions him that on the off chance that he doesn't comply with her requests, at that point there would be decimation to seek him and his men. Knowing the outcomes of murdering Helios' dairy cattle, Odysseus is determined to maintaining a strategic distance from the island. He honestly tells his team what Circe has said to him, since he needs them to comprehend his rationale and his thinking; he needs to return home as quickly as time permits, and if his men surrender to allurement and kill the dairy cattle, at that point Odysseus realized that they would need to endure substantially more. Be that as it may, rather than feeling respected by Odysseus' genuineness,
One of Odysseus's many qualities is determination. He remains determined throughout the entire saga to get back to his family. During Odysseus's Odyssey he encounters many obstacles, beast, god, and nature. Odysseus must get through all of these hardships before he can make it back to his family and home. On his way back Odysseus is next to Charybdis and she swallows his boat. He must holds on to the branches of a fig tree to survive, "But I clung grimly, thinking my mast and keel would come back to the surface when she spouted. And ah! How long, with what desiree, I waited! Till, at the twilight hour...the long poles at last reared from the sea"(12.560-64). Odysseus shows his determination to get home, because it would be easy for him to just let go and drown, but no Odysseus hangs on so he can see his wife again. Once he is at home he finds suitors at his house. Odysseus kills one of them and the others beg for mercy, ??Not for the whole treasure of your fathers, all you enjoy, lands, flocks, or any gold put up by others, would I hold my hand??(22.65-67). Odysseus is determined to get revenge on all of the suitors and he will not be satisfied until they are all dead. Without his strong will and determination Odysseus would not have made it through his trials. Although determination is a must for a journey such as Odysseus?s cunning is also just as essential.
Once Odysseus has served enough time in a place against his will, he would be determined to leave that place. Odysseus’ journey towards home was now going to be able to be finished. For seven years Calypso held him prisoner on the island of Ogygia and he was determined to leave and see to the rest of his journey. Calypso agrees to let him go and she gives Odysseus some advice and guidance saying, "Only I will not aid [you] on [your] way, for I have no ships fitted with oars, nor crews to bear [you] over the broad oceanridges; but I will freely give [you] counsel and not hide how [you] may come unharmed to [your] own native land"(47). Calypso recognizes Odysseus’ greatness. Calypso says she will give some advice, but Odysseus will have to prove his greatness by making his own ship and understand how he will make it home.
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.
Odysseus’ character , as seen in the Iliad, is much like that of a Homeric hero. A hero in Homer’s world entails many attributes other than physical strength including, but not limited to, courage, honor, respect, intelligence, and good morals. Throughout The Odyssey, some of these character traits are illustrated, and some are slightly changed.
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.
Another characteristic that Odysseus had to be an epic hero was that he was brave. Even though Eurylochos urged Odysseus to not go to Circe and leave the island without his crew Odysseus refused to. He responded to Eurylochos by saying “…as for me, go I must and go I will.';(p.117). Odysseus was a loyal leader, and even though he knew that he faced an impossible task, he went to Circe’s to bring his men back to safety.
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.
“Men hold me / formidable for guile in peace and war (Homer 488).” The quote in the beginning of Book 9 perfectly sums up Odysseus because he does indeed fulfill what he states. Odysseus is a hero that would be known for his effectiveness in war and, generally, his great ability to overcome other troubles. He cleverly maneuvers his crew eventually back to their homeland surmounting many perils that any other person could not. He never loses hope and he never lets it get in his way. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is a hero because Odysseus is loyal to his crew, he is a clever and intelligent man, and he is a courageous soldier and leader on the voyage back to Ithaca.
Odysseus, the epic hero blessed with great strength, intellect, and wit demonstrated that he was recognizable through his human error and flaw. Throughout the epic, Odysseus was well aware of his faults and did what was possible to control himself. His journey was a torment of temptations which he needed to overcome and each one of them challenged him to stay true and increased his will. While some of the temptations were just obstacles and others controlled his destiny, each one defined Odysseus. Odysseus evolved from a flawed man into an epic hero, overcoming his submission to temptation and receiving the ultimate glory he deserved.
...the hero of an epic, to be brimming with anything less than intense pride. Part of what breeds a hero is confidence so one cannot fault Odysseus for having faith in his own abilities. The negative and positive influences of the gods, though, are vastly superior as they truly dictate the epic. Whether it is Poseidon’s fury, Zeus’ wisdom or Athene’s lure to Odysseus, there is absolutely no question the god’s overwhelming substantial impact upon the tale is leaves the deepest imprint upon the reader.
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.
The next trait that shows Odysseus as an epic hero is his intelligence. While on his Grand journey to get back to Ithaca, he gets caught in many situations where using brute strength is not enough to get out so he must rely on his intelligence to
They might say that he wanted them to live their life to the fullest without knowing the perils ahead of them. They could argue that Odysseus does not disclose to them the full length of Circe’s prophecy because he wants the last few moments of their life to be joyful and carefree. Although this may be true, Odysseus shows just how misleading he can be time and time again. Just after being trapped on Polyphemus 's’ island, Odysseus finds himself with Aeolus, the Wind God. Aeolus kindly gives Odysseus a pouch of winds to help him and his crew to get home. Homer writes, “During the voyage, the suspicious and curious sailors open the bag (thinking it contains treasure), and the evil winds roar up into hurricanes to plague the luckless Odysseus again,” (Homer 10.1007-1008). When Homer writes, “suspicious and curious,” he is trying to convey that again Odysseus does not alert his fellow crewmates. Odysseus is vague and deceptive about what is in the sack, insinuating that there is hidden treasure that he doesn’t want to share. Furthermore, if Odysseus had warned his men and had been truthful, they would not have taken an extra three years just to get home. He also could have avoided losing numerous of his men to Circe, who turned them into pigs, and Scylla and Charybdis, who brought down the few men that were still living. His dishonesty makes him less of a hero and causes a great deal of harm
In conclusion, Odysseus’ intelligence, loyalty, and strength are all key aspects which make Odysseus an epic hero. Besides having those characteristics, he has passed impossible tasks and could be compared to many American superheroes such as Batman. Both have relatively the same characteristics: strength, loyalty, intelligence, courage, and pride, but what makes them an epic hero is not entirely what they have been through. It is actually their ability to portray what their civilization finds most heroic in a person that makes them an epic hero.