What Makes an Epic Hero in Homer´s The Odyssey

650 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Decisions odysseus made in the odyssey

A Greek epic hero is the main character of an epic poem that is typically strong and uses his or her strength to battle monsters throughout a long lasting journey. “The Odyssey” written by Homer is an epic poem about a captain who leads a group of soldiers back to their homeland of Ithaca. Odysseus is considered an epic hero because he travels to various lands, fights monsters, and the Gods interfere with the human world to make his journey more difficult. One of the traits that make Odysseus an epic hero is that he travels to many far-off lands. For example, during the beginning of their travels they sailed to the land of the Cyclopes (Homer line 109). This is where Odysseus used his wit to outsmart the Cyclopes into thinking he and his crew are survivors of a shipwreck (Homer line 228-231). Odysseus and his men also made their way to the Land of the Dead in order to consult the blind prophet, Tiresias. While Odysseus was speaking to him, Tiresias told him his prophecy which included danger and the “Destruction of the ship and crew”, (Homer line 645-646). Saying this inferred that Odysseus’s path would be harmed in some form. Later on, as the crew was sailing, they came near an island in which Sirens lived. The Sirens sing a song that is so beautiful all sailors are tempted to leap into the ocean and drown (Homer line 690-693). Lastly on his list of travels, was the island Thrinacia where the Sun God shelters his cattle. The different places Odysseus visits are one factor in how he is an epic hero, another attribute that is equally relevant would be the many monsters that he encounters and fights. Furthermore, throughout this epic poem Odysseus and his men fight many battles against dangerous creatures and beasts. At the star... ... middle of paper ... ...ew was told not to consume the cattle or they would feel the wrath of Helios. However, they ate the cows anyway (Homer line 884-893). When Helios found out what had been done, he asked Zeus for revenge against the ship crew. In agreement, Zeus strikes a lightning bolt against their ship (Homer line 948-949). Having the hate of the Gods against him made Odysseus’s journey very difficult. In conclusion, there are many aspects to being considered an epic poem hero. Odysseus is a prime example of one because he travels to many lands throughout his quest back to Ithaca. Also, in this epic, he fights many monsters and has to face the wrath of chosen Gods that make his journey more difficult. Therefore, Odysseus is considered an epic hero because he travels to various lands, fights monsters, and the Gods interfere with the human world to make his journey more difficult.

Show More
Related

  • Odysseus: The Antihero

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    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 shows that he is an antihero through his pride, disloyalty, and bloodthirstiness.

    Read More

  • Homer's Odyssey: Woody As An Epic Hero

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

        An epic hero is character who is brave and noble, and that person is someone who carries good leadership traits and goes through an epic journey. Usually an epic hero is from an epic, and an example is Odysseus. Odysseus goes through a journey to return back to Ithaca, his homeland. In the modern era, there are epic heroes all around us. They can be in books, movies, or plays. One great example of a modern epic hero is Woody from Toy Story 3. He is confident, courageous,selfless,  and humane. Woody is a toy cowboy and his owner, Andy is going off to college. Woody and his buddies get misplaced and get donated to a child day care center. There, they have to try to escape and return home, after realizing how bad the place

    Read More

  • herody Little Heroism in Homer's Odyssey

    1286 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Could I forget that kingly man, Odysseus?  There is no mortal half so wise; no mortal gave so much to the lords of the open sky." proclaims Zeus, the king of all gods in Homer's The Odyssey.  He, among countless others, harbors high regards for Odysseus, the mastermind of the Trojan War turned lost sailor.  However, the epic poem is sprinkled with the actions of gods and goddesses pushing Odysseus towards his path home to Ithaka, giving the mortal war hero little exposure to the limelight.  So when does all the high and mighty talk of Odysseus' power prove true?  Only in the absence of godly intervention can the title character live up to his name.  In Homer's The Odyssey, excessive reliance on the gods' assistance weakens the overall effect of Odysseus as the hero; while, as a break from the norm, Odysseus' single-handed defeat of the Kyklops Polyphêmos adds true suspense to the story as well as merit to Odysseus' character.

    Read More

  • Heros Journey In The Odyssey: The Hero's Journey

    1422 Words  | 3 Pages

    In this long narrative poem, Odysseus changes from being disrespectful to the gods by explicitly saying that he doesn’t need them, to longing forgiveness later by stating that he is nothing without them. After the success with the Trojan Horse, Odysseus considered himself higher than the gods because he, a mortal, was able to accomplish something even the gods couldn’t. He boasted to Poseidon and the others about how he is overpowering, and how his power and abilities were far beyond their limits. His epic boasting to the gods had lead him to create his own obstacles as, he is one who essentially was the cause. This disrespectful attitude is the personality which shows how Odysseus behaved at the beginning of the story. It not only demonstrates what he was once like, but how his obstacles get much more precarious. As this is the attitude in the beginning, by the end of this epic, Odysseus understands the value of gods and their power, even if it’s for good or bad. At the end of book twenty-two, page 1160, on lines 107-109, Odysseus finally accepts the fact that he is not the biggest thing

    Read More

  • Was Odysseus A Hero Essay

    547 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Is Odysseus A Hero? in the Poem The Odyssey by Homer

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Odysseus: Epic Hero?

    671 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Odysseus The Hero

    745 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Odysseus The Hero

    1489 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Odysseus as an Epic Hero

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Odysseus was an epic hero depicted in the Homer's The Odyssey. He responded to the call to travel to Troy to help Agamemnon get Helen. He encountered great confrontation along the way. He fought the Cicones, the Lotus Eaters, the Cyclops, Polyphemus, the Laestrygonians, the witch goddess Circe, the lonely Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, the Sun, and Calypso. He and his men traveled great distances under severe circumstances. Odysseus answers a second call to return home to his family. He returns a more mature warrior and a wiser man. Because of this he is able to conquer the suitors and reclaim his palace and his family. As in all Greek literature, the epic hero Odysseus answers a call to action, suffers through great confrontation, and returns with a better understanding of life.

    Read More

  • Odysseus is an Epic Hero

    850 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Odysseus In The Illiad And The Odyssey

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    Odysseus is one of the very many prominent characters in Homer’s Epic poems, The Illiad, and The Odyssey. Odysseus has been famed one of the more relatable characters from Homer’s writing, as well as one of the Greatest Greek Mythology Heroes. Homer’s Epic poems highlight many periods of shame and honor for Odysseus. The character analysis of Odysseus through the poem’s timeline shows vast developments and heroic features appear to take form in him. The Illiad portrayed Odysseus as more of a secondary figure behind Agamemnon and Achilles. In contrast, The Odyssey portrayed Odysseus as a hero in the form of an average human.

    Read More

  • How Odysseus is a Hero

    1459 Words  | 3 Pages

    A person will typically think a hero as one who is equipped with great strength or ability. But a hero is more than just being brave or strong. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus goes through many challenges and is faced with his biggest weakness: his hubris or excessive pride. Though, Odysseus earns the title of a hero because he exhibits courage, utilizes cunning, and overcomes his hubris.

    Read More

  • Odysseus: an Epic Hero

    827 Words  | 2 Pages

    Picture this: a hero of great legends who travels to the underworld and back to get directions to his home from a blind prophet. It sounds like quite an impossible journey, but that is exactly what makes Odysseus all the more fascinating. The Odyssey, an epic poem orally transmitted by Homer, a Greek poet who wrote The Iliad, had to contain some variety of attributes that Greeks valued in a person. That one embodiment of what the Greeks found intriguing in a character is Odysseus. Odysseus is known as what is called an epic hero. An epic hero is a protagonist of a story that represents the most important attributes of a civilization. Odysseus, being based in ancient Greece, is the embodiment of intelligence, loyalty, and strength.

    Read More

  • Achilles; the True Hero of the Iliad

    664 Words  | 2 Pages

    In literature, there are two types of heroes, epic and tragic. An epic hero reflects their society’s values, immortalized in the eyes of their people, and shows courage in the face of adverse situations. Achilles is an epic hero because he embodied the honor that was so highly regarded in Greek society, chose to die early in battle and be remembered gloriously rather than living a long anonymous life in his homeland of Pthia, and avenged Patroclus’s death.

    Read More

More about What Makes an Epic Hero in Homer´s The Odyssey

Open Document