Traits of the Hero Odysseus in the Odyssey by Homer

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Recommended: Characteristics that make a person a hero

What is a hero? What is so special about a hero? A hero is a mortal with inhuman powers who does things ‘normal’ people cannot do. Most heros are usually form Mythology of the Greeks and Romans in the twentieth (20th) to the first (1st) century BC. All heros will go through an Odyssey, or a adventure/s with romance, action, and at times, a happy ending. This leads to a story written in Eight hundred (800) BC, called “The Odyssey.” The Odyssey is an Epic poem written by Homer, a greek poet who lived in the eighteen hundred to the seventeen hundred BC. The Odyssey is the story of a hero named Odysseus, who is in a struggle to return home to his Kingdom Ithaca and his family (his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus). While on his way home, he feels it is necessary to see his future by Tiresias, a fortune telling prophet of Thebes. Sadly through the prophet’s telling, Odysseus is warned about suitors trying to steal his family and kingdom from his grip. Eventually, he will arrive home and go into a killing spree of the suitors. But for him to reach home, what would he need to have to finish his long journey? He needs the traits of a hero, which are cunningness and courage.
Fortunately, Odysseus shows his strongest traits throughout his journey, which are his cunning tricks and wondrous acts of courage. For his great courage, he shows this trait through many of his trials. One example is when he risked his life to find his destiny from Teiresias, before he heads home. For this to happen , he would need to fight undead souls and eventually reach the prophet. “ From every side they came and sought the pit with rustling cries; and I grew sick in fear . But presently I gave command to my officers to flat those sheep the bronze cut down...

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... creating a drunk cyclops to his wooly leaving of the sheep. He is also cunning through his wary mind of staying behind on the island of the Lotus eaters. Odysseus shows tremendous amounts of courage from Circe’s spells and saving his men to his trip of the dreary, dark and dull visit of the prophet of Thebes, Teiresias. Without the courage of a hero, Odysseus would have let all of his men die, and not make it home. What should be taken from this is to stand up for what you want, keep the courage in what you love, keep pushing on, even if it means taking a kick in the teeth. Only a true hero can survive the events similar towards the adventure of Odysseus. No one can live the adventure over and over again. What is so special about a hero? Each one will have their own unique adventure. And no other hero will have the exact same one.

Works Cited

The Odyssey - Homer

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