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The odyssey epic characteristics
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One of the main similarities in ancient Greek epics is that there are always great heroes who overcome many difficult and daunting challenges and goes on long adventures. The issue of heroic stature and the character of the hero have a great importance on the epics itself. Classical Greek heroes are usually born to do great things, go on epic journeys and in the end they would receive a reward for their troubles. In Homer’s the Odyssey, Odysseus has many different qualities that classify him as a hero. He is brave and courageous as shown when he murdered all the suitors who were disrespecting his property even though he was outmanned by them. Despite this, he is by no means all brawn and no brain as he shows his intelligence and cunning numerous times during the epic. A few example of this would be when he was able to blind the one-eyed Cyclops while the rest of his crew didn’t know what to do. Odysseus in many ways is similar to a flowing river, because whenever there is a problem (dam in the river), he would first try to go through it, but if he can’t he would then find a way ar...
When people think of Odysseus, they think of a great, cunning, warrior. Who wouldn’t see him that way, he fought his way through Troy and embarked on a journey back home to see his son and wife again. On the surface Odysseus seems like a genius but in Homer’s, The Odyssey, Odysseus shows many instances where he outwits his foes but his foolishness heavily outweighs his smarts; he becomes boastful after a victory which leads to more hardships, he leaves precious cargo in the open for his brutish crew to mess with, and refuses help from the gods which nearly leads to his demise.
In the story the Odyssey by Homer, a very important question is asked: Is Odysseus admirable or not admirable as a hero as a leader. Within the text, it’s shown that he is admirable because he tried everything in his power to get his men back home to their families safe and sound in Ithaca. Many people can read in the text that Odysseus did indeed have his flaws (as does every human being no matter the era) but he tried to make up for his flaws by using his knowledge and skill to get his men out of dangerous situations.
Odysseus intelligence and ability to inspire his men was heroic, because he inspired his men. He inspired them by making them brave and to keep rowing towards Scylla. Odysseus was also very intelligent that made him and his whole men brave. He wasn’t afraid of anything even if he knew danger was around but nothing would stop Odysseus.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus is a hero because he saved his men plenty of times from getting killed. When he went to Circe’s his men were lured in, drugged with her potions and herbs, and then turned into pigs. He went after them knowing he may or may not come back alive. Granted yes, Hermes did come down and give him a special herb to protect Odysseus from Circe’s drugged up potions. That was after he decided he needed to go and get his men back. When he had visited the House of Hades, he went to one of the most scary place in his time to ask a prophet how he could get home with all of his men alive.
In The Odyssey, Odysseus is the hero because he is brave, a great leader, and curious. In the beginning of The Odyssey, Odysseus encountered with people and had some trouble on his journey. He also is a great leader, but he is rarely honest with his crew, he will help his crew, but he knows what will happen to his crew and never tells them. Odysseus is very curious because he saw an island and wanted to see what it was like on the island.
Almost all written works have some sort of hero to lead the way and have the readers side to. In the Odyssey, that very hero is Odysseus, and he has a few important traits to define his character. He is very courageous which helps him lead his men and go into battle. Odysseus is also very cunning because he is able to devise plans when times get tough. Even though many people may disagree, Odysseus’ cunning and courage are his most defining characteristics.
Some of Odysseus’ most recognizable traits are his bravery and leadership. One thing that shows his bravery was his escape from Polyphemus. He was courageous to stab out Polyphemus’s eyes using a burning pole. Odysseus states: "I took my twelve best fighters and went ahead." This example involving the Cyclops shows that one of Odysseus’ great traits is his leadership. He is not the type of leader that sits on safe land while he sends his men in to fight, but a leader who engages in battle with his men. There are also times when many men are afraid, but Odysseus shows he's in not letting anything get in his way and speaks up when nobody will: "We all felt pressure in our hearts, but I spoke up in reply." He was fearless enough to take risks. Odysseus said: "Friends, have we never been in danger before this? More fearsome, is it now, then when we faced Cyclops?" This quote shows that in time of danger, Odysseus is willing to put his life in jeopardy and not give up. Odysseus had the heart of a fighter, he would battle whenever necessary, no matter who his opponent was, in this case the Cyclops. Most epic heroes are aided and guarded by gods wh...
Like Gilgamesh and most other heroes, Odysseus did follow the monomyth in the Odyssey, as he reluctantly departed from his “home” with Calypso, faced many trials on his way home, including monsters and natural disasters, and returned home to his wife a changed man from when he originally left many years ago. Unlike Gilgamesh, Odysseus did not have a Godly parent or parents, and while a few Gods aided him on his journey, he had just as many Gods hinder his voyage. He was not born strong like Gilgamesh, or other Greek heroes like Heracles, but he did have something Gilgamesh did not attain until much later in his life, and that is the will of a hero. While traditional Greek heroes were only required to be honorable and skilled generals and tacticians in battle, Odysseus fulfilled all of those requirements and more. Odysseus was quite strong for a mortal being, noble, courageous, charismatic, and confident, but the trait that defines him is his extremely keen mind. While many Greek heroes were known for their trickery in accomplishing their tasks, Heracles and Perseus, as sons of Zeus, were also born with the raw power to not really need to use their heads. However, Odysseus made use of his brain much more than his fists, and he proved to be the wiliest of them all, as his cunning and ingenuity showed in the conception of the Trojan Horse plan and his
Odysseus, the protagonist in Homer’s, The Odyssey, is a complicated character. He has many noble qualities but is certainly not flawless. The definition of an epic hero is a brave and noble character in an epic poem admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. By this definition Odysseus is an epic hero. He is in an epic poem, he shows intelligence in his strategic planning, is admired by his men, and many other mortals and gods, and is impacted by his interactions with the gods and other grand events. As he makes his way through one epic adventure after another Odysseus shows the reader why he is considered the archetype for all other epic heroes. Despite his character flaws, he preserves. His outstanding qualities seems
Some say that the character Odysseus was the greatest hero of all time. This may be true, however, as any human would, Odysseus definitely possesses substantial flaws in his personality aswell. Although he is persistent and wise, rash actions may take place due to the altering of his behavior by his overconfidence and his prideful mindset. Odysseus also bears the ability to react swiftly and effectively in the face of danger, which he displays multiple times in the story. In effect, the traits of Odysseus define him as a hero, although, a controversial one at that.
Much like Achilles, Odysseus was known in Ithaca for his talent on the battlefield in Troy and he was also considered a hero. What differentiated Odysseus from Achilles, and many other war heroes, was his ability to use intellect for violence. “Never have I found a soul so true as that of stout Odysseus. Consider what that brave man did and dared within the wooden horse where all we Argive chiefs were lying, bearing to the Trojans death and doom”(42). When the characters within The Odyssey speak of Odysseus’ heroism his physical stature is rarely described as one of his dominant traits. Wisdom and quick, clever thinking are the prominent characteristics Odysseus possesses and is recognized for in the Trojan War. It is these traits that resulted in victory over Troy, these traits that resulted in the “death and doom” of the Trojans, and these traits that claimed Odysseus’ title as a war hero. There are also instances in The Odyssey where violence becomes the deciding factor for the coming of age moments determining the heroic status of a character. A good example of this situation would be Telemachus’ coming of age moment at the end of The
Christopher Reeves says, “What makes Superman a hero is not that he has power, but that he has the wisdom and the maturity to use the power wisely.” What makes Odysseus a hero is not only his cunning ability, but his wisdom that he gains throughout his journey. In the Odyssey, Odysseus successfully completes a hero’s journey by completing 9 stages, amending his flaw of pride, and gaining the following wisdom: being cunning is better than being prideful.
His most distinguishing trait, however, is his sharp intellect (Sparknotescom, 2015). Many scientific discoveries would have seen that Odysseus' actions as consecrated, with a kind of judicial. Tremendous endeavor posed by Odysseus’ journey, heroism the ancient and modern perceptions of heroism include fortitude ways of life that demonstrate his worth. In Homer's world, fate is inescapable. Odysseus has all the defining character traits of a Homeric leader: strength, courage, nobility, a thirst for glory, and confidence in his authority. Odysseus is brave, loyal, smart, arrogant at times, wise, strong, shrewd, cunning, majestic, and an epic hero (Enotescom,
Epics are works of imagination that are often based on legends that hold bits of the truth in them; they are also long narrative poems which tell about a hero’s or heroes’ adventures. It reflects on the principles and ethics of a civilization or origin; these heroes are called epic heroes. The Odyssey was composed by Homer around 800 B.C. to 600 B.C. The Odyssey is about an epic hero, Odysseus, who wants to go home to his beloved wife and son after 10 years of the great Trojan War. Odysseus, The Odyssey’s epic hero’ displays wonderful qualities in his adventures that are honored in Greek society. Odysseus also displays faults, because he is human.
In conclusion, the three significant ways in which Odysseus fits the role of an epic hero are his skills of intelligence, the use of perseverance and his performance of bravery. The leadership of Odysseus in the epic poem has shown all of his sides of characteristics with bravery, intelligence and determination. His ability to survive through these years of separating from his families and has to figure out everything by himself was based on these three character traits. These characteristics has shaped who he truly is throughout the end of each important events. Because of his talent and the using of intelligence, braveness and perseverance, he would use that as a key to unlock every challenges that has a dead end to it. His intelligence