Odysseus: An Archetype Of Manhood

Odysseus once said "Dear friends, surely, we are not unlearned in evils. This is no greater evil now than it was when the Cyclops had us cooped in his hollow cave by force and violence, but even there, by my courage and counsel and my intelligence, we escaped away. Think that all this will be remembered someday too. Then do as I say, let us all be won over." In the following essay, I will be analyzing the character of Odysseus. I will be writing about why he is considered an epic hero, his qualities and flaws, and how he is an archetype of manhood. As I have learned, an epic hero is defined as “a brave and noble character admired for great achievements or affected by grand events.” We can say that Odysseus is an epic hero because he has fought in many wars for his country, such as the Trojan War. “What of my sailing, then from Troy? What of those years of rough adventure, weathered under Zeus?” Moreover, Odysseus is considered an epic hero because he has solutions for every problem that he is faced with. An example would be when Odysseus saved his crew from Cyclops Polyphemus.

We can say this because Odysseus always had the courage to save his men. For example, Odysseus saved his men from Circe. “Eurylochus reports that Circe has turned Odysseus’s men into swine and begs him to leave her island. Instead, Odysseus rushes to rescue his men.

We can say that Odysseus is considered an epic hero, with his qualities and flaws, and archetype of manhood. Odysseus can be defined as “a brave and noble character admired for great achievements or affected by grand events.” Although many times he has put his crew’s lives in danger, he always goes back to save