The Heroic Hero: Odysseus As An Epic Hero

Everyone has that one character, whether they are fictional or real, that they admire and adore because of their accomplishments throughout their life. The few men that are able to ascend past decades and become known for centuries as a hero are categorized as epic heroes. Epic heroes are able to truly transcend through time and are often times studied by the highest scholars in the world. The most notable hero who is often referred to is one of the world’s first ever heroes known ad Odysseus of Ithaca. His tale involved three main sequential parts. His first challenge was the war at Troy which pulled him away from home for ten years. Next was his ten year journey to get back home as he battled the gods and monsters of all kinds. His third wave was when he had returned home. Odysseus had to fight against the suitors that were plaguing his home to regain his crown. In …show more content…

Luck played into Odysseus story well throughout all three waves of his journey. It is seen in the Trojan War that it was not only his skill, but often times luck that caused an arrow not to pierce right through the hero’s skull. Having the attention often deferred away from him he was a notable soldier, but not in the spotlight during the war. During his journey home the most luck came with the loving nymph Calypso, as he was to be trapped on her island forever. His luck came in the form of the messenger god ordering Calypso to release Odysseus as said was the wish of the gods. While at home Odysseus luck came to him in the form of his son Telemachus and the servants who fought alongside him. There is luck there because the three men easily could’ve believed that Odysseus was a poser and he would have to somehow complete his epic journey all by himself. In any of these actions there could have been a moment where Odysseus made a simple mistake and luck wasn’t on his