The Journey Home: What Makes a Hero

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The Journey Home: What Makes a Hero

What constitutes an epic story? Certainly, literary expectations have come to define a story as a series of events revolving around one or more characters. An epic, however, must possess one attribute that a story may or may not contain; a hero. The Odyssey is an epic and therefore, it does contain a hero and perhaps even more than one. A hero cannot simply just exist, though, he or she must be shaped into the role through a series of adventures and misadventures that help the reader sympathize and identify with the hero’s progress towards a specific goal. The Odyssey proves no exception as the hero Odysseus’ ultimate goal of returning home to his beloved Ithaca is hindered by a sequence of events that create the story. Although his own contribution to delaying his return home must not be overlooked, it is primarily the desire of the gods which greatly affects Odysseus progress towards Ithaca.

Although not as prominent as the roles of the Gods, Odysseus’ own actions do impact his journey home, even if it is only negatively. Odysseus is a proud man and at numerous points during The Odyssey his ego derails efforts to return to Ithaca. Perhaps this is clearest when Odysseus and his men land upon the island of Aeaea. Home to the beautiful goddess Circe, Odysseus and his men are initially oblivious to the perils of the enchanting island. After a band of Odysseus’ men are tricked and turned into pigs by the goddess, though, Odysseus is warned of a similar fate and subsequently confronts and threatens to kill the goddess. Instead, however, Circe begs to lie with Odysseus and even swears an oath insisting there is no more hidden mischief in store for Odysseus and his crew. While...

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...the hero of an epic, to be brimming with anything less than intense pride. Part of what breeds a hero is confidence so one cannot fault Odysseus for having faith in his own abilities. The negative and positive influences of the gods, though, are vastly superior as they truly dictate the epic. Whether it is Poseidon’s fury, Zeus’ wisdom or Athene’s lure to Odysseus, there is absolutely no question the god’s overwhelming substantial impact upon the tale is leaves the deepest imprint upon the reader.

Works Cited

- Homer. The Odyssey. London: The Penguin Group, 2003.

- Nelson, Christopher B. "Homer and the Power of Men That Have Chests." New Criteriorn

November 2003. 27 January 2004 <http://0web6.infotrac.galegroup.com

- Sellar, Tom. "Homer's Homecoming." American Theatre September 2003. 26 January 2004

<http://www.newcriterion.com>.

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