Odysseus As A Heroic Hero In The Odyssey

Epic heroes are featured in literature throughout history. Most notably, the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer is about Odysseus, an epic hero. He is the king of Ithaca who goes to fight in the Trojan War. After 20 years, Odysseus finally returns home, although through many obstacles. Once in Ithaca, Odysseus kills the suitors who plague his wife, along with all other disloyal subjects. He fits the definition of an epic hero, which is an admirable character who displays courage while working towards a noble cause. More specifically, Odysseus is an epic hero because he makes complex and important decisions, has supernatural help, and is associated with beautiful women.

Throughout history, poets, authors, and directors have created characters labeled as “heroes”. These figures can be brave and kind; they can be strong and intelligent, but regardless of the attributes these “heroes” possess, they reflect those valued and admired by the people of that time and culture. Homer, the author of book nine of The Odyssey, “In the One-Eyed Giant’s Cave,” used the character Odysseus to appear heroic by showcasing the traits readers would find most desirable in a person. Homer showed such characteristics in Odysseus when he wrote him to be brave when confronted with danger, intelligent in problem-solving, and extremely loyal to his homeland.

Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus experiences many ups and downs throughout his journey home. He is throw into peril and there often seems to be no hope for his return home. While he remains victorious in the end, returning to his wife, son, and father, the poem itself is filled with many darker moments filled with doubt and sadness. Odysseus is the hero of the Odyssey, and in order to exist as a hero he must be relatable. His story cannot be one entirely of triumph, it must include a more human perspective. Triumph cannot come without strife, and heroism cannot come without tribulation. Athena and Odysseus’ experiences as divine and human, respectively, and define whether or not they are heroes. By comparing Odysseus to Athena, it is apparent that what makes Odysseus a hero before anything else is his humanity.

Lance Armstrong once said, “Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or even a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever”. This quote resembles that one of the most important qualities of a hero is persevering through rugged obstacles. As the quote refers to time, Odysseus’s journey took 20 years to accomplish and throughout it he faced many trials, showing how great heroes are made up of those trials in life. Throughout the Odyssey written by Homer, Odysseus journeys home to Ithaca and throughout the journey, he gains qualities of an epic hero by facing and overcoming numerous challenges.

After Odysseus reveals his identity, he takes revenge of the wooers and severely punished anyone that was associated during the occasion. He was justified with his actions when he struck back. His punishments were brutal but neccasary. He gave the wooers what they deserved.

Heroes are everywhere, no matter how small their heroic actions may be. However, what is a hero? A hero is someone who helps others without regard to themselves. A person like Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, who put Tom Robinson in front of his own reputation, and was called a “black lover” in the racist community for doing the right thing. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus has done this more than once on his journey home, however he also has been selfish. Odysseus is a man who has been both heroic, like when he rescued his men from Circe, but he has also done unheroic actions, like when he didn’t tell his men about the dangerous bag of wind.

Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Gandhi, are all real life examples of what a hero is. The Odyssey, written by Homer, is an epic poem written in ancient Greece. The Odyssey is about the many difficulties Odysseus, the main character, had to go through in order to return home to his kingdom after fighting in the Trojan War. Originally Odysseus was supposed to only fight and then return home with his crew, but after his lack of worship to the Gods he was thrown off course, resulting in a much longer journey. Through all of the many difficulties on his journey, Odysseus proved to be a hero, similar to how Mahatma Gandhi is a hero. Odysseus is a hero compared to Gandhi, because they both share similar traits through their

Imagine you’re on a ship in the deep dark sea attempting to find your way home, but instead, you discover yourself farther and farther from your loved ones. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus faces the hardship of this exact scenario. In a time of hardship, personalities are revealed, ranging from heroic to cowardice. A hero is someone who is valued by his intelligence and confidence, allowing him to be a leader. Odysseus is a hero because his leadership is valued by his shipmates, his intelligence was exemplary when a plan was needed, and his confidence was indisputable when theirs was uncertain.

During The Odyssey, Odysseus shows us many of his “epic” traits. Some of the these

In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, a war hero named Odysseus spends ten years attempting to return home to his family. During his journey, Odysseus faces many challenges that test both his courage and commitment to his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus. He must fight off both physical challenges, like monsters, as well as the emotional challenges of temptation. Throughout the course of the poem, Odysseus makes choices that can be considered good or bad, depending on what traits a society values. Due to the cultural differences between the Ancient Greek world and modern American society, it may be difficult to determine whether Odysseus should be considered a hero or not. Some of these lines are not entirely clear, especially when it comes

Odysseus is a hero because he went on his journey home from the Trojan War with strong determination and bravery to get him and his men home. After being already a war hero for being a great help to winning the war, he later proves himself even more of a hero when he leads his men through countless dangers hoping that eventually they will return home. The things they face on their adventure back home will take good amounts of courage and bravery.

To be a veteran is a matter of being in near perfect mental and physical condition and state. Veterans have to endure life changing events and most of the time, it is hard to cope with. Veterans fight for our country so that we may have the privileges we do today. I think the legendary protagonist from Homer’s well-known epic “The Odyssey”¬ – Odysseus, is similar to all veterans.

Wade Davis, an author, photographer, and explorer for National Geographic, describes an ideal hero as being “never perfect, but they're brave, they're authentic, they're courageous, determined, discreet, and they've got grit.” Odysseus is the protagonist in Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, and demonstrates the bravery and determination contained in Davis’ definition. He successfully fought beside other Greek heroes in the Trojan War and now attempts to return to his kingdom in Ithaca being away from home for twenty years. Odysseus should be considered a hero because he portrays essential heroic characteristics such as bravery and determination.

In the first few books of Homer’s Odyssey, the “resourceful” war hero Odysseus is said to be hopelessly stranded on the island of Ogygia. According to Harold Bloom, after ten years of battle along the bloody front of the tragic Trojan War, “Odysseus [managed] unintentionally to offend Poseidon, and in revenge the ocean god [put] Odysseus through an extended series of very severe tests before allowing him to come home.” (13) Eight years of isolation followed the ten years of war on Calypso’s island, keeping him away from his longing family and deteriorating kingdom of Ithaca. Regardless of his heroic war prowess and unprecedented abilities, Odysseus is portrayed at first as a mere mortal, a helpless human being with a fate constantly determined

In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus and many others go on various quests for glory and fame. Throughout these adventures, they are revered as heroes for their accomplishments, and they continue to do more to receive even greater fame. The Greeks revere heroes and their power. The ancient Greek’s reverence of heroes shows that the greeks value fame and power above all else.