A Hero Essay : Odysseus As A Hero

What heroic qualities does Odysseus show? Explain the situations in which Odysseus shows these qualities.

Lizeth Marin Honors Introduction to Literature Period 3 18 April 2008 Odysseus: Hero or Villain? Heading home, to Ithaca, Odysseus is faced upon many obstacles that he and his men try to overcome, but in the end substantiate that Odysseus is a villain. “The old soldier in despair: He has spent ten years (seven of them as Calypso’s not entirely unwillingly captive) trying to get home” (652, summary). Evidence proves that Odysseus is a villain, because he tries to convince that he was kept unwillingly by Calypso. However, it is true that Odysseus was kept as Calypso’s captive for a time. Yet he can still be judged as a villain, because he does not just stay as a prisoner, no, he assists Calypso by being with her for the pleasures that

     Is Odysseus, the main character of Homer’s The Odyssey, really an epic hero? An epic hero embodies several heroic traits such as; having superior or super-human strength; being intellectual and courageous; and being a strong and responsible leader. An epic hero struggles and is overwhelmed with difficulties. An epic hero is on a quest of self discovery, war or some sort of goal. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is on a quest to return home to Ithaca after ten years of war in Troy. Odysseus, during his quest, is forced to venture through a merciless Cyclops, angered Gods, deeply obstinate Goddesses, the underworld, and determined suitors that are after his wife Penelope. Odysseus surmounts

Another quality of being a hero is, having courage; and Odysseus clearly conveyed this during his journey. In order to be courageous, the hero has to be fearless, meaning he has to act confident about his actions. This applies to Odysseus and the deities. If Odysseus were to appear weak, than the gods may think he's too weak for the journey and won't make it out alive. So, as a way of showing his courage, confidence overcomes Odysseus and he talks to the gods as if he were one of them. “After these years...to my harm.” (Book V, Lines 183-190). Odysseus shows no fear when speaking with Kalypso. Also, Odysseus shows more courage when he blinds Polyphemos. He humiliates Polyphemos, without even thinking of the effects. “Kyklops, you ask my honorable

A hero accepts who he is as an individual, but strives to change himself for the better. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, the main character Odysseus is a valiant king who embarks on a life-changing voyage. While traveling from Troy back to his home in Ithaka, King Odysseus overcomes daunting obstacles, and in doing so discovers his place in the world. Odysseus is truly a heroic figure because he demonstrates courage, improves his character, and wins the support of the gods.

The majority of those who read The Odyssey consider the protagonist of the story, Odysseus, a hero. On many occasions, however, Odysseus makes decisions beneficial to himself alone. For example, when Odysseus and his men find themselves on Polyphemus's island, Odysseus's actions are self-centered and at the expense of his men. This can be said for most of Odysseus's actions in the story, as his main objective is to reach his home. Having his men by his side when he returns seems a trivial thing to him. Odysseus could be considered a hero, but many of his actions say otherwise. Due to the many unfaithful and self-centered decisions he makes in the story, Odysseus is not a hero.

Many would argue that Odysseus is more of a villain nowadays, for every instance of his wiliness or feats of strength there are several of venality, vice, cruelty, or selfishness. The episode of the Sirens,(Book 12), is one example. The only reason Odysseus ties himself up to the mast, when instead he could have simply plugged his ears with wax like the rest of his crew, is that he chooses the jeopardous choice, wanting to "go down in the books" by being the first man to ever listen to the Sirens song and live. In consequence he possibly endangers the rest of his crew from safely reaching home by endangering himself. While Odysseus’ many adventures are very exciting, he spends a considerable amount of time cheating on his wife (with

sword from my hip I went along his flank to stab him where the midriff

In Homer’s, The Odyssey, I believe that Odysseus is a true modern hero. During his long and perilous journey home Odysseus shows many heroic qualities that help save his men from many dangerous situations. He first shows his Valiant behavior during the war in Troy, he cares about his crew and survives the war. He also deeply cares about the welfare of his men on their return trip to Ithaka. Odysseus is a hero because he is a courageous leader, a quick thinker and a modest man.

In the Odyssey, Odysseus is known for his leadership skills, his cleverness, and mostly his hubris. Odysseus was sailing across the sea; he and his men had been traveling to return to their home. Odysseus demonstrated his leadership skills by making sure his men did not wander or stray off from their original goal. As a matter of fact, when his men "ate this honeyed plant, the Lotus, they never cared to report, nor to return" home, but Odysseus "tied them down under their rowing benches and called the rest" (Homer 158 l. 47-48 and 51-52). Odysseus had served as his men's mentor and guided them back to their original goal. Odysseus had also described how he was clever enough to outsmart the Cyclops with his machinations. Since the Cyclops

In book 22 of the Odyssey the question is, is Odysseus a hero? There weren’t many heroic qualities in Odysseus. There is also a conflict of nature vs. reason within the book. For the essential theme within the Odyssey, we see some examples of reason and nature and the view that Homer took on each one of these topics. A few important lines from book 22 mark areas of importance. Based on book 22 it seems to be that Odysseus is not considered a hero.

What characteristics are essential for a person to have to be considered a hero? Does this person have to have super strength or extreme bravery. In modern day society a hero is just your average person, who has flaws just like you and me. In the book The Odyssey the main character Odysseus was a brave soldier during the trojan war. He used his smart witts to get back to his hometown of Ithaca to return to his family. In the book All Things Fall Apart, the main character Okonkwo had the gift of super strength, which made him the leader of his Ilb village in Nigeria. Okonkwo was a family man and would do anything to protect his daughter. Though both Okonkwo and Odysseus are heros, Odysseus fits the mold of an Epic hero better than Okonkwo who is more presumed as a tragic hero.

The mythical journey of The Odyssey shows how a true leader and good role model should be. The Odyssey was told centuries ago by a man named Homer. The Odyssey is about a man named Odysseus who is traveling with his shipmates back home to Ithaca after the Trojan War, but he is facing many difficulties and deadly obstacles in his path to return back home. Meanwhile in his homeland of Ithaca, his wife Penelope is being greeted by suitors who want to be Penelope’s husband because they think Odysseus is dead. Despite all his hardships, Odysseus maintains a heroic attitude and still tries to make back home to Ithaca. Odysseus is a good role model because he is genuine intelligent with his decisions and brave as the captain of his ship.

When you think of the word hero, a lot comes to mind. There are still heroes present in today’s modern world just as there was a long time ago. A hero is someone who is described as having some key traits such as respect, bravery, and faith. Nelson Mandela is viewed as a hero for the way he used these traits during a time of unrest in South Africa. In the book A Long Walk To Freedom, an autobiography by Nelson Mandela, he tells of the multiple years he spent in an African prison for what he believed in, the abolition of apartheid.

Heroism in modern society is defined as someone who displays bravery, strength, and victory, but I think that a hero should possess stronger qualities than that. I think a hero should be able to willingly sacrifice something for someone they don’t even know or sacrifice their life to help someone in need, something some ordinary person wouldn't do. Odysseus is a hero because he defends his home, tries his hardest to keep his crew alive, and does everything he needs to do to keep himself alive.