Archetypes In Ancient Greek Culture

In my eyes a hero is a person who shows courage, is humble, does not give up, and is someone everybody can relate to. The protagonist in “The Odyssey” by Homer, Odysseus is a hero because although he is emotional throughout the book and lets his emotions take over his actions, he displays immense courage and perseveres through his journey and hardships.

Many think being a hero is having super powers, but on the contrary it's more than that. A hero is one who is distinguished for their courage and bravery, and looked upon for their great deeds. A hero like this is not just found in modern society today, but in mythology as well. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus earns the title of a true hero by conveying many qualities such as: determination, courage and leadership.

In Homers epic poem “The Odyssey” there are many archetypes, many of which were the origin of the archetype. An archetype is a character type, place, or symbol, every culture shares. In “The Odyssey” Homer uses archetypes to evoke meaning to the story. Some examples of archetypes in “The Odyssey” are the temptress, and the father-son conflict.

Joseph Campbell once said, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” True heroes are those who do something for others rather for themselves, Odysseus doesn’t exactly show this trait in The Odyssey. In The Odyssey, Odysseus along with his men try to go back home to Ithaca but due to Odysseus nature, only he actually returns alive. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus proves he is not a hero because he is arrogant, secretive, and unfaithful; resulting for readers to believe that every action has an consequence.

Odysseus proves to be an epic hero in The Odyssey by showing bravery,intelligence and respect for the gods.Odysseus shows his intelligence by having his men tie him up to the mast as they sail past the sirens,so odysseus dont lose his will to get home.Odysseus use his bravery by going past scylla,so that he does not risk losing everything.Odysseus shows respect for the gods by not taking part in the killing of helio’s cattle.The definition of a hero today is very different since Odysseus but the purpose is the same,helping people.A hero does not need superpower or high tech gadgets to help

Most of those obstacles included monsters. Typically, it is a general reaction for regular humans to fear anything that is different from their everyday life. Besides, “all things that differ from societal normality should be seen as either offensive, or to be feared,” ( The Hero’s Journey- Julie Harris; “Monsters & The Hero”- Section 1; pg. 16 ). The Ancient Greeks feared monsters because they were different. They felt threatened by the monsters, and the Greeks would either stay away from them, or fight them. Monsters are feared because they are, typically, known for killing and hurting people. One of the monsters, that should

Much information about Ancient Greek culture and what they valued morally can be gained from Homer’s epic,The Odyssey. The Odyssey has a variety of different archetypes that are still relevant in modern times. The legend of Odyssey has been passed down from poet to poet for five hundred years until finally Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey down somewhere between eight hundred fifty and seven hundred fifty B.C. In Homer’s epic there are three archetypes that provide insights to Ancient Greek civilizations and their morals. These are the hero archetype, the monster or villain archetype, and the hero's journey archetype. Each archetype provides an example of what was moral,heroic,and frightening. Odysseus was considered a hero among the people in Ancient Greek times.

and an appetite. The monster knows none but savage ways and a quote to help my statement is “A prodigious man slept in this cave alones, and took his flocks to graze afield-remote from all companions knowing none but savage ways a brute so huge”(580)Homer. The monster archetype can be anything that you fear. The monster can also be anything that is a bad temptation. A quote from the story to help my thesis is “ the sirens who lure sailors to their destruction;the wandering rocks, sea rocks that even destroy seabirds at flight”(580)Homer. The sirens can stand for temptation and temptation is not always good. Sometimes, monsters can come when you have two decisions and neither one is a good choice but you have to choose and this is an example of my statement “The perils of the sea monster Scylia and nearby, the whirlpool charybdis”(580)Homer. Both decision can be bad but you still have to choose and it will have consequences. I know a similar situation is with popularity, you do the wrong things to be popular and get in trouble for it or not do it and be left out. Now do think this was so easy for Odysseus? He had to have a damsel in distress to save to become the hero, or should I say, damsels’ in distress.

Heroes in real life have supernatural abilities. People also find characteristics of heroes in regular people, like parents, famous people, or just who have made a big impact in their life. The main character of The Odyssey, Odysseus, is shown as a hero because him and his story fit the epic hero cycle. However, just because he is an epic hero, means that he is automatically a hero. He shows us throughout the collection of books that he lacks humility and is unfaithful, proving that he is not a hero in any sense. In Homer’s The Odyssey Odysseus’s lack of boundaries throughout his voyage back to Ithaca show that he is not a true hero.

A hero is one who sets a goal in which takes bravery and dedication in order to achieve. The book The Odyssey written by Homer reveals a story of a true hero. The main character is a man named Odysseus who displays hero characteristics throughout the book. Odysseus is a hero because he returns home with a changed perspective which reflects his heroic abilities, such as his bravery and dedication to return home.

The trait of heroism is something that has changed over thousands of years. Today’s heros have different traits than those heroes of the Trojan War. However, a few have survived the test of time. Many of modern day heroes, as well as past heroes, do hold these long enduring traits, like Nelson Mandela, Marcus Luttrell, Louis Zamperini, and the fictional Iron Man. Odysseus, the main character in The Odyssey by Homer, portrays the traits necessary to be dubbed a hero. One is a hero if he or she shows leadership, bravery, resilience, and creativity throughout their actions.

Being a legitimate hero is not all about having the extraordinary supernatural powers commonly seen on television. Heroes are people who aid others, often putting themselves at risk to do so. They made the decision to fight, not necessarily physically, for their values. Odysseus, the main character in The Odyssey, should be considered a hero. He put his own life in jeopardy to protect his men from the supernatural threats that they faced throughout their journey. Odysseus should be regarded as a hero because he is brave, clever, and cautious.

A true hero will go through immeasurable lengths to benefit not him or herself, but the people around them. Heroes are neither selfish nor uncaring. They seek every opportunity they get to help those in need. One must have also gone through the entire hero’s journey to be deemed a hero. He must start off naïve and inept and through his challenges, transform into someone worth calling a hero. Most importantly, a hero is not perfect. He must listen to other’s ideas and utilize them. However, in The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus disrespects his crew men and the gods’ advice, lets hubris interfere with his men’s lives, and is unfaithful to his wife Penelope.

Christopher Reeve once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” The great epic, The Odyssey by Homer reveals the courageous, daring life of Odysseus, as he travels from his victory in Troy to his home in Ithaca. Throughout the journey, Odysseus reveals his heroic traits of intelligence, skill, and resourcefulness.

Archetypes are characteristics or characters that can define a hero. They can be villains, scapegoats, damsels in distress, and the hero themself . The Odyssey is the perfect story for examples of archetypes seeing as it has so many of them.