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Epic Qualities Of A Hero In Homer's Odyssey

Decent Essays

When you think of the word hero, it is easy to imagine the heroes of epic tradition, such as Hercules and Odysseus who save the world through physical actions and are deemed “brave” or “strong” because of it. Although, heroes can be found in many different shapes and forms. Heroes possess different qualities which they use to make the world a better place, ultimately “saving” others. My father resides with the heroes of epic tradition due to his sacrificial and courageous attributions to the family when caught in battle, while my mom is more of a contemporary hero through her emotional and “willing to assist” mindset when faced with an obstacle. Overall, it is important that a hero possesses a share of both contemporary and epic characteristics, …show more content…

Every day, at four o’clock in the morning, you hear a stumbling about in my house. This is the hustle and bustle of my father completing his 5 mile run, walking upstairs for coffee, and then going into my parents bedroom to take a short lived shower prior to getting in the car at 7:20 to go to work. He wakes up, so I don’t have to, and this is just one of the many sacrifices my father makes in order to provide for my family on a daily basis. My father started an RV company in the city of Elkhart, Indiana, in 2008, in the middle of a recession. This sacrifice, although scary, was a courageous one. My father had the mindset to “be brave,” and “make it happen,” just as the epic heroes do such as Hercules and Odysseus, despite the people around him telling him it was nearly impossible to profit during such a hard time in the United States. This scenario is similiar to an action of Hercules when he brought back Alcestis from the dead by going to Hades in order to do so (“Hamilton,” Hercules, 8). My father will go to any lengths to provide for my family, he will take the biggest chances and do the unthinkable. Although Hercules ultimately did that task for himself, that is where the difference between my father and epic heroes comes into play. My father is all about self sacrifice, and he does actions for other people instead of his own ego. Because my father has that emotional aspect to his epic hero lifestyle, I consider him a

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