Is Odysseus A Hero

One of Odysseus’ traits is bravery. One example of Odysseus’ bravery is when he injures a Cyclops that is 5 times his size, “I drew it from the coals and my four fellows/ gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclops/ as more than natural force nerved them, straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it/ deep in his crater eye. 329-332” This quote shows how brave Odysseus and his men are to face the Cyclops. Odysseus was intelligent to think about this idea, but

Since the cyclops’ vision is impaired, Odysseus “tied them silently together, twining/cords of willow from the ogre’s bed/then slung a man under each middle one/to ride there safely, shielded left and right/So three sheep could convey each man” (Homer 500). Odysseus possess the trait of cleverness which is demonstrated through his quick thinking and by only using using the resources available to free his men from Polyphemus’ grasp. He is a man to be revered because he uses his cunning skills to help others reach safety. Odysseus is also the last man to exit the cave because he puts their lives before his. He is also willing to take the responsibility and consequences of their actions. For example, if the cyclops were to notice him he would force his men escape and leave him behind to be devoured. Odysseus is a hero, for his willingness to put his companions’ lives before his own and use of his wits to save those around him.

Bravery was probably one of the traits Odysseus was known for best. Without his bravery, the story most-likely wouldn't have been as exciting and suspenseful as it was. One of the situations that displayed this trait was when they landed on the

When a dire situation, such as struggling to escape from a Cyclops, comes up, Odysseus is ready with a solution. He explains the process of his clever thinking: “I drew on all my wits, and ran through tactics,/ reasoning as a man will for dear life,/ until a trick came ― and it pleased me well” (9.332-334). Odysseus knows that the scenario can mean life or death to him, and his quick wit helps him and the rest of his crew to survive. Odysseus running through a list of tactics proves that he has an idea of what may or may not work, hence proving his intelligence. He thinks of all sorts of tricks that are competent enough to make himself proud and also to win the favor of Athena. In addition, Odysseus has enough wisdom to take Circe’s advice on how to confront the Sirens. He “carved/ a massive cake of beeswax into bits/ and rolled them into [his] hands until they softened/ … [he] carried wax along the line, and laid it/ thick on their ears” (12.111-113, 116-117). Odysseus is wise to follow Circe’s advice and is thus able to pass by the Sirens without causing any trouble. He made another plan of putting beeswax into his own ears and tying himself to a post so that he would be able to listen to the alluring voices of the Sirens. If he hadn’t tied himself or instructed the rest of his crew to never untie him, he may have ended up dead on the shores where the Sirens live. Odysseus’ shrewdness saved his

What makes someone a hero? Is it the adventures they go on, the traits they possess, or how popular they are? In The Odyssey, Odysseus embarks on one huge adventure to save his people, but barely gets back home. The struggles on this journey have proved whether Odysseus is in fact a hero, or just a fool who got lucky. Although literary scholars of The Odyssey have argued that he is not a hero, closer examination shows that he is a hero because he met the ultimate goal of defeating Troy, bravely led and sacrificed for his men, and escaped multiple enemies.

When Odysseus becomes trapped in the Cyclops, Polyphemus’s, cave, he realizes that now is the time to use his strategy rather than strength. It all starts with his ‘libations’ to the Cyclops. Odysseus consistently gives Polyphemus wine “to top off the banquet of human flesh [he has] bolted down!” which is the crew members that Cyclops has eaten ( 9. 222). The most crucial part of Odysseus’s plan is when he tells Polyphemus his name is “Nobody- so my mother and father call me” (9. 223). This particular name that he tells Cyclops helps him escape the other cyclops on the island. Once they stab Polyphemus’s eye with a burning hot stick, the other cyclops wake up to ask him if anyone else is in there with him. Polyphemus, thinking that Odysseus’s name is actually ‘Nobody’, tells them that ‘Nobody’ is in there with him, While escaping death from the cyclops, Odysseus also blinds the cyclops, and saves the rest of his crew. Odysseus chose to use his strategy in place of trying to use his strength which would not have helped him escape. In this situation, strength is no use, seeing as the cyclops is ten times as strong as him.

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.

Furthermore, Odysseus reveals his cautious qualities that verify his heroism. In "Sea Perils and Defeat", Odysseus does not notify his men about the Sirens: "Odysseus decides to tell the men only of Circe's warnings about the Sirens"(narration). Odysseus noticeably gave forethought to this action because he knew his men would be fearful, and that it would interfere with their goal. His judgment forestalled his men from trying to avoid Scylla, as the anxiety of facing Scylla may have overwhelmed them, therefore, saving them from annihilation. Correspondingly, Odysseus shows his circumspect behavior in "The Challenge": "Odysseus took his time, turning the bow, tapping it, every inch"(lines 1359-1360). This instance reflects Odysseus' value of prudence; he made sure that the bow was in suitable condition for him to make an accurate shot. Placing importance on his discretion, Odysseus displays his heroic characteristics. Odysseus' alertness in these situations validates his heroism.

Many people could’ve done what Odysseus did and even could’ve done it better, faster, and easier. Some may believe that Odysseus is courageous. He demonstrates this courage when he steps up to fight the Cyclopes, or even when he was willing to travel to the underworld to save his men (pg. 397, lines 163-165). Although this example shows some courage, Odysseus obviously fears the gods and how they change the outcome of everything ( pg. 402, lines 35-40). Another quality that opponents believe Odysseus has is determination.

This is a trial in which Odysseus cannot face without the the help of his crew. Odysseus was not able to resist the Sirens due to his own accord and free-will but he must be physically restrained with ropes to pass by the Sirens, who tempt him with their charming voices, without falling in to them. As Odysseus says “The lovely voices in ardor appealing over the water made me crave to listen, and I tried to say “Untie me!” to the crew, jerking my brows; but they bent steady to the oars”(Lines 1273-1276).

Throughout the “Odyssey”, Odysseus shows many heroic actions proving that he is brave, smart, and a good leader. He has put himself in harms way before his own men, he watches over them and never leaves them behind. Going through many of the trials and difficulties. he has proven to a heroic character. One reason Odysseus is heroic is his bravery, he is brave because rather than just sending his men into danger, he goes along with them, “As for myself I took my twelve best fighters” (Homer 565).

According to greekmythology.com, “He was the son of Laertes and Anticlea, and is well known as an eloquent speaker, ingenious and cunning.” This makes him an almost perfect hero for literature. Think about it; would Odysseus be able to get through tough battles and obstacles if he was a weakling and coward? Probably not, unless you’re thinking of an underdog, and Odysseus wasn’t exactly an underdog. As stated by britannica.com, “Homer portrayed Odysseus as a man of outstanding wisdom and shrewdness, eloquence, resourcefulness, courage, and endurance.” This gives more of an example that Odysseus is close to a perfect hero, disregarding the fact he’s pretty poor at getting out of captive situations. The Odyssey starts off with him as a willing captive on the island of Calypso. The citizens of Ithaca are frightened that he’s dead, but he’s really just having good times on an

One of the biggest traits Odysseus shows throughout the story is his bravery. The whole story Odysseus shows his courage. Taking every mission knowing there could be death; Odysseus still did not give up. Odysseus did whatever it took to make back to Ithaca for his wife and son. Odysseus showed courage by outsmarting the Cyclops. Odysseus went to the land of the dead just to bury a dead shipmate with no fear. But Odysseus showed his every bit of bravery when planning and fighting against the suitors. Odysseus set up plans to kill all the suitors with only 3 people with him. Odysseus refused to back down from the suitors so when the time came he was prepared. When all the suitors were killed Odysseus and his family had finally reunited. After 20 years of Odysseus bravery had all paid off. That’s why I think Odysseus shows he has lots of bravery throughout the story.

With only the help of his son, Odysseus kills all the suitors, despite the fact that he was greatly outnumbered. Odysseus proves his strength for the second time when he resists the Siren’s song. No man is able to resist it, but with the strength that Odysseus contains, he overcomes it. Odysseus begs his crew to untie him because the voices are so appealing, but he keeps his strength and fights off the tempting voices: “The lovely voices in ardor appealing over the water/ made me crave to listen, and I tried to say ‘Untie me!’ to the crew jerking my brows;/ but they bent steady to the oars.” (XII, 246-249) Third, Odysseus is very sharp and wise. When blinding the great giant, Polyphemos, one would think why not kill the giant instead of blinding him? Odysseus was very strategic and blinded him because if he were to kill the giant, Odysseus and his crew would not be able to escape. As strong as Odysseus is, he would not be able to move the giant boulder which was blocking the exit. “My heart beat high now at the chance of action,/ and drawing the sharp sword from my hip I went/ along his flank to stab him where the midriff/ holds the liver. I had touched the spot/ when sudden fear stayed me: if I killed him we perished there as well, for we could never/ move his ponderous doorway slab aside.” (IX, 324-330) Odysseus has a sharp mind and thinks of what the outcome to each of his move will be. He makes

Odysseus has escaped death and monsters time after time and his sometimes heroic but bold actions turned him into a hero for the Greeks. There were as many disadvantages as there were advantages for Odysseus and whomever followed him throughout his voyage. He consistently wanted more and usually picked fighting over being logical and safe, therefore resulting in many casualties due to his forward behavior. Many may think Odysseus’ crafty and impulsive nature, how he almost always had a need for things that would be beneficial to him in the end (if he lived that is), even though they were usually risky, and how/what he did to cause so many redundant casualties, and how that all would have led to his downfall if he didn’t have luck on his side.