Odysseus : A Hero As A Hero

Constantly throughout the book, Odysseus shows great courage in any and every situation he is put in. We see this glimpse of courage when he fights the suitors, or when he saves his whole crew from the Cyclops. In book 9 as Odysseus and his crew are journeying through the cave of a Cyclops, Odysseus decides to make a very bold decision and blinds the Cyclops. “Hoisting high that olive stake with its stabbing point, straight ingo the monsters eye they rammed it hard.” (page 223, line 427-428) In this scene Odysseus drives a stake into his eye, in result blinding him. This was a very courageous decision because of the fact that he and his men are up against a Cyclops. At the same time, Cyclops’s are very strong and big, and Odysseus could have easily been killed . It turns out that the Cyclops is a offspring of Poseidon which put him and his crew into a lot of trouble and danger later in their journey, and if Odysseus knew that or not it was still a brave thing to do in order to save him and his crew at that moment.

Of all literature works read thus far, the Odyssey full fills the hero’s journey in all aspects of the story. Throughout this story there are vivid examples of how the hero’s journey is outlined. From the beginning of “the hero’s journey”, which is the call to adventure Odysseus will begin his journey when he makes the choice of going into battle in the Trojan War. There will also be specific events in this epic story to display “the hero’s journey” even further. Eventually the end of the journey will be revealed when Odysseus regains his family, friends, and home. This part of

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 the Odyssey, Odysseus is quite the legend known to people, whether you are high up in the sky with Zeus, or deep in the ocean with Poseidon, everyone knows Odysseus. In the epic poem, the Odyssey told by the one and only Homer, the brave, the godlike human, Odysseus is finding his way home after the big battle victory against the Trojans. This story is about his travels home and how he got caught up in other business. Let’s just say he stabbed Poseidon’s son, had his crew turned into pigs, faced a six-headed monster and whirlpool, and that is to say the least. He may as well be on America’s most wanted list with all the trouble he was causing. Even though Odysseus is a troublemaker, he has multiple great characteristics of a leader. Odysseus, when it comes to his crew and family, is confident, compassionate, wise, and always knows a way to get out of any problem.

Ten years after the fall of Troy, Odysseus a great hero has yet to return to his home in Ithaca. It begins with Athena and Poseidon who helped the Greeks during the Trojan War. Athena turned against the Greeks and convinces Poseidon to do the same. The Greeks are hit by storms on the way home and many ships are destroyed and the fleet is scattered. The war and his distress at sea keep Odysseus away from Ithaca for twenty years.

In Greek literature of mythology, we have examined Odysseus. Students and scholars alike have held debates about Odysseus. The discussion is whether Odysseus was a true hero, as read in The Odyssey. There is abundant supportive evidence to verify all sides of the debate and opinions held about Odysseus. Odysseus had encompassed many qualities that I believe make him a hero. The qualities he embodied were mental strength, physical strength, and spiritual strength. I would like to advocate for why Odysseus was a hero.

Odysseus tends to use strategy over strength to be a hero when it comes to challenges. Instead of beginning with fighting the Cyclops, he takes his time and sets up a plan. Everytime he enters a new island, he does not start telling everyone that he is Odysseus, king of Ithaca. Instead, he charms the people he meets and uses his wise words that cause them to help and pity him. Odysseus represents what being a hero is actually all about. Throughout the novel The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus continuously shows his personality of being an admirable hero to everyone by using strategy instead of strength.

For generations, heroes have always fascinated people and people have strived to achieve certain qualities of their heroes. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is considered the hero of the story. While Odysseus does demonstrate some qualities that are not heroic, he is still defined as a hero because of his better, more heroic qualities in which he is far superior in than any other man. The qualities in which define Odysseus as a hero are courage, intelligence, and leadership.

Some may believe a hero is a person who fights evil and saves people. In reality, it is more than than that. A hero is someone who fights for what they believe in, they are courageous, fight for the greater good, and above all, would sacrifice their life to save the lives of many. For example, in The Odyssey, a hotshot is shown in the life of Odysseus. While many believe Odysseus was a great figure and leader, he was far from that. He failed his crew, and for one reason only, he was not the chieftain his men needed.

Even in the bleakest of situations, Odysseus did not give up. For example, when the crew landed on the Island of the Sun, Odysseus, who knows that his crew is prophesied to perish there, warns his shipmates that their stores of food are on their ship and that they musn't eat the catle of the sun god, Helios, or they will all pay dearly for it. To the very end, Odysseus was dedicated to his companions and even tried to save their lives, although Odysseus already knew they were prophesied to perish. It was this dedication to quest and companions that made Odysseus and ideal leader. Together, these and Odysseus's other positive traits and deeds may lead people to consider him a hero. Now, if Odysseus's character could be defined by only his admirable qualities and heroic deeds, then he could be considered a true hero. Alas, there is so much more to Odysseus than just that. He also possesses some other, less than favorable characteristics.

Odysseus is the king of Ithaca. Pi is the underdog. Everyone respects Odysseus and has his back. There is no one is there for Pi. They both made it out of the heart wrenching journey alive, and the stories are surprisingly parallel to each other.

Another way Odysseus is also a hero is he always finds a way to survive whether he is in conflict or out on the sea. One of the many situations Odysseus survives is his encounter with Skylla. Six of his crew members do perish but through his hard work and dedication he survives. He makes another smart decision in choosing to go through Skylla instead of Kharybdis because only six of his crew members die instead of the whole crew. Another decision Odysseus makes to survive is not eating the cattle of Helios while on Thrinikia, his crew members choice in eating the hallowed cows results in their death, but Odysseus knew the consequences and did not touch a cow. Another way Odysseus' quick-decision skills helps him is when he chooses to leave the island of the Lotous-eaters, because he realized his whole crew would have fell under the curse if he had stayed there. Odysseus is also a master tactician whose complex plans save his crew and help him regain his crown. One of these plans was his ingenious idea to trick Polyphemos, which shows he is a hero by saving countless lives. Another plan he implemented was to kill the suitors which is also a success because Odysseus and Telemakos themselves kill over a hundred men without an injury to themselves .Odysseus is a quick-thinker whose resourceful ideas save many lives.

Most archetypal heroes go on a quest, have a special weapon, and have supernatural help. Odysseus leaves his family to fight in the Trojan war. On his journey home, “he saw many cities of men, and learnt their minds; he endured many hardships and struggles to save his own life”(3). Penelope, Odysseus’ wife, challenges a group of her wooers to shoot Odysseus’ bow, all fail but him, disguised as a beggar; “He took one sharp arrow which lay out on the table before him[...] This he lay on the string of the bow, and drew back the string and notches together; still sitting upon the chair as he was, he took aim and let fly. He did not miss”(269). Odysseus was the only one able to use his bow. On his journey, the greek goddess Athena aids Odysseus,

Falling and falling with no end in sight. Unable to see anything, everything is pitch black. Going in circles, an endless loop that will never end. This defines the journey home for Odysseus. He will forever be stuck unless he changes himself for the better. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus proves he is a true tragic hero through his experiences during the phases of his hero’s journey like leaving Calypso’s island, floating back to civilization, and killing all the suitors to re-claiming his home.

Odysseus is the strongest hero in greek mythology, not only physically but mentally as well. Odysseus proves his power through his great courage, Noble qualities, and outstanding achievements. His adventure through the perilous seas between Ithaca and Troy tests his body and soul, while the man faces his demons he also faces the gods. However, even though he was considered a dead-man, Odysseus continued to fight so that he may return home to his family and wealth.