Odysseus: A Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

Odysseus, the main character of Homer’s The Odyssey has been described as a pirate and an explorer. Which one does he fit best? An explorer can be defined by Merriam-Webster as, “a person who travels in search of geographical or scientific information.” Dictionary.com defines a pirate as, “a person who robs or commits illegal violence at sea or on the shores of the sea.” This robbery and violence leads to their reputation as a cruel person. Pirates are also well known as very mean people. Evidence from the Odyssey proves that Odysseus is more of a pirate than an explorer throughout the story.

Odysseus is definitely a strong character. Not just physically strong, but mentally strong too. He is intelligent, arrogant, and godlike. Throughout the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus proves that he is able to take on any challenge that he runs into headfirst. In Ancient Greece, Greeks looked up to him and wanted to be him, Almost like how Christians want to live like how Jesus or Mary did. People thought of Odysseus as a perfect person. He was one of the greatest ancient Greece heroes. Looking back on him now, he doesn’t look as excelling as he did to the people in ancient Greece. Calling Odysseus a hero is still up to debate today, but one thing for sure is that he is definitely a strong person.

In Homer’s the Odyssey, Odysseus consistently struggles with tasks and takes questionable decisions. What becomes true in the epic, is that it’s not easy to be a hero. Throughout the Odyssey Odysseus proves himself not a hero when he consistently submits to temptation, is helped to the point where he is never truly at risk by Athena and makes reckless and murderous decisions. Moreover, if even a king like odysseus fails to be a hero what hope does any of us have? Odysseus consistently submits to all forms of temptation in the odyssey, further proving he is not a hero.

The Greeks believe a hero is someone who's experienced life and death but in modern society we simply don't believe in heroes unless it may be someone in our own lives. A hero must be someone smart who knows what they're enemies are thinking and uses their surroundings to adapt to any situation. Anyone can fit the qualities of being a good human being but not all of them can be like Odysseus. In “The Odyssey” by Homer, Odysseus is a intelligent, loyal and strong hero, exactly like the type of heroes we have in modern times since no one is abnormal and/or is trying to save the world.

The entire question of a how a hero is depicted answers itself in three words, bigger than self. These qualities reveal themselves through difficult times when the individual requires them most. When one connects wisdom from their past and their strength, only then creates a hero. Whether rescuing one from a burning building or leading them to a well-deserved victory at home, both show a hero, no matter the time period. Challenged by antagonists, Odysseus from Homer’s Odyssey acquires the aspects of a hero over the course of the epic poem. After peeling away the layers of capes and medals, the debate remains if one still possess these qualities. An originally seemingly arrogant Odysseus contradicts the stereotypes and creates a new definition

Odysseus was sound asleep in the woods only to be awakened after hearing the sound of girls shouting. The girls were kicking around a ball when they woke Odysseus as they were waiting for the river-washed clothes to dry in the sun. Fate was taking place to connect the exhausted traveler with a princess, Nausikaa. The night before, Athena visited Nausikaa in her dreams with intentions to influence her to go to the river to wash herself and her clothes for reason to be able to meet Odysseus. Once Odysseus gathered himself to go see what was around him, he comes out from behind the bushes causing the maids accompanying Nausikaa to all scatter at the sight of him. He is compared to a calm mountain lion that looks to be roughened by his hardships,

One of the challenges Odysseus faces on his journey back to Ithaca is the land of the Lotus Eaters. The Lotus Eaters showing “no will to do us harm” (489) offers Odysseus and his men a sweet honeyed plant. Who ever ate the Lotus became “forgetful of their homeland” (489) and “longed to stay forever” (489). Odysseus and his men need to overcome the temptations of staying there eating Lotus any time they want. They have to fight the internal battle of giving in to the sweet honeyed plant and instead they need to stay strong and support each other. Seeing his men losing desire to return home because of this dangerous honeyed plant, Odysseus knows he has to do something fast before all hope of returning to Ithaca is lost. Taking action into his

After getting permission, Athena went to Ithaca to talk to Telemacus, the son of Odysseus. She dressed as an old friend of his father, she tried to persuade him to force the suitors after his mother to leave and then go out on a journey to look for his father.

The Odyssey was a book filed with adventure. I do not think Odysseus was a bad person but he was not all that great. However the gods liked him because they would always keep him protected. The people should have been punished. But I am not sure that all of the people needed to be punished.

The story you have heard growing up as a child, the superhero vs. the villain. The strong, brave hero overcomes a struggle within his/her life such as Odysseus, the King of Ithaca. Odysseus is a hero because of his character, endured in conflict and his perseverance throughout his journey. Around 800 BCE, a story told by Odysseus, leaves his wife and his infant son to fight in the Trojan War, which lasted for ten years. He had faced tremendous obstacles during his journey and returned home after twenty years.

Odysseus is a hero because he helped to defeat the Trojans and he was smart enough to overcome the obstacles he faced in the 20 years it took him to return home with the help of Athena, Hermes, and other gods. In Homer’s The Odyssey the protagonist Odysseus was a king of Ithaca which is found in Greece. Odysseus went to Troy for one purpose, to fight in the trojan war . “A hero is someone who we determine to have demonstrated behaviors and decisions that are ethically and emotionally worthy of our awe.” stated by Rob Cipriano Founder, Chairman, and CEO, of The AllHumanity Group (The Huffington Post,. 'What Is A Hero'. N. p., 2015. Web. 6 Nov. 2015.). The war took 10 years and at the end Ithaca won with the help of poseidon. “In Homer’s day,

When Homer wrote The Odyssey, it seems that his intention was to make Odysseus the hero. There are certainly parts of him that are heroic, and he does exemplify some of the most important Greek values. But, he is not the sole hero of this Epic; he isn’t really even a hero. There are so many choices he made and actions he took that do not make him truly worthy of the title “Protagonist,” despite how Homer wrote The Odyssey. But, there is someone worthy of that title. There is someone who exemplified all of the Greek’s most important values. Yet, they were often left as only a supporting character, when they were so much more. Who is this person? Penelope, Odysseus’s wife.

“That Odysseus is going to feel my wrath someday. I can’t believe he had the nerve to poke my eye out. I treated him well by eating him last, and this is how he repays me!” Polyphemus was still in much pain from the accident. Now he could only see out of one eye, and his cave was coated in blood and dirt.

How's the odyssey-like a journey through life? It's a journey because in life you have to make tough decisions. To be a good leader you have to sacrifice some to keep the rest of your people. .Just like Odysseus in Homer’s Epic poem the Odyssey, I will encounter temptation,and make difficult decisions, on my way journey to becoming an architect.

Homer 's Odyssey is a very important work of literature, it is about the facts and the adventures of the hero Odysseus, who after fighting at Troy next models Achaeans, tries to return to his home in Ithaca. This Greek hero is characterized by numerous qualities as his cunning, his intelligence was extremely shrewd. Odysseus was a mature man and not so young. The man of the century lacks some of these qualities that are not put into practice. Odysseus is mainly identified by a number of values.