Modern Zero Modern American heroes embody these qualities: hardworking, selflessness, intelligence, and confidence. Odysseus, the main character of The Odyssey by Homer, shows some similar traits to Americans’ perception of a modern hero. He is hardworking, witty, and strong. However, when compared to the values of a modern American society, Odysseus would not be considered a hero because he is selfish and cowardly. Firstly, Odysseus acts cowardly throughout the story, which is a key factor to avoid in being considered for a hero. Odysseus and his crew come upon an island with beasts eating and killing his fleets. This is Odysseus’s solution: “I had drawn my sword and cut my own ship’s cable”(169). Odysseus abandoned his whole fleet to save himself because he was too afraid to fight. This is extremely unheroic because he is responsible for many men who are out there, fighting for their lives, and his leadership decision was to leave and save himself. He was not trying to save some of his crew, the only thing on his mind was his own life. Later in the book, Odysseus knows that 6 men from his crew are about to be killed by a beast named Skylla, and instead of warning them, he sits back and watches. “Then Skylla made her strike, whisking 6 of my best men from the ship”(217). Odysseus is a coward to not tell his men about the great beast. Odysseus was smart enough to save himself, but he left his other men to panic in anguish. This is cowardly because he was too afraid to
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.
Odysseus portrays himself as anything but a hero throughout Homer’s The Odyssey. Odysseus goes through his life believing he is the best. He has no regard for anyone’s feelings but his own, and he believes nothing and no one can harm him, not even the gods. Odysseus feels he is always the leader and no one can tell him otherwise. Odysseus should not be considered a hero because he portrays himself as a selfish man that failed his crew, and is controlled by his hubris.
In homer's Odyssey the main character Odysseus is a person who only tries to help himself. Although he earns the trust of his men while in Troy, he loses it on his perilous journey home. Many times in the epic he manipulates others, commits foolish acts and is full of hubris. He tries to take shortcuts and as a result of this is men are killed and his boats destroyed. He plays with the lives of his men and he is punished for it. Odysseus is not a hero because, he is foolish, lacks faithfulness and is consumed by his Hubris and selfishness.
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.
Spider-Man is your average modern day hero, he is a citizen who was bitten by an unusual and peculiar spider which gave him powers and abilities such as being able to shoot webs out of his hands and climb walls without the need of any equipment. And Odysseus is a Greek hero who was strong, heavily favored by the gods, and could take down any and all challenges he´d ever have to face. And if you ever compared the two you would see that both characters are extremely different. Why you would see this is because we know that Spider-Man is a modern day hero, but can we consider Odysseus as one. My answer to this would be NO. Society today would not consider Odysseus as a modern day hero because of many reasons. One would be that he doesn´t show
A Homeric epic hero is taken into account to be senior to a standard individual. The traits of a typical epic hero are strength, loyalty, courage, and intelligence. In fact, the Macmillan lexicon for students defines a hero as "one who is loved and researched to for valorousness, achievements, and noble qualities" (483). odysseus fulfills all the necessities for an epic hero and more. He demonstrates his ability to be an articulate speaker, and his poise aids him on his journey. His endless curiosity has gotten him into dilemmas, whereas his excellent displays of strength and cunnings have helped both him and his crew escape danger. His conceitedness sets him back, however, his loyalty is what drives him forward on his long and treacherous expedition. within the initial few lines of The Odyssey, Odysseus describes himself as "formidable for guile in peace and war". He knows that he's a formidable opponent, and there are instances where his guile has caused both harmony and violence. regardless of what challenge Odysseus faces, he invariably clearly demonstrates the characteristics of an epic hero.
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.
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.
A Homeric epic hero is considered to be above a normal human being. The traits of a typical epic hero are strength, loyalty, courage, and intelligence. In fact, the Macmillan Dictionary for Students defines a hero as "one who is admired and looked up to for valor, achievements, and noble qualities" (483). Odysseus fulfills all of the requirements for an epic hero and more. He demonstrates his ability to be an articulate speaker, and his poise aids him on his journey. His endless curiosity has gotten him into dilemmas, while his superb displays of strength and cunningness have helped both him and his crew escape danger. His arrogance sets him back, but his loyalty is what drives him forward on his long and treacherous expedition. In the
Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus experiences many ups and downs throughout his journey home. He is throw into peril and there often seems to be no hope for his return home. While he remains victorious in the end, returning to his wife, son, and father, the poem itself is filled with many darker moments filled with doubt and sadness. Odysseus is the hero of the Odyssey, and in order to exist as a hero he must be relatable. His story cannot be one entirely of triumph, it must include a more human perspective. Triumph cannot come without strife, and heroism cannot come without tribulation. Athena and Odysseus’ experiences as divine and human, respectively, and define whether or not they are heroes. By comparing Odysseus to Athena, it is apparent that what makes Odysseus a hero before anything else is his humanity.
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.
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.
In The Odyssey, for a long time all Odysseus wanted was to arrive safely back to Ithaka. In this epic by Homer, Odysseus has arrived back in Ithaca after his strenuous journey. He has taken form of another man, not recognized by any members of his town. Most people believe that Odysseus died on his treacherous journey back. Even though Eumaios, the swineherd that continually displayed acts of kindness, loyalty, and compassion to Odysseus, others within Ithaka were not as benevolent to a newcomer’s arrival.
In Homer’s, The Odyssey, I believe that Odysseus is a true modern hero. During his long and perilous journey home Odysseus shows many heroic qualities that help save his men from many dangerous situations. He first shows his Valiant behavior during the war in Troy, he cares about his crew and survives the war. He also deeply cares about the welfare of his men on their return trip to Ithaka. Odysseus is a hero because he is a courageous leader, a quick thinker and a modest man.
Throughout all of the Greek mythology and texts that I have read, each story contains one or more heroes. A hero is a person who is selfless and somehow gets all of the attention in a story because he or she causes some sort of change. There is always someone who gains leadership qualities throughout the story and ends of saving the rest of the people. One particular person who stood out to me was Odysseus. Odysseus was an ordinary person who eventually accomplished a huge task. He ruled Ithaca with his wife, Penelope, and throughout the story, he tried to get back to Ithaca after the Trojan War and return to his position as king. Throughout the Odyssey, there are multiple instances in which Odysseus can be seen