Odysseus : A True Hero

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.

To support my reasons for my topic, I want to explore Odysseus in the physical strength he had to overcome extreme conditions that he faced on his journey. For example, during one part of his voyage, Odysseus came upon the Sirens. He knew that if he gave into the temptation of their song, he would be killed. Odysseus, had made wax in ear plugs for his crew to use when they came upon the journey that the sirens were waiting. When they began to approach the sirens, he filled the ears of each one of his men with the wax. He chooses not to use the wax. Instead he ordered his men to bind him hand and foot upright to the mast. He was painfully strapped to the ship, in order to not be pulled into the lair of the siren’s song. Once they past them safely they were safe and he was free. He is a hero to his crew because he made each one of them, the wax for their ears and they were safe. He thought of

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.

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.

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.

One of the most difficult obstacles Odysseus faced was overcoming if epic flaw. Odysseus had excessive pride, or Hubris, which sometimes got him in more trouble than he was already in. For example, in the Cyclops, as Odysseus and his men are leaving after stabbing the Cyclops’ eye, he shouts “Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca.” Before this, Odysseus had told the Cyclops that his name was “Nohbdy” and could have gotten away without the Cyclops knowing who it really was, but Odysseus had to boast and brag that if anyone were to ask, it was him who blinded the Cyclops. Also in the beginning of The Odyssey after they had one the Battle of Troy, Odysseus shouted to the Gods that nothing could stop him. By provoking the Gods, he brought his 20 year journey onto himself. But by overcoming this flaw in the end, Odysseus finally returned home.

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.

Odysseus, a marvel of a man, is the hero of this epic novel “The Odyssey” written by homer. Odysseus expresses bravery in nearly everything he does even when he’s lost it on the inside. In addition, Odysseus displays intelligence saving his life and his men to aid escaping tricky situations. Similarly, he demonstrates strength while battling in the Trojan War. To say, the character exerts fearlessness, intelligence, and courageousness throughout his voyage.

When we hear the word 'hero,' more than one idea comes to mind. Not only do we think of people that we look up to in our world, but we also think of heroes in the fictional world. To be a hero can mean a variety of different things. Leaders, singers, and even parents can be a hero that someone looks up too. But in the fictional world, a hero is someone who has learned from his or hers journey to come out a changed person. Some characters complete the journey, while others do not quite make it to the end. In The Odyssey, Odysseus takes more than one leap of faith on his journey to become a hero by learning from his mistakes, making personal sacrifices, and becoming a better man.

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,

Odysseus was born in Ithaka, Greece to the great ruler and tactician, Laertes and his consort, Anticlea, into a life that was to be filled with tragedy, sorrow, and trials. At the mere age of twenty, Odysseus was to go off to fight in the Trojan War, as duty and honor insisted. By doing so, he not only won the decade- long war and brought back Helen, he also was forced to leave his newborn son ,Telemachus, and wife,Penelope, behind. Tragedy intensified as he was to wander and endure trials for two decades before he could be home; his brigades were never to return home. At least alive, that is. However, Odysseus still remained a leader-determined, clever, and selfless throughout his ordeal, consistently sacrificing himself for others as seen

The epic hero Odysseus fulfills the characteristics of an epic hero in many ways such as being wholesome, and showing courage as he goes along his epic journey. He shows superhuman strengths in many ways during his experiences, and tremendous courage. He is a very strong and great leader, and encounters and overcomes many great beasts. Odysseus also risks his life looking for immortal fame and for the better of others. For these reasons he is just about the ideal epic hero.

Odysseus was a Greek war hero who survived the magical song of the beautiful sirens. His story was in the text “The Odyssey” written by Homer. His journey was long, and he ran into a lot of troublesome people. Odysseus had a lot of strengths and weaknesses, but with these combined can cause conflicts. Firstly, Odysseus had an ample amount of strengths he need for his journey.

Odysseus is a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus was one of the most influential Greek champions during the Trojan War. He was one of the most trusted counselors and . He always liked Achaean cause, especially when the king was had his doubts. When Agamemnon came, to test the morale of the Achaeans, announced his intentions to depart Troy, Odysseus got his camp to respect to the Greek camp. Later on, after many of the heroes had left the battlefield due to injuries (including Odysseus and Agamemnon), Odysseus once again persuaded Agamemnon not to withdraw. Along with two other people, he was chosen