Odysseus As A Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

“Now shrugging off his rags the wiliest fighter of the islands leapt and stood on the broad door still, his own bow in his hand” (Homer 557). In epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is a hero because he makes a clever decisions by gaining a close connection with Circe, he is cautious for he built his bed out of an olive tree, protecting his family from imposters, and he is cunning, for he allows his men to successfully escape Polyphemus’ cave.

A hero accepts who he is as an individual, but strives to change himself for the better. In the epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, the main character Odysseus is a valiant king who embarks on a life-changing voyage. While traveling from Troy back to his home in Ithaka, King Odysseus overcomes daunting obstacles, and in doing so discovers his place in the world. Odysseus is truly a heroic figure because he demonstrates courage, improves his character, and wins the support of the gods.

One can be judged by their actions, but what truly shapes a person is their personality. Odysseus is an over-confident and ill-tempered man. On the cyclops's island, Odysseus's boasting nearly proves costly. A modest and heroic person would have had his men in mind, rather than himself, and left the island. Also, Odysseus revealing his true identity to the cyclops could very well have resulted in the death of his men. After Odysseus's boasting, Polyphemus prays to his father, "Let him lose all companions, and return / under strange sail to bitter days at home" (Homer 9. (537-8). This prophecy, of course, becomes a reality. Another sign of Odysseus's over-confidence shows while he is explaining himself to King Alcinous. In some of his first words to the king, Odysseus again boasts of his accomplishments. "Men hold me / formidable for guile in peace and war: / this fame has gone abroad to the sky's rim" (Homer 9. (127-8). Another very important fact is Odysseus's position on monogamy. Odysseus believes he's above monogamy, as he stays with many goddesses during his journeys while Penelope stays faithful at home. A hero is not a boasting, over-confident person, but someone who does their actions for no reward.

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.

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.

In The Odyssey, Odysseus goes on a long journey in which he takes part in dangerous adventures. Odysseus is an example of Homer’s greek hero. He is a leader of his people and they depend and follow him. Odysseus is brave; he believes in himself and trusts that he is doing the right thing. Odysseus values his honor and is confident in himself.

Robert Green Ingersoll defines heroism as, “when the will defies fear, when duty throws the gauntlet down to fate, when honor scorns to compromise with death” (Website). During The Odyssey, various steps of Odysseus’ hero’s journey promote behavior which exemplifies such traits. His experience in this process catalyzes personal advancement as he metamorphoses into an intelligent yet humble hero who is able to defy fear, challenge fate, and confront the will of the gods. Without such events, he would not qualify as an epic hero as he would have never gained the traits necessary to achieve this status. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus develops as an epic hero through stages of his hero’s journey including challenges at the hands of Poseidon following a display of hubris, displays of humility before the Phaeacians, and personal restraint upon return to Ithaca.

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.

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 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

In the story The Odyssey, Odysseus is the king of his home Ithaca. He won the battle of Troy and is trying to find his way back home. His wife, Penelope and son, Telemachus are back in Ithaca waiting for his patiently for his arrival. Along the way home he comes across many things that slow him down but he is still determined to get back to his family and Ithaca. Along the way Odysseus has shown many characteristics of a hero. Some things are when this is said in the story, “...weathered many bitter nights and days in his deep heart at sea, while he fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home.” ( The Odyssey page. 371). This shows that Odysseus was not only protecting himself but also protecting his shipmates. Knowing that he

Odysseus: a hero in every way. He is a real man, skilled in the sports, handy with a sword and spear, and a master of war strategy. Most of the challenges and adventures in his return voyage from Troy show us this even if we had no idea of his great heroic stature and accomplishments in the Trojan war. I found in my reading of the Odyssey that most of the trials the gods place upon him are readily faced with heroic means. These challenges are not

Odysseus, along with his crew, has had many problems through their quest to find home. Through book nine, several problems are show and how he and his crew dealt with them. He faced supernatural dangerous as shown in this quote, ‘“ And now an evil fate from Zeus beset our luckless men, causing us many sorrows; for setting the battle in array by the swift ships, all fought and hurled their brazen spears at one.”’ Zeus is the might king of the gods, who resides on Mount Olympians. Due to their behavior on the island of Cicones, Zeus punishes them. He sends a mighty storm to throw them off course. Odysseus and his crew have to stand brave and courageous as they are impacted by this blow. Not only does he face supernatural, yet mankind problems

Heroes are found everywhere. They are seen in movies, on television, in books, and in reality. A hero can be anyone from a friend to a fictional character. To be considered a hero, one must make selfless sacrifices, develop and learn, overcome challenges and temptations, and ultimately present their known world with a gift of any kind. Homer’s The Odyssey paints a picture of the supposed savior Odysseus. The irony of Odysseus’ situation is that he really is not the marvelous hero that many who read The Odyssey see him to be. When imagining a great hero, the words of cruel, unfaithful, selfish, or careless never come to mind, but the son of Laertes sets examples for each attribute. Odysseus makes many poor decisions that cause his