Odysseus Hero Characteristics

Odysseus is an epic hero, he is a natural leader and at some points in the book smarter than everyone else. After stabbing the cyclopes in the eye and the cyclopes moving the boulder Odysseus had to think of a way to get his men out safely and this quote shows his intelligence and leadership skills "I tied them silently together, twining cords of willow from the cyclops's bed; then slung a man under each middle one to ride there safely,

First, Odysseus is physically strong, but he uses his strength violently. According to the story, Odysseus' bow is too tough so that no one except Odysseus could string it. Consequently, wise Penelope hosts a contest for suitors so that who string the bow and shoot an arrow through a dozen holes of axes' handle will marry her. Of course, nobody could not string the bow, but Odysseus in disguise accomplishes it without any endeavor, and successfully shoots the arrow through twelve holes. (Beddall, pg.79-81) This scene reflects Odysseus' classical heroic quality, however on the other hand, there is another scene that shows his violence. In

Odysseus is not a hero because he constantly puts his men in danger and makes decisions without thinking. Odysseus is sailing away from Cyclops Island and he is teasing Polyphemus about escaping. The crew tries to get Odysseus to be quiet, but his ego gets in the way, and he tells Polyphemus his name; leading to Polyphemus cursing him and his men to make the journey home slow and painful. Odysseus tells the Phaeacians in his story, “So they spoke, but they could not persuade my great-hearted spirit; and I answered him again with angry heart: “‘Cyclops, if any one of mortal men shall ask thee about the shameful blinding of thine eye, say that Odysseus, the sacker of cities, blinded it, even the son of Laertes, whose home is in Ithaca’””(Homer.9.500-506). Odysseus comments that his crew tried to calm him down and get him to stop talking, but he

Odysseus has many heroic qualities such as cleverness, physical strength,and bravery. First, Odysseus tricked the cyclops, Polyphemus, by telling him his name was “Nobody” ( The Odyssey 1058). This showed cleverness because Odysseus gave the cyclops a bottle of wine to make him drunk, which caused him to fall asleep. Then, Odysseus found some wood and sharpened it to stab Polyphemus in the eye. While Polyphemus was blind, he asked Odysseus what his name was, he said it was Nobody and made the cyclops believed that was his name. Another example of when he showed a heroic quality is when Odysseus tricked the suitors by doing an impossible task he knew no one could do and it was to string

Odysseus was a strong person, and was thought of to be brave but he does have his flaws, showing he doesn't need god like powers to be a hero. The ruler of Ithaca, Odysseus, was brave but he was not very bright. So what he didn’t have in intelligence he made up for bravery and strength, even Odysseus second in command Eurylochus said "You are a hard, man, Odysseus. Your force is greater, your limbs never wear out. You must be made all of iron" (12.279-80). A moment where this is true can be seen when Odysseus lead some of what was left of his soldiers into a cyclops’ cave expecting gifts because he thought themselves as guest, but the cyclops feels as it trespassing and thievery.

Because of their curiosity, Odysseus and his men were lead to the cave of the cyclops, Polyphemus. As soon as the men entered the great cave they were not welcomed with the "god's courtesy" that they were expecting but with the harsh rudeness of the cyclops (260). Odysseus knew that the only way to defeat the menacing beast was to outsmart him because they "could never move his ponderous door slab" and would perish in the cave (295). So, odysseus deceived a intricate plan to blind the cyclops which then leads the cyclops to move the cave rock and "set up a howl for cyclopes" who lived near by (395-396). The cyclops thought by just using intimidation and brute force that he could over power the, in comparison, feeble men. Conversely, Odysseus knew that he could out smart the monster and defeat him. In this instance, Odysseus grew as a character because he thought about his actions and overcame a daunting task. This not only affected Odysseus but it allowed him to save his crew, further revealing that Odysseus' wisdom was much more powerful than the brute force of the cyclops. By making the cyclops odysseus' other, Homer was able to display how odysseus developed as a character and how he over came his weakness of acting without

Odysseus: The Hero of all Time Being a hero isn’t just about the fame and glory. It is about the characteristics of the person and how they decide to use them. This epic poem, The Odyssey, written by Homer, has many examples that show off the heroic traits of a character named Odysseus. Two heroic traits that Odysseus acquires are his intelligence and his self confidence. During his journey, the brave Odysseus went through many obstacles that forced his journey to a standstill, but his intelligence and self-confidence helped him survive and return home to Ithaca.

During The Odyssey, Odysseus shows us many of his “epic” traits. Some of the these

In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus shows time and again his heroic characteristics such as, courage, leadership, and cleverness that prove him and others to be a hero, even today. Odysseus’s goal is to return home to Ithaca after fighting in the Trojan War, but is forced to overcome obstacles set throughout his journey designed to make him fail. Odysseus uses his heroic traits to conquer these obstacles. The same traits that make Odysseus a hero are also present in many of the people who are labeled as heroes today. For example, Martin Luther King Jr., an undeniable hero, is courageous, a leader, and clever. Odysseus’s courage helps him to stay determined while he propels himself through bumps in his journeys on his way home.

The modern Webster Merriam dictionary defines a hero “a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” Epic heroes, as portrayed in literature, almost always embark on the most dangerous and overwhelming quests and journeys and risk their life through every step of their journey to take back both treasure and great wisdom for both himself and for his society. In the epic The Odyssey by Homer, a valiant yet intelligent king, Odysseus unwillingly leaves his home, Ithaca behind when he is called for battle. He returns back home after enduring many physical and intellectual trials while learning important lessons which eventually help him to transform into a better man. Odysseus

A person must possess the willpower and drive to succeed in order to accomplish a feat and be considered a hero. Charles F. Harper describes this strong-willed hero in his article, “How should we choose a hero?” by stating, “Real heroes strive for imperishable trophies. Their rules and goals are different.” (Harper). Within this definition, heroes are people determined to leave an everlasting mark on the world. A hero must seek to gain “imperishable trophies” which would require perseverance very few mortals possess. Odysseus demonstrates his notable determination when he blinds Polyphemus, a Cyclops when brought to an unknown island. Upon entering the cave, unaware of the Cyclops, Odysseus attacks Polyphemus after he eats several of Odysseus’ men and traps Odysseus and the rest of his crew in his cave. To be only a mortal, blinding a Cyclops is an extremely rare feat with a slight chance of success. However, Odysseus strives to survive and return to Ithaca, despite the heavy odds facing him. Odysseus gives Polyphemus an excessive amount of wine, intoxicating him. While the Cyclops is asleep, he and his crew stab his eye with the trunk of a tree and tie themselves to the bellies of sheep in order to escape without Polyphemus noticing. After the Cyclops is blinded and Odysseus and his crew begin to sail away, Polyphemus exclaims, “‘Always I had in mind some giant, armed in giant force, would come against

The Odyssey is a great example of heroes and the traits they possess. One such hero in the book is named Odysseus. A man who has been away from his home in Ithaca for 20 years. Throughout his adventures, he has been through many dangerous obstacles in the way of him and his crew, which have even taken the lives of many of his men as well. The traits that make Odysseus a hero are courage, intelligence, and confidence.

A cyclops, a one eyed, colossal creature lives in the cave and is inside with Odysseus and his men. After seeing four of his best warriors eaten by the Cyclops, Odysseus conceives a plan to blind the him. Odysseus immediately volunteers for his own mission and asks his men, “who ventured to come along with me?” (279). Odysseus is so sure his plan will succeed that he is not only willing to risk his own life, but his men's lives.

Have you ever heard of a man- a very mortal man- who can defeat a cyclops, outwitt any opponent, kill men six times in number, and survive twenty years at sea? This man, is Odysseus, the son of Laertes. Odysseus can be read about in the epic poem called The Odyssey written by Homer. An epic poem is a long narrative poem about a serious event. Odysseus is the epic hero of this poem. An epic hero is a character who is smart, powerful, and fears almost nothing. Odysseus fits the definition of an epic hero.

Everyone believes a hero has fallen but the warrior is only struggling to make it home. The warrior is Odysseus in the Odyssey which is an epic poem written in about 750 BC by a Greek poet named Homer. In the epic, the protagonist, Odysseus, is faced with many challenges that test numerous aspects of his character. He has to fight his way home. When he gets there, a final challenge awaits him. A few of the many aspects of Odysseus’ character that helped him through his journey are, his intelligence and his broad skill set, these aspects of his character helped him on his journey in the Odyssey, and becoming a hero.