Odysseus Hero Characteristics

“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.

My name is Nohbdy'"("The Cyclops" lines 312-315). Odysseus' astuteness is apparent in this situation because he refused to reveal his identity to Polyphemus while he was vulnerable. His decision prevented the other Cyclops from coming to aid of Polyphemus. By precluding this beforehand, he demonstrated his heroic quality of wiliness. The ingenuity established by these actions personifies Odysseus as a hero.

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Odysseus is the Perfect Hero When you think of a hero? you may imagine a firefighter running into a burning building or a police officer protecting child. In the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus was brave, strong and selfless. Odysseus is a perfect hero.

Christopher Reeve once said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” The great epic, The Odyssey by Homer reveals the courageous, daring life of Odysseus, as he travels from his victory in Troy to his home in Ithaca. Throughout the journey, Odysseus reveals his heroic traits of intelligence, skill, and resourcefulness.

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As he continues with his journey, he encounters many challenges and dangers to prove his intelligence. One challenge he comes across is when he and his men needed to escape Polyphemus’ cave. Odysseus used his intelligence by strapping himself and his men to the bellies of the cyclops’ sheep. As quoted from the book, Odysseus describes the situation, “I took the woolliest ram, the choicest of the flock, and hung myself under his kinky belly, pulled up right, with fingers twisted deep in sheepskin, ringlets for an iron grip. So, breathing hard, we waiting until morning” (Beers and Odell 767). Another example of his intelligence is when he introduces himself as “Nohbody” to the cyclops Polyphemus. This is so the other cyclopes do not come running when he blinds him. As quoted from the book, “My name is Nohbody: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbody” (Beers and Odell 765). Odysseus and his men escaped

Odysseus responds to Polyphemus by saying his name is Nohbdy, which really sounds like nobody. Now, if the Cyclops were to call for help, he would be saying that Nohbdy is tricking him, and the other Cyclopes would not attempt to help

When you look up the word “hero” in the search engine of Google, you get a simple definition that sounds something like, “A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” There are many meanings and many definitions of hero. In the book The Odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus is called a hero by many people. Odysseus definitely deserves this title for he has lots of bravery, persistence, and cleverness.

Odysseus possesses the epic hero quality of strategic intelligence due to his strong mindset and thinking ahead. When the clever Odysseus rammed a sharpened stake into Polyphemos' eye, the drunkened Kyklops asked what his name was. Odysseus tells Polyphemos that everyone calls him "Nohbdy,” but when the Kyklops tries to call for help, the name Nohbdy is easily mistaken for the word "nobody" and therefore no one suspects that Odysseus hurt the Kyklops. Odysseus recalls how he “was filled with laughter \ to see how like a charm the name deceived them.” (IX.451-452) This act shows Odysseus’ strategic intelligence and he is clearly proud of the grand success which his tactics yielded. Homer refers to Odysseus as “the strategist” (V.223) when Odysseus is speaking to Kalypso. Odysseus’ strategizing skills are shown in many