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.

Odysseus is a hero because he acts courageously while facing the many challenges he encounters. Odysseus’s shows great bravery when he engages in physical challenges. Odysseus daringly fights against the suitors, while significantly outnumbered: “For I must

The majority of those who read The Odyssey consider the protagonist of the story, Odysseus, a hero. On many occasions, however, Odysseus makes decisions beneficial to himself alone. For example, when Odysseus and his men find themselves on Polyphemus's island, Odysseus's actions are self-centered and at the expense of his men. This can be said for most of Odysseus's actions in the story, as his main objective is to reach his home. Having his men by his side when he returns seems a trivial thing to him. Odysseus could be considered a hero, but many of his actions say otherwise. Due to the many unfaithful and self-centered decisions he makes in the story, Odysseus is not a hero.

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.

"If I play a hero or a good guy, I'll try to find his darkness or his flaws." -J. Kinnaman. (Brainyqoute.com) As Kinnaman mentioned, there are almost always flaws in a hero, and these defects usually make the story more interesting. (Knowing a protagonist's defects is helpful to follow the story, because they usually propel the tension the story.) (-- removed HTML --) , an ancient Greek epic poem written by Homer, the protagonist attracts readers by showing not only his heroic qualities but also his shortcomings. The poem is mainly about Odysseus, a victorious general of the Trojan War, going back to his beloved homeland Ithaca after the brutal battle. However, he suffers through a 20-year-voyage to get home, which is caused by his own flaws. Indeed, he has plenty of heroic qualities, yet they are closely connected to his defects.

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.

Do you know anyone who wants to fight for ten years? One man was willing. He was a determined man who was willing to face a lot of challenges to return home. He was the great Odysseus. A hero is a person who is loyal,determined, and brave. Heroes are role models that anyone should look up to. Also, they will sacrifice themselves for something they think is important. Heroes are favored by others. Odysseus is an epic hero from Ithaca and has a wife named Penelope and a son named Telemachus. Odysseus was a Greek soldier and fought in a ten-year war called the Trojan War, which was fought outside the walls of a great city called Troy, and he was trying to get home for ten years. Throughout Odysseus’ journey, he shows many heroic and flawed traits. Although he had many flaws, he is a hero.

A hero is someone who puts others before themselves. In the epic poem “The Odyssey” by Homer, Odysseus is knows how to trick anyone into anything, is helpful to his crew, and tries to learn from his mistakes. Therefore Odysseus is motivational, has leadership and has courage to do whatever he desires If Odysseus didn’t motivate his crew they probably wouldn’t have been alive for most of the story. “I drove my big hand spike deep in my embers charring it again and cheered my men with battle talk to keep their courage up” (Homer, 323).

Fictional heroes are in shows, movies and books. No matter what we watch or read at the end, we realize that these heroes became heroes by improving themselves emotionally and helping others out of the goodness in their hearts. Many people argue that Odysseus is not hero but considering the things he does through his journey his characteristics began to show a little of his heroic side. In The Wanderings of Odysseus from the Odyssey a epic poem by Homer, Odysseus is on his way back to Ithaca his home island after winning the ten year old Trojan War to come see his wife, Penelope and his son, Telemachus. The journey to home takes a very unexpected turn for Odysseus and his men. Odysseus is challenged with many obstacles that show his good and bad characteristics. He faces monsters like Scylla, Charybdis and Cyclopes. He also deals with gods and goddess like Poseidon and Circe.

What characteristics should a powerful hero demonstrate? To me, a powerful hero is someone who is brave enough to make decisions that does not always benefit oneself but the people in their surroundings. In Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey” Odysseus exhibits many heroic qualities. Although he made various mistakes, for example when Odysseus’ men died in the episode of “Scylla and Charybdis” Odysseus’ men died in a battle against the sea creature due to the fact that Odysseus forgot to remind his men of what was yet to come. Similarly, our modern day hero, Kobe Bryant, a recently retired professional NBA player for the Los Angeles Lakers, shows similar leadership qualities. He like Odysseus, he is determined and selflessness.

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.

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

George F. Kennan, an American political scientist and historian, once said, “Heroism is endurance for one moment more” (BrainyQuote). That means that perseverance even in the darkest hour is what qualifies someone as a true hero. With that in mind, it is difficult to refute the fact that Odysseus is a hero by both modern standards and a hero in Greek mythology. This Greek war leader, who spent 20 years away from home taking on challenge after challenge, surely pressed on through every moment in which his heroism was tested. Everything he did was for his men, the soldiers that at times questioned his leadership, only to find out that he was correct all along. While he had moments in which his pride overshadowed him, that was simply his

We always think about fictional characters when the subject of heroism comes up. In other occasions, we go beyond our imagination and categorize doctors, militants, or even volunteers as heroes. But what really is a hero? Most people hear the word hero and think of the stereotypical individual with an incredible appearance, mind-blowing strength, and a smile to die for. This is not always accurate; some of the most legendary heroes from Greek mythology take advantage of many other qualities that sets them to be a stunning hero: intelligence, loyalty, and occasional mistakes. Homer's epic poem-The Odyssey-uncovers that Odysseus fulfills all of the requirements for an epic hero and more. His endless curiosity has gotten him into dilemmas, while his superb displays of intelligence and cleverness 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 to return home.

Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey begins by painting Odysseus as a brave and powerful leader and an impulsive decision maker who over time becomes more intelligent; Homer develops these relatable and heroic characteristics through detailed imagery and word choice as well as through symbols and homeric similes which amplify the representation of Odysseus as a normal person as well as a heroic figure. Odysseus’s tendency to succumb to impulsive strokes of curiosity enables readers to relate with his inner character. The protagonist gives into the natural human curiosity to find and fix one's weakness. Circe tells him of the sirens who know the secrets of Odysseus’s weakness, she also tells him that listening to their knowledge is unwise and he along with his crew should close their ears. However, in his impulsivity, Odysseus actually tells his crew to force him to listen while they cover their ears. Odysseus also shows his impulses in regards to thirst for knowledge when he sends two scouts to explore the land of the Lotus Eaters, knowing full well that their chance of return is unlikely. This quest for knowledge could have been in a slower, but more logical and effective way. This shows how Odysseus can easily succumb to less logical ideas if it is a question of his power or knowledge. Another constant in his early story is his portrayal as a daring and fearless figure, often taking control and triumphing over potential threats. Odysseus witnesses two of his shipmates be