Odysseus Is An Epic Hero Essay

Down came Odysseus straight from the sky to save us!.. Maybe. Some say Odysseus was a hero, and some say he is not, but to me he is a little bit of both. Maybe Odysseus is a type of hero that no one can understand! Some ways he is a hero, and in some ways he is definitely not. Was Odysseus really a hero, or was he just a man on lots of adventures?

     Is Odysseus, the main character of Homer’s The Odyssey, really an epic hero? An epic hero embodies several heroic traits such as; having superior or super-human strength; being intellectual and courageous; and being a strong and responsible leader. An epic hero struggles and is overwhelmed with difficulties. An epic hero is on a quest of self discovery, war or some sort of goal. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is on a quest to return home to Ithaca after ten years of war in Troy. Odysseus, during his quest, is forced to venture through a merciless Cyclops, angered Gods, deeply obstinate Goddesses, the underworld, and determined suitors that are after his wife Penelope. Odysseus surmounts

sword from my hip I went along his flank to stab him where the midriff

Although people make mistakes does that mean that they cannot be a hero? Well in the story of The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus has a lot of honorable characteristics, but he also has a few immoral characteristics.

Odysseus is Not a Hero Based on the Webster dictionary a hero is a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities. Odysseus, the protagonist of the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, does not portray the correct qualities of being a hero. Most people would think Odysseus is a hero based on his adventures in Troy, his clever ideas, and bravery, but even though these characteristics are correct they do not define a true hero. When visiting the island of Polyphemus he did not value the lives of his crew members, but only his own.

The epic poem The Odyssey, written by Homer, centers around the main protagonist Odysseus and his long journey back home. Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, returns home after defeating the Trojans in a ten year war. On his way back, he angers Poseidon, god of the sea, by blinding his son, Polyphemus the Cyclops. Due to Odysseus’ actions, Poseidon refuses to let Odysseus reach home, and Odysseus and his crew are forced to go through a series of obstacles throughout the epic. Through this adversity, Odysseus must show his heroic attributions in order to survive. Homer portrays Odysseus as a hero by giving him characteristics such as: craftiness, loyalty, and bravery.

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.

Damien Chazelle’s critically acclaimed American drama film Whiplash (2014), presents a thought-provoking and confronting depiction of volatile and manipulative relationships, in which Andrew Niemen, a young ambitious jazz drummer is pushed to the brink of his ability and sanity by his ruthless teacher, Terence Fletcher. Nieman’s passion to achieve perfection quickly spirals into an obsession. Whiplash proving highly popular with audiences utilizes cinematography to explore the central themes, the battle between being a good person and being remembered and the effects of a volatile and manipulative student-teacher relationship. Whiplash utilizes conventions and ideas from the drama genre to communicate these central themes and film

Odysseus, king of Ithaca, was probably on of the greatest warriors in the history of Ancient Greece. It is said that the poet, Homer, wrote the story of the Odyssey. In this story, Odysseus and his crew are trying to make their voyage back home to Ithaca after they have fought with the Trojans. During the long journey, Odysseus will show some of his character traits which include his bravery, cleverness, and wisdom that will assist him with the situations he encounters on his journey home.

I am Antony, Caesar’s beloved friend and the person who admired him the most. I believed Caesar’s assassination was not justified. The reason why Caesar was killed did not seem fair. He was accused of being ambitious and a Tyrant and thus my friend was murdered. Ambition would lead Caesar to have an abundance of power, which the conspirators, leaders Brutus and Cassius, thought he was going back in history and not improving the live standard of the Romans, but increasing the people’s ignorance.

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.

The Babylonians were an interesting society with many amusing practices in life. They were a patriarchal society, however, the women did have a good amount of rights. Marriages were arranged by parents, however, a woman could leave her husband and keep her stuff if he was cruel. This was not considered divorce though. Some Babylonians were very skilled astronomers. The study of planets heavily influenced the Babylonians’ beliefs. Their religious beliefs were directly tied to astrology and this is where they developed their practices. The Babylonians were the first to invent the composite bow, and they made it out of wood and animal bone or horn to make it stronger. This weapon gave them a great advantage over their rivals in battle. They had

Odysseus heroic qualities are strength, courage, dignity, a thirst for glory, and self-confidence. He also shrewd and ingenious, all of which make him the ideal hero in both the physical form and the spiritual aspect. Odysseus being faithful and loyal to his wife shows his dignity. Even though he has been away from his home and family for twenty years his only thoughts are with them. He overcomes all the extreme dangers he encounters showing his strength and courage. His shrewdness and intelligence shows when he, the King of Ithaca, is disguised as a beggar before Telemakhos.

Again, Odysseus' darker and 'immoral' acts could be viewed could viewed as metaphors for and/or accurate reflections of the imperfection of the human race. Characteristics that show that heroes too are flawed. A hero who has some shortcomings is a more believable character, they may be godly in the sense that they do what no one else can, but that they are still only human. Drawing on this, Odysseus can be considered a hero for modern times. He possesses admiral skills, such as commitment and knowledge, which are still considered heroic today. He uses these traits to protect himself and his crew as they make the long journey home. Although Odysseus is renowned for his expertise in fighting, he is

Another way Odysseus is also a hero is he always finds a way to survive whether he is in conflict or out on the sea. One of the many situations Odysseus survives is his encounter with Skylla. Six of his crew members do perish but through his hard work and dedication he survives. He makes another smart decision in choosing to go through Skylla instead of Kharybdis because only six of his crew members die instead of the whole crew. Another decision Odysseus makes to survive is not eating the cattle of Helios while on Thrinikia, his crew members choice in eating the hallowed cows results in their death, but Odysseus knew the consequences and did not touch a cow. Another way Odysseus' quick-decision skills helps him is when he chooses to leave the island of the Lotous-eaters, because he realized his whole crew would have fell under the curse if he had stayed there. Odysseus is also a master tactician whose complex plans save his crew and help him regain his crown. One of these plans was his ingenious idea to trick Polyphemos, which shows he is a hero by saving countless lives. Another plan he implemented was to kill the suitors which is also a success because Odysseus and Telemakos themselves kill over a hundred men without an injury to themselves .Odysseus is a quick-thinker whose resourceful ideas save many lives.