Odysseus: The Perfect Model Of An Epic Hero

Odysseus frequently displays hubris as a result of his tremendous courage and justifiable pride throughout books 9-12 of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, although this flaw reveals that even heroes can have imperfections. For instance, concealing his identity is key to Odysseus defeating the Cyclops, however his arrogance leads him to reveal himself as a “raider of cities” (9.561), demonstrating his desire to be recognized for his destructive power. Furthermore, even though he only flatters himself, Odysseus successfully motivates his men in the face of yet another threat, by boasting that his “tactics saved [them] all” (12.230), as if his actions alone rescued the rest of his crewmates. Odysseus’ crew admires him for his fearlessness, and they

This gives him the title as chosen one. His intention was to get home to Ithaca but he remarks with over prideful insults towards the gods. This low point results in punishment from the gods to face some of the worlds monsters. Through it all, he receives aid from those who think he can amount to more. He receives news of home from his grieving mother, and his prophecy from Tiresias. “For not to everyone will gods appear.” (pg.294) The only reason why Odysseus was able to survive through the quests was because Athena’s fondness for him. She covers him with a disguise when he finally returns home so that he may win his last battle. His restoration came with absence of pride and ego from all the horrors he has perceived. Although he had to fix his character, Odysseus is still known as a hero not only because of his cleverness but also how he fixed his

In The Odyssey by Homer, the main character, Odysseus, goes through a series of challenges on his endeavor to get back to Ithaca with his family. Once he gets back to Ithaca, he utilizes these skills while applying new ones to his repertoire as well. For every encounter he faces, he learns something new that changes who he is from the war. While sailing from Troy, he and his men attack the Cicones. This is foolish as many of his men lose their lives and the raid was unnecessary after the victory at Troy.

Greek heroes in several cases are guarded and aided by gods, but possess common assets and worthy features. Odysseus the main character of the book named Odyssey that homer wrote. Homer fits the place of a Greek hero because he is courageous, tenacious, and Odysseus’ courage exemplifies those characteristics of a Greek hero. One thing that shows his courageousness when he escapes from Polyphemus. He had just the right amount of courage to stab out Polyphemus’s eyes using a pole that has been in the fire. Odysseus states: "I took my twelve best fighters that I have picked and went onward. “These examples including the Cyclops shows that Odysseus is not really the type of leader (or chief) that sits on his butt while he sends his men to kill,

A Homeric epic hero is taken into account to be senior to a standard individual. The traits of a typical epic hero are strength, loyalty, courage, and intelligence. In fact, the Macmillan lexicon for students defines a hero as "one who is loved and researched to for valorousness, achievements, and noble qualities" (483). odysseus fulfills all the necessities for an epic hero and more. He demonstrates his ability to be an articulate speaker, and his poise aids him on his journey. His endless curiosity has gotten him into dilemmas, whereas his excellent displays of strength and cunnings have helped both him and his crew escape danger. His conceitedness sets him back, however, his loyalty is what drives him forward on his long and treacherous expedition. within the initial few lines of The Odyssey, Odysseus describes himself as "formidable for guile in peace and war". He knows that he's a formidable opponent, and there are instances where his guile has caused both harmony and violence. regardless of what challenge Odysseus faces, he invariably clearly demonstrates the characteristics of an epic hero.

The protagonist of the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer is Odysseus, who is a man of many qualities. Odysseus's skills and intellect are honed through the hardships he experienced on his very long journey away from home. Through his adventures, Odysseus gained for himself the reputation of a hero who survived shipwrecks, battled monsters, faced the wrath of the mighty gods, and met many people of various foreign lands. On top of other classic epic hero traits, Odysseus proves to be the very definition of a Homeric hero through his portrayal as a character who is faithful, loyal, and mentally capable.

In the Homeric world of the Iliad, warriors are portrayed to rely primarily on their pure strength and brutal force alone in order to be successful in their endeavours. In comparison, the Odyssey illustrates the importance of intelligence within the hero Odysseus, and glorifies his ability to outwit his enemies as opposed to overpowering them physically. More precisely, intellect is established within the Odyssey as something of even more substantial force than personal strength, and is depicted by Odysseus a variety of times throughout the story during his journey home to Ithaca. In this manner, a significant example of his cunning is shown when he is first sailing home after leaving the island of Circe.

Odysseus had many qualities of an epic hero. Odysseus was a war hero who showed courage and was not afraid to put his life on the line to save others. Another aspect that made Odysseus an epic hero was that he traveled to the “Kingdom of Death” and still managed to make it back home. In The Odyssey Book 2,

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.

Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and the main character in homer’s The Odyssey, was gone for twenty years before finally returning to his family and his homeland. He struggled through many hardships and lost many loyal companions. The King of Ithaca would not have made it home without the assistance of the Greek gods. Despite all of the help and advice that Odysseus receives from the gods, he is a very brave man because his courage and daring in the cave of the Cyclops, his inability to give up and abandon his men on Circe’s island, and his flawless following of the gods instructions are acts of bravery that is uncommon in most men.

Insteading having the definition of hero that majority believe in, which are fit and strong bodies, Greeks believe that a true hero must have sharp intellect with physical capability. To protect the title as an “Epic Hero,” the protagonist must have different aspects from others to be admired from all others. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is the man that breaks the whole common image of the other men. He had determination to achieve his quest with his strength and his wits and this was a major reason why his crew believed that he was a hero. Homer, depicted Odysseus dealing his tough situations with his quick thinking to overcome them. One of the moments that shows Odysseus’ cleverness was when the hero encountered the Cyclops in Book 9, or when he secretly planned his slaughter of the suitors by having his minstrel play a wedding tune in Book 23. Homer also portrayed his protagonist as a persuasive, fluent speaker that can manipulate others with no

A Homeric epic hero is considered to be above a normal human being. The traits of a typical epic hero are strength, loyalty, courage, and intelligence. In fact, the Macmillan Dictionary for Students defines a hero as "one who is admired and looked up to for valor, achievements, and noble qualities" (483). Odysseus fulfills all of the requirements for an epic hero and more. He demonstrates his ability to be an articulate speaker, and his poise aids him on his journey. His endless curiosity has gotten him into dilemmas, while his superb displays of strength and cunningness 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. In the

While the suitors sat and mocked him, he accomplished the task. Homer uses the epic simile, "Meantime wise Odysseus, when he had handled the great bow and scanned it closely, -even as one well-skilled to play the lyre and sing stretches with ease round its new peg a string, securing at each end the twisted sheep-gut; so without effort did Odysseus string the mighty bow...Great consternation came upon the suitors. All faces then changed color" (210), to describe the moment of honor. This is telling of Odysseus' agility because he saw the perfect timing to overcome the challenge in order to get a roused response from the suitors. This ability to think quickly and see the needs of the moment helps Odysseus seem more powerful than he may actually be.

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.

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.