The Odyssey is an example of Greek history portrayed in literature. As in all Greek literature, the epic hero Odysseus answers a call to action, suffers through great confrontation, and returns with a better understanding of life. Greek stories such as, The Odyssey set the stage for today's modern action movies with epic heroes such as Indiana Jones, Frodo from the Lord of the Rings, and Western cowboys like Roy Rogers and The Lone Ranger.
The first characteristic that makes Odysseus an epic hero is that he answers a call to action. Odysseus answers two calls to action in The Odyssey. His first call is to go to Troy with Agamemnon and rescue Helen even though his son Telemachus has just been born and his wife Penelope doesn't want him
…show more content…
Odysseus realizes that Polyphemus is the only one that can move the boulder and devises a plan to blind Polyphemus while he is asleep. When Polphemus awakes, he moves the boulder to tell his brothers what has happened to him. Then Odysseus and his men sneak out of the cave by hiding under Polyphemus' sheep. When Odysseus' pride gets the best of him and he reveals his identity to Polyphemus, then Polyphemus lifts up a prayer to his father Poseidon and curses Odysseus.
Next Odysseus and his men go to the home of Aeolus, ruler of the winds. Aeolus gives Odysseus a bag containing all of the bad winds and stirs up a wind to send Odysseus and his men back to Ithaca. However, Odysseus' men thought that Aeolus had given Odysseus a bag of treasure and thought he wasn't going to share the treasure with them. When Odysseus falls asleep his men open the bag and the winds blow them away from Ithaca back to Aeolus. This time Aeolus will not help them because he believes the gods hate Odysseus. Now Odysseus and his men have to row to the land of the Laestrygonians, a race of powerful giants, who turn Odysseus' scouts into their dinner. Odysseus and his remaining men retreat to the ships, but the giants pelt the ships with boulders and sink them as they sit in the harbor. Only Odysseus' ship escapes.
‘Cyclops you ask my noble name, and I will tell it; but do you give the stranger’s gift, just as you promised. My name is Noman. Noman I am called by mother, father, and by all my comrades’” (86). Odysseus tells Polyphemus his name is Noman to ruse him. Odysseus soon gets Polyphemus drunk. Odysseus takes the staff and blinds Polyphemus. Polyphemus removes the boulder and asks for help from the other Cyclops. “Then in his turn from out the cave big Polyphemus answered: ‘Friends Noman is murdering me by craft. Force there is none.’
His men wanted to leave but Odysseus wanted to appeal to the laws of hospitality. When the cyclops returns to his cave with his flock of sheep he captures Odysseus and his men, and blocks the entrance of the cave with a boulder”but he,behind,reset the stone as one would cap a quiver”(Book 9, line 218-219). They get trapped, and Polyphemus eats two of his men anytime he was hungry. Odysseus shows his intelligence and comes up with a plan to get out. He gives Polyphemus some strong wine and Polyphemus becomes extremely drunk.
When Odysseus and his men left the Cyclops island, his men begged and warned him not to provoke the Cyclops. Odysseus’ men warned that Polyphemus would “lob a boulder” (9). 411) at them if Odysseus were to ignore their warning. By ignoring the pleas of his men, Odysseus got his journey home cursed by Poseidon.
sword from my hip I went along his flank to stab him where the midriff
When he is almost home, Poseidon sees him and sends a storm that destroys and sinks his raft. Ino helps Odysseus by giving him her veil, which protects him from the water. After two days of swimming, Odysseus reaches the Phaeacians and their kind king, Alcinous. The king’s daughter, Nausicaa, finds Odysseus and takes him to the king. Odysseus expalins how he and his crew first saw the Lotus-Eaters, then they docked in front of a cave to search for food. There was wine, food, and pens full of
Scene 4: Odysseus and his men wander into the cave, and as they eat cheese which they find the Cyclops Polyphemus returns. Polyphemus closes the entrance to the cave without knowing the men are in there until he turns around. He then introduces himself as nobody.
The Odyssey is a Greek epic poem told by a blind rhapsode named Homer, and is translated by Robert Fitzgerald. This poem tells the grand adventures and obstacles, Odysseus, king of Ithaca, faces on his journey home from the Trojan War. Throughout the journey, despite the hardships, Odysseus never gives up and his main priority is making it home to see his beloved wife. Odysseus is definitely to be considered an epic hero because he exhibits the greek values of cleverness, loyalty, and love for home and family.
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.
A person running into the insane burning flames of a burning building to save a young kid with very little covering his own skin. Minutes pass by and all you hear is the crackle of the fire burning and a mother’s tears while she is weakening and falling to the ground. All hope is loss. He is dead many would think. All went silent when they saw a figure walking through the alleyway next to that burning building. He was all black covered with ashes and the memories of the family who lived there. He was also holding that little girl. They chanted that he was a hero. Do they know the full story? Is he the hero or was she? Not everyone is the hero that people claim they are. Some take credit for other's work
Odysseus is one of the greatest epic heros in the history of literature. The Odyssey, by Homer, is an epic poem, which depicts the journey home of Odysseus. Angering many gods, this voyage takes him through multiple obstacles, and ends up taking almost twenty years longer than it should've. Throughout his journey, “The Son of Laertes” must get his crew out of trouble multiple times. He uses his intellect and other strengths to do so, and never gives up, no matter the circumstance. Even after losing everything he needs in a storm worthy of the gods, Odysseus still never gives up, and gets himself out of trouble yet again. Throughout his entire journey, coming home from the Trojan War, Odysseus repeatedly uses many heroic traits to get himself and his crew out of many unfortunate situations. These heroic traits, how Odysseus uses them, and the steps of his journey all come together to illustrate that he is an epic hero. Odysseus characterizes himself as an epic hero based on how he almost perfectly follows the characteristics of an epic hero, gets his crew out of trouble multiple times, and follows the Hero's Journey.
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.
The Odyssey, by homer is a story/epic poem about the protagonist Odysseus who brings anguish and suffering upon himself and his men, which prolongs their arrival to Ithaca. Because of this Odysseus ' son, Telemachus sets on a journey to find him. This book illustrates Odysseus, and his crew 's feats by overcoming misfortunes along the way. Such as defeating a Cyclops named Polyphemus, fleeing from a town of powerful Laestrygonians and resisting manipulation and enchantments from a goddess called Circe.
In Homer’s, The Odyssey, I believe that Odysseus is a true modern hero. During his long and perilous journey home Odysseus shows many heroic qualities that help save his men from many dangerous situations. He first shows his Valiant behavior during the war in Troy, he cares about his crew and survives the war. He also deeply cares about the welfare of his men on their return trip to Ithaka. Odysseus is a hero because he is a courageous leader, a quick thinker and a modest man.
Odysseus and his men get carried by the wind to the Ismarus, which is the city of the Cicones. During their visit, some of Odysseus’s men got greedy, and because of this they get chased off the island by the Cicones. When Odysseus was traveling, Zeus punished him and his crew with a storm that brought them to the land of the Lotus-eaters. Here, some of the sailors ate the lotus and became intoxicated. The lotus made them want to stay on the island, instead of going home. Odysseus had to drag his men back to the ship and lock them up. Afterwards, Odysseus sailed to the land of the Cyclops, and ate some wild goats. When they were walking across the island, they came upon a cave with sheep and crates of milk and cheese. When they were at the cave, the son of Poseidon, Polyphemus, returns. At first, Polyphemus acts caring and hostile, but soon after he eats two of Odysseus’s men and traps the rest for future meals. Odysseus wants to kill Polyphemus, but he knows that Polyphemus is the only one capable of moving the rock, that’s in front of the cave. Later, when Polyphemus goes outside to
In the epic Odyssey, Homer uses characterization to express that Odysseus is a good example of an epic hero.