Odyssey Heroic Essay
Odysseus is the main character of the Odyssey, the second great Homeric epic, and one of the best known examples of heroism of all time. The word odyssey now means to undertake a long and potentially perilous journey, and is named in honor of this. The core attributes of any hero are proactivity in regards to conflict, competence, and relatability, and Odysseus displays all three. Further aspects that define his heroism are his courage, intelligence, and perseverance. Another very notable aspect is his ultimate respect for Ancient Greek civilization, and the gods of the area. Courage, intelligence, faith, and perseverance combined with the core heroic attributes make a hero who is compelling and well-written.
Proactivity, competence, and relatability, are what ultimately define heroes, and drive the plot of The Odyssey. Proactive heroes are important because as part of a heroic journey, the hero has to initiate some conflict. Nobody wants to listen to a
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The Ancient Greek word metis means great cleverness, wisdom, and natural charisma all at once. Odysseus is definitely possessing of these traits in abundance, because where most trained Greek soldiers would blindly charge at their opponent, or do whatever their superior ordered them to do, Odysseus formulates plans and gets others and occasionally himself to act them out. In his encounter with the Cyclopes Polyphemus, Son of Poseidon, instead of simply attacking, Odysseus decides to think for a second and decides to get the Cyclopes drunk, blinded, and willing to move the rock blocking the cave entrance. In his encounter with Scylla and Charybdis, instead of choosing one monster and simply surviving the attacks, he chooses to use the olive branch to get across. This is a heroic trait because it’s a superhuman feat or quality, and Odysseus uses it to solve his
Heroes, as shown in literature, often undertake the most difficult tasks and place themselves in mortal danger in order to bring back, for themselves and their societies, both knowledge and treasure. Their stories follow “Hero Journey.” The Odyssey, as the epic story of the hero Odysseus, follows closely the complete cycle of a Hero Journey, both as a physical and as a psychological undertaking. The Hero Journey, used as a framework for both Odysseus’ physical and mental journeys, serves to bind the two together. Each of Odysseus’s physical difficulties can be viewed as a metaphor for a psychological hardship that he must overcome, and by overcoming these hardships, Odysseus matures—achieving a more complete understanding of himself and
Odyssey was an epic hero, why? A few reasons why Odyssey was an epic hero is because he was very intelligent and courageous. An example of this is when Odyssey and his men were trapped in the cyclops cave. When they were trapped all of his men were freaking out but Odyssey kept calm. Because of this and telling the cyclops that his name was “nobody” he did this so that when asked who stabbed the cyclops he could say that “nobody” did it. It no doubt took a lot of courage of Odyssey’s part to do this, which helped him gain the loyalty and devotion of his men. This is one way that Odyssey was an epic hero.
The Odyssey by Homer is an Ancient Greek poem in which Odysseus is very clever, outgoing, fearless, while also very manipulative king. Although he's not a very good fighter, he does know how to get around and survive. He also has a lot of willpower. He committed acts of heroism in an effort to be admired by his people.
The epic, The Odyssey, centers around Odysseus, whose disposition can be controversial. Like all heroes, Odysseus displays both positive and negative characteristics, which determine whether he is a admirable figure or not. In my opinion, the parts of his character that are commendable outweigh his lesser qualities, making him an honorable role in the poem. Odysseus’s three main favorable attributes are his cleverness, his determination, and his leadership.
In The Odyssey Odysseus stands up for his men who are traveling to war with him when Athena accuses them of not displaying much talent. It would be difficult for Odysseus to stand up for his men while talking to a goddess. However, he handles himself very wisely explaining to Athena the positive qualities in each of his men. In The Odyssey after Poseidon grows angry with Odysseus telling him he will suffer, it only makes Odysseus determination in himself increase. A hero is one who never gives up, so one major character traits they should obtain is determination Although Odysseus is beaten down by the god of the sea it does not decrease his determination. During the journey back from the war in The Odyssey after Poseidon has warned Odysseus that he will not make it home Odysseus not only works well with his men, but also is very self reliant. Self reliance is a huge part of becoming a hero because you have to be prepared at all times if something was to happen to your acquaintances, you need to have the confidence to fulfil your goal.
Throughout the battle and the journey back to Ithaca, Odysseus faces many complications, and he is able to apply his bravery and intelligence to overcome the obstacles. To survive the deadly situations he comes across, he has to devise many solutions for the achievement of his goals and escape death. For instance, he faces a life-threatening obstacle during the Trojan War. The severity of the situation triggers him to come up with a strategy of the Trojan horse that allows him to succeed in the situation: “…they decided to resort to a trick thought of by Odysseus..." (12. 218). Another serious instance where he demonstrates his diligence during the journey was when he was trapped Cyclops' cave together with him men. His intelligence was revealed as he applied his leadership skills to unite the men to fight the common enemy by reminding them of how they had triumphed before by working together as a unit. To plan for a safe escape, he made a strategic more. "Friends, we're hardly strangers at meeting danger and this danger is no worse than what we faced when cyclops penned us up in his vaulted cave with crushing force! But even from there my courage, my presence of mind and tactics saved us all" (12. 226-230). This trick was influential in helping them reach the green island quickly and safely. The ability to plan
The Odyssey English Final Essay The story of Homer's the Odyssey is and is not a heroic story; Odysseus is a hero because of his return; however it is also not a heroic journey because he cheated on his wife and the lack of a treasure One of the reason that the Odyssey is considered a heroic journey is because of Odysseus return from his long journey. When Odysseus returns, the workers are overjoyed and wake up Penelope saying, "Wake up, Penelope, my dear child, so you can see for yourself with your own eyes what you've been wanting each and every day. Odysseus has arrived" (Homer, Book 23, line 70).
leave Ithaca cannot be simply based on a whim: he is a young king with
There are many different ways that a hero can be described or imagined. Everyone has their own ideas of what makes someone a hero. Also, for many heroes it is debatable whether they really are a hero. In The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald, Odysseus is one such debatable hero. Odysseus is a hero because he is brave, level-headed, and he shows faithfulness and respect to important figures in his life.
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.
Homer 's The Odyssey follows the incredible journey of the main character Odysseus, and his long trip home to the Island of Ithaca. The Odyssey is an epic poem written in verse, and is fittingly named after the epic hero Odysseus. An epic hero is defined as a character who possesses superhuman strength, craftiness, and confidence, is helped or harmed by the gods, and usually possesses a natural position of authority. Without a doubt, Odysseus is an epic hero; he is clever and cunning, he has a good relationship with the gods, and excels as a leader.
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.
A hero isn’t shaped by his strengths but by the values he possesses. Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, reveals the moral and ethical constitution of the ancient Greeks. Over time, certain cultures have grown to value a number of human characteristics. Those who acquire such values become respected heroes. After the fall of Troy, the protagonist of the epic, Odysseus, set sail for his home, Ithaca, where his faithful wife and son were waiting for him. Over the course of his journey, Odysseus faced some of the most ferocious opponents known to the Greeks. Even through this formidable journey, Odysseus and his family have stayed true to the diverse aspects of the ancient Greeks. The Odyssey exemplifies the human ideals of hospitality, loyalty and
When people think of a hero, they think of a tall, handsome, loyal, brave, and a type of man that could do no wrong. The “hero” that is portrayed in the Odyssey is a man named Odysseus. This “hero” may be tall and handsome, but he is often arrogant, disrespectful, conceited, and rude. Odysseus consists of positive and negative characteristics that is shown in the text by Homer. These characteristics impact the characters day to day, or in the book’s case, the quests. In the Odyssey, Homer values the characteristics hospitality and cunning, but he objects bad leadership.