The 4 H's In The Odyssey

Odysseus is not a hero because he constantly puts his men in danger and makes decisions without thinking. Odysseus is sailing away from Cyclops Island and he is teasing Polyphemus about escaping. The crew tries to get Odysseus to be quiet, but his ego gets in the way, and he tells Polyphemus his name; leading to Polyphemus cursing him and his men to make the journey home slow and painful. Odysseus tells the Phaeacians in his story, “So they spoke, but they could not persuade my great-hearted spirit; and I answered him again with angry heart: “‘Cyclops, if any one of mortal men shall ask thee about the shameful blinding of thine eye, say that Odysseus, the sacker of cities, blinded it, even the son of Laertes, whose home is in Ithaca’””(Homer.9.500-506). Odysseus comments that his crew tried to calm him down and get him to stop talking, but he

In The Odyssey, Odysseus decides that him and his crew should stay and see who owns the cave. As Odysseus says, “I wanted to see the owner himself.”(p.77). If Odysseus would have just left none of his men would have been killed. This shows Odysseus is not a hero because he let his pride get the better of him and stayed in the cave. Also in the Odyssey, Odysseus expects food and gifts from almost everyone he meets. This is one of the reasons Polyphemus gets upset with Odysseus.

Odysseus shows his bravery during the odyssey by going to battle against many different adversaries. For example, Odysseus not only asked, but demanded the restoration of his crew from Circe. Even though Odysseus ate “moly”, which protected him from Circe’s drug, he still demonstrated bravery by standing up to Circe. Another example of Odysseus’s bravery was when he went up against the Cyclops. Odysseus had never seen anything like the Cyclops before, yet he still was brave enough to go up against them. Odysseus also demonstrated strength throughout the odyssey. Odysseus was not only physically strong, but he was also mentally strong.

Odysseus believed he was in the right when killing the suitors “You dogs! You never imagined I'd return from Troy- so cocksure that you bled my house to death, ravished my serving-women- wooed my wife behind my back while I was still alive!” (Homer 22: 37-40). Odysseus was dead set on killing the suitors since the beginning. He even told them “. . . all your necks are in the noose-your doom is sealed” (22: 43), illustrating how he would kill them as to avenge his wife and his honor. In doing so he was perceived as a hero by the most prevalent male figures in Ithaca, displaying an excellent example of Kleos, “fame through having great honor and virtue. Earned pride.”

In fictional comics, most superheroes shows bravery when completing their jobs and they also use this characteristic to help themselves win against the battle between their super villains. However, in the reading, “The Voyage of Odysseus” by Sally Benson, Odysseus shows bravery when confronting against Polyphemus and coming up with a plan to escape the giant’s cave with his men. In the text, a quote states that “Odysseus called to his four friends and, lifting the staff, the thrust the end of it into the fire until it was red hot. Then they plunged it into the Cyclops’ one eye. The monster roared in pain. Earlier, Odysseus had told his companions to harness the rams of the flock three abreast with willow branches, which they found on the floor of the cave” (Benson 3-4). In the this example, the readers learn that Odysseus and four of his men blinded the giant by stabbing the cyclops’s eye with fire. Afterwards, Odysseus told his men to surround their bodies with sheep flock in order to escape from the cyclops’s cave. It is important to mention this explanation because then people will know how to be brave in a way that can eliminate their dangerous obstacles and saving people from anything or anyone that is treacherous to them. In all, there are many situations that require the characteristics of bravery such as going in war

I think the one heroic character trait that fits Odysseus best is “cunning”. There are many stories from “The Wanderings” that shows just how cunning Odysseus is; from tricking monsters like the cyclops, to pretending to be a beggar so he could reclaim his kingdom. Some of these stories may not sound like much but without Odysseus’s cunning trait things would have ended up completely different. If Odysseus didn’t have his cunning trait he wouldn’t have been able to trick the suitors into thinking he was a beggar, but because Odysseus is such a cunning hero he is able to have much more power than others.

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 many traits Odysseus has, his bravery is the most outstanding. Odysseus shows his bravery in the quote, “We lit a fire, burnt an offering, and took some cheese to eat, then sat in silence around the embers, waiting.” (Homer page 760 lines: 219-221) Odysseus was waiting for the cyclops. His bravery was shown when he broke into the cyclops home, took the cyclops food, and sat there and waited for him. Usually when you break into someone's home you do not give them an offering and take their stuff for them to find. In the next quote Odysseus shows even more bravery to go home and not fear the consequences if someone recognizes him. “... Odysseus, in his beggar disguise, finds his way to the heat of Eumclaus, his old and trusty swineherd.” (Homer page

            Odysseus was a man of honor, a man who had fought in a war and won.  For such a courageous man to return home to find it full, idly standing by would not be considered virtuous.  In order to prove that his status of King remained a strong title, Odysseus had to purge his home of rogues, and fancy women who had dishonored his lady.  Such was acceptable at his time, and therefore considered common.  Odysseus’s sense of honor was vital in his role as an adventurer and a monarch of Ithaka. 

One of the biggest traits Odysseus shows throughout the story is his bravery. The whole story Odysseus shows his courage. Taking every mission knowing there could be death; Odysseus still did not give up. Odysseus did whatever it took to make back to Ithaca for his wife and son. Odysseus showed courage by outsmarting the Cyclops. Odysseus went to the land of the dead just to bury a dead shipmate with no fear. But Odysseus showed his every bit of bravery when planning and fighting against the suitors. Odysseus set up plans to kill all the suitors with only 3 people with him. Odysseus refused to back down from the suitors so when the time came he was prepared. When all the suitors were killed Odysseus and his family had finally reunited. After 20 years of Odysseus bravery had all paid off. That’s why I think Odysseus shows he has lots of bravery throughout the story.

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.

This past week went by too fast. He has completed building his raft and his cargo is right beside it abound on the journey. Odysseus is surveying the horizon, planning his sail. My heart began to ache once more. I could not believe my eyes. Anger and frustration began to take control of me. Why does he have to leave? Why so soon? Curse the gods in Olympus! They do not know what true love is. Suddenly, I saw a lightning bolt in the far east and heard a clap of thunder at a distance. What am I saying? My gods, I

Odysseus shows his heroism through his bravery. When Circe turned his men into swine, Odysseus confronted her: "I drew my sharpened sword and in one bound held it against her throat"("Circe, the

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.

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.