The Characteristics Of Odysseus In The Odyssey By Homer

In my eyes a hero is a person who shows courage, is humble, does not give up, and is someone everybody can relate to. The protagonist in “The Odyssey” by Homer, Odysseus is a hero because although he is emotional throughout the book and lets his emotions take over his actions, he displays immense courage and perseveres through his journey and hardships.

The Odyssey written by Homer highlights the character development of Odysseus, the epic hero, in his journey of self-discovery. Odysseus is accredited with many strong traits including his nobility, smarts, and bravery. Having one tragic flaw, being his arrogance, was put to the test throughout his heroic journey. Homer stripped the protagonist of his arrogance as the story goes on, by giving him many challenges, giving dire consequences for his mistakes, and allowing him to continue to overcome obstacles. The main purpose of Odysseus’ journey was to reach his home as a humbled man. The hero’s journey can be used as a way to look at life’s morals. The reader is able to see the protagonist continue to make mistakes, because of his arrogance and continue to be punished by the gods. Once he overcame this, he is greatly awarded with the security of his home. This essay will analyze the arrogance of Odysseus along with his extraordinary traits, the molding of his identity, and his new found lesson of humility.

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.

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

A true hero will go through immeasurable lengths to benefit not him or herself, but the people around them. Heroes are neither selfish nor uncaring. They seek every opportunity they get to help those in need. One must have also gone through the entire hero’s journey to be deemed a hero. He must start off naïve and inept and through his challenges, transform into someone worth calling a hero. Most importantly, a hero is not perfect. He must listen to other’s ideas and utilize them. However, in The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus disrespects his crew men and the gods’ advice, lets hubris interfere with his men’s lives, and is unfaithful to his wife Penelope.

A big part of this transition is when he is on Calypso’s island for 7 years. “My lady goddess, here is no cause for anger. My quite Penelope – how well I know-would seem shade before your majesty…Yet, it is true, each day I long for home, long for the sight of home” (5.224-229). In the above quote Odysseus is breaking to Calypsos that he must return home. When Odysseus says “Yet, it is true, each day I long for home” to Calypsos, he is indirectly talking about how he misses Penelope. By him having the power to leave immortality to go back to Penelope is a sign of loyalty. Odysseus shows loyalty to his men in this quote, “Kirke, where is the captain who could bear touch this banquet…A decent man would see his company first before him first” (10.426-429). Odysseus is offered food from Kirke but she took his men and turn them into swine. Odysseus refuses to eat without seeing them being freed first. This is a sign of loyalty by him saying “A decent man would see his company first before him first” is showing loyalty towards his men. Hence it apparently shows how he is learning to become loyal to both friends and his wife. When Odysseus is making the plan with Telemakhos, he tells him that when he signals him, he should “round up all armor, lances, gear of war left in our hall, and stow the lot away back in the vaulted store room…But put aside two broadswords and two spears for our own use, two oxhide shields nearby when we go into action” (16.337-339, 353-355). Odysseus shows how he is observant by “round up all armor, lances, gear of war left in our hall”. Odysseus also shows how he is observant by saying “But put aside two broadswords and two spears for our own use”. Odysseus shows how he thought ahead and was able to take away the suitors weapons while still salvaging some for

    When I say the name Odysseus, what traits come to mind? In The Odyssey by Homer, the epic hero Odysseus shows the reader what a hero should have been in the Greek culture at the time. A hero at the time typically showed great intelligence, skills in war, leadership, and planning, and they need to be a quick thinker incase things get out of hand. Odysseus showed all of the traits above, but had some other traits that stood out a little more. Those traits include strong physically or superhuman, arrogant, and bravery.

Being separated from someone for long periods of time is quite depressing, but imagine being away from your special someone for 20 years. The 10 years it took to fight the Trojan War were anything but easy for Odysseus, the hero of The Odyssey written by the poet Homer. The venture home was much worse due to encounters with monsters such as the Cyclops Polyphemus, raging storms, challenges from forceful gods and goddesses, and setbacks due to foolishness and pride. Odysseus displays many qualities through-out his journey home, some negative and others positive. In “The Homecoming,” Odysseus reveals his great courage, intelligence, and strength.

Odysseus is considered to be a typical hero, in a typical Hero’s Journey. Odysseus, however, shows a style of change that was pioneered in the Odyssey. Throughout each book of The Odyssey, Odysseus does not only fight monsters on his way home, but also monsters inside of him as well. His monsters, or flaws, must be addressed for Odysseus to be able to come home victorious at the end of the novel. Despite Odysseus may have more unknown character flaws, 2 specific ones come into play throughout the book. The first is pride, or hubris, is exemplified primarily by Odysseus, while the second one, lust, is exemplified more by his crew, but can be seen in Odysseus as well. These two temptation provide numerous temptations and pitfalls to Odysseus on his nostos, or journey home, and both me be bested by him before he finishes his journey and reunites his with his wife, son and father. In the Odyssey, Homer demonstrates that despite Odysseus’s flaws, he successfully accomplishes the hero’s

The Odyssey Essay In today’s society a hero can range from a person that helps save lives, to famous people who influence the world. For example, soldiers who run into battle courageously, saving lives every day. In Homer's epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus is the protagonist who is expected to be courageous, brave and strong. Odysseus is not just a good person but is also a hero; although some might not consider him a hero due to the fact that he lost all his men.

Twenty years from home can be enough to break a man down. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus struggles to get home over his two-decade hero’s journey. While he fought against monsters, women, suitors, and even his own men, his most tremendous battles are against himself, fighting his own officiousness and hubris. This conflict causes his expedition to not only be significantly longer but also notably more difficult. Odysseus’s flaw of curiosity provoked the god Poseidon, who is arguably his most heinous enemy. Once Odysseus’s and his men arrived at the Land of the Cyclopes, Odysseus inquisitiveness prompted him to explore the island, provoking Polyphemus, the Cyclopes. After violating the barbarian’s household, Odysseus quickly finds himself escaping Polyphemus’s wrath, however the Cyclopes was still able to curse Odysseus, calling upon his father, praying, “Should destiny intend that he shall see his roof again among his family in his fatherland, far be that day and dark the years between.

Heroes must stay loyal to their friends and family, as if they don’t remain loyal, they will lose the trust of these people and become their enemy. In addition, loyalty also helps drive a hero to help others and better their live. This trait is demonstrated when Odysseus comes out to his wife, Penelope, as his real self after being disguised as a beggar, during which Homer narrates “The more she spoke, the more a deep desire for tears welled up inside his breast—he wept as he held the wife he loved, the soul of loyalty, in his arms at last.” (388) A driving factor in Odysseus’ efforts to return to Ithaca as soon as possible was his loyalty to Penelope. He understood that if he didn’t try to make it home to Ithaca as fast as he could, he would’ve lost Penelope’s loyalty and trust to him because she would think that he’s no longer loyal to her. His loyalty to her kept up his determination towards his goal of making it home. In addition, his loyalty also makes a positive impact on his family, and even the people of Ithaca, who were in desperate need of a leader. Loyalty drives heroes to save and better the lives of others, just like how Odysseus’s loyalty to his wife drives him to save the people of Ithaca and better the lives of his family. Loyalty is one of the reasons Odysseus is qualified to be considered a hero, and is one of the important traits that qualifies someone to be considered

“ Sing in me, Muse, and through me tell the story of that man skilled in all ways of contending, the wanderer, harried for years on end, after he plundered the stronghold on the proud height of Troy.” (Homer page 751 lines: 0-4) That was an opening prayer from The Odyssey. The Odyssey is about a 20 year-long travel of a man named Odysseus. He traveled to Troy facing the dangers on many mythical creatures and many fictional creatures. This king of Ithaca, left his beloved wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus, that he has not seen since his son was a young child. Odysseus expresses his traits, that helps him survive the obstacles he faces. Odysseus’ traits are bravery, curiosity, and intelligence.

Many people have a different idea as to what is considered a hero and what is considered heroic. In the “One Eyed Giant’s Cave,” Odysseus, who is an example of that, is certainly a character that is well known in the story. Homer portrays him as showing a lot of heroic attributes throughout, that make him seem like a very high profile person, compared to other characters. Odysseus shows a lot of bravery, as well as intelligence, that he uses as an advantage. Odysseus certainly takes on many tasks and is put in situations that makes him seem like that character he is.

Imagine being in a war, seeing killing and dead bodies around you and coming back with mental problems. In The Odyssey, written by Homer, a father has left his family to go fight in a war, while he has been gone, things have changed. Odysseus, the King of Ithaca, goes to the Trojan War to fight for 10 years and leaves his family behind. His wife, Queen Penelope and his son Telemachus are living in their home always wondering what happened to Odysseus. Telemachus is also trying to find his father after not seeing him for a long time. Odysseus faces a lot of challenges to try to find his way back home to his family. It takes Odysseus multiple years searching and fighting to try to get back home. Odysseus has been in the battle for a long time