Hercules. Perseus. Achilles. Aeneas. Jason. Daedalus. Greece’s heroes. Legends. One name is missing from the list of Greek Mythology's greatest. Odysseus. In the exhilarating tale, The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus shows his worthiness of a king and hero time and time again. Throughout twenty-four books Odysseus takes on many challenges such as the Trojan War, Cyclops, Calypso, Circe, the suitors and Poseidon. Odysseus is the king of Ithaca who was called upon to help the Greeks win the Trojan War. After ten years and outsmarting the people of Troy, he angered Poseidon, so Poseidon did all in his power to make sure that it Odysseus never made it home. When all the other gods see what Poseidon is doing, they help Odysseus come home after ten years …show more content…
For example, in book nine, when asked by the terrifying Cyclopes who he is, Odysseus replies “‘My name is Nohbody: mother, father, and friends/ everyone calls me Nohbody’” (273-274). Rather than giving away his identity, Odysseus uses his brilliance to appear as a person of no importance, and fools the Cyclops of who he really is. He also secures safety of his family and crew by not giving away his name. His intelligence is further shown later in the story when a plan made by Odysseus succeeds and the Cyclops calls for help from his neighboring Cyclopes, the others never come because the Cyclops claims he was hurt by Nohbody. Another scenario where his intellect was shown was in an effort to shield his crew from the persuasive voices of the Sirens, Odysseus tells the reader “I carried wax along the line and laid it/ thick on their ears” (43-44). After being warned of the Siren’s powerful voices, he wanted to help his men in a clever way, not only proving himself as a worthy leader, also proving himself a wise man. This one example also shows how Odysseus is quick on his feet, and is able to think outside of the box, another sign of intelligence. As his ship is quickly approaching the Sirens he is able to devise a strategy to avoid persuasion. Throughout the story, Odysseus shows his wit time and time again, making him an extremely intelligent
They typical epic hero possesses superhuman strength, craftiness, and confidence, is helped or harmed by gods or fate, embodies qualities valued by the culture, or overcomes perilous situations. Odysseus is the main character, and hero of the epic The Odyssey written by Homer in ancient greek times. He is challenged by giant cyclops, hundreds of men trying to marry his wife, envious sirens, and the constant struggle of trying to return home to his family in Ithaka. The epic hero Odysseus is characterized by his cunningness and determination through struggle, though flawed by his ego.
In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus demonstrates traits of a hero through his intelligence and loyalty. In book nine, Odysseus realizes that if he kills Polyphemus now, the passage leading out of the cave will still be blocked by a slab of solid rock leading to his crew’s deaths as well. After a few days of being trapped in the cave, Odysseus comes up will an intelligent plan. He holds a feast and introduces himself as Nohbdy which works in favor for Odysseus. Odysseus gets Polyphemus drunk which allows him to drive a spike into Polyphemus’ eye, deep enough to blind the Cyclops. The Cyclops yells in pain and howls loud enough to the Cyclopes nearby to hear and rush to Polyphemus’ side. They ask Polyphemus what had happened to him to which Polyphemus
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.
Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, and Gandhi, are all real life examples of what a hero is. The Odyssey, written by Homer, is an epic poem written in ancient Greece. The Odyssey is about the many difficulties Odysseus, the main character, had to go through in order to return home to his kingdom after fighting in the Trojan War. Originally Odysseus was supposed to only fight and then return home with his crew, but after his lack of worship to the Gods he was thrown off course, resulting in a much longer journey. Through all of the many difficulties on his journey, Odysseus proved to be a hero, similar to how Mahatma Gandhi is a hero. Odysseus is a hero compared to Gandhi, because they both share similar traits through their
When the Cyclops asks for Odysseus’ name, Odysseus who is thinking ahead, says “everyone calls [him] Nohbdy”(384). Later, after Odysseus stabs the Cyclops in the eye, the Cyclops prays to the gods saying, “Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked me, Nohbdy’s ruined me!”(426). The gods think that the Cyclops is saying that nobody has hurt him, so they tell the Cyclops that “if nobody has played [the Cyclops] foul there in [his] lonely bed, [they] are no use in pain given by great Zeus”(428-430). This shows Odysseus’ wit because by reasoning and going through tactics, Odysseus is able to think ahead and trick the Cyclops so he can avoid punishment from the gods. Odysseus’ cleverness helps save him and his men in many challenging
Odysseus is a hero because he went on his journey home from the Trojan War with strong determination and bravery to get him and his men home. After being already a war hero for being a great help to winning the war, he later proves himself even more of a hero when he leads his men through countless dangers hoping that eventually they will return home. The things they face on their adventure back home will take good amounts of courage and bravery.
To be a veteran is a matter of being in near perfect mental and physical condition and state. Veterans have to endure life changing events and most of the time, it is hard to cope with. Veterans fight for our country so that we may have the privileges we do today. I think the legendary protagonist from Homer’s well-known epic “The Odyssey”¬ – Odysseus, is similar to all veterans.
This shows that Odysseus was clever because he told the Cyclops that his name was “Nohbdy” so that when Odysseus and his men stabbed him in the eye and his Cyclops’s friend came to ask ‘who has tricked you?’ the Cyclops would answer ‘Nohbdy did it.’ This shows how Odysseus was a hero because without his cleverness they probably would have been stuck in the cave forever. Another way Odysseus showed his cleverness is when he gave up six of his men to the Scylla instead of going into the Charybdis and risking the lives of his whole crew. “Then Scylla made her strike, whisking six of my best men from the ship.
What makes a hero? A hero is a person who cares for others. A person who makes tactical and wise decisions. A person who is selfless, working to help his friends with all his strength. In Homer’s
home, he did not suspect his wife to kill him. Through this grievance, Agamemnon warns Odysseus of what may await him in Ithaca and reminds him that no man is above the spite of others; more specifically, Agamemnon warns Odysseus of the possibility that his wife may plot against him in his absence. “‘Say not a word,’ he answered, ‘in death’s favour; I would rather be a paid servant in a poor man’s house and be above ground than king among kings of the dead’” (157). Achilles, the best of the Achaeans, expresses his regret to Odysseus; he wishes that he had chosen a long and peaceful life without glory rather than one of immortal greatness in the battlefield. Odysseus must confront that the war is truly over. No longer does any past heroism matter
The story “The Odyssey” describes the eventful travel of the warrior Odysseus, who is also the king of Ithaca, after a war known as the “Trojan War”. Odysseus performed many heroic actions during his travel. Odysseus also performed some unheroic deeds, but he is only a human being, he also makes mistakes. A true hero never gives up and uses everything he can to overcome any trials or hardships he must face.
When Homer wrote The Odyssey, it seems that his intention was to make Odysseus the hero. There are certainly parts of him that are heroic, and he does exemplify some of the most important Greek values. But, he is not the sole hero of this Epic; he isn’t really even a hero. There are so many choices he made and actions he took that do not make him truly worthy of the title “Protagonist,” despite how Homer wrote The Odyssey. But, there is someone worthy of that title. There is someone who exemplified all of the Greek’s most important values. Yet, they were often left as only a supporting character, when they were so much more. Who is this person? Penelope, Odysseus’s wife.
Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus experiences many ups and downs throughout his journey home. He is throw into peril and there often seems to be no hope for his return home. While he remains victorious in the end, returning to his wife, son, and father, the poem itself is filled with many darker moments filled with doubt and sadness. Odysseus is the hero of the Odyssey, and in order to exist as a hero he must be relatable. His story cannot be one entirely of triumph, it must include a more human perspective. Triumph cannot come without strife, and heroism cannot come without tribulation. Athena and Odysseus’ experiences as divine and human, respectively, and define whether or not they are heroes. By comparing Odysseus to Athena, it is apparent that what makes Odysseus a hero before anything else is his humanity.
Homer’s The Odyssey follows the Greek, prized fighter, Odysseus on his lengthy journey home to Ithika, from the battle fields of the Trojan War. On this journey he encounters ghouls, monsters, and challenges only the best can accomplish. Many people whom read The Odyssey consider the epic’s main character, Odysseus, a hero. However odysseus is a hubristic, unfaithful and dishonest man. A modern hero is defined as some one who is who is admired or “put on a pedestal” for courage, superior achievements, and/or noble qualities. But, unlike the modern hero, Odysseus makes unfaithful, hubristic and dishonest decisions on his venture home to Ithika.
A hero is someone who is admired for their noble qualities. For example Odysseus in the story has the necessary qualities to classify him as a hero. Odysseus shows determination throughout the book, his entire journey back from war is all determination to get home. He exhibits strength and great powers at many different points like, when he is killing the suitors. Odysseus is brave even when times are rough, he mostly can push through anything. These traits can be seen as heroic today because they all demonstrate not given up, pushing for what you want and persevering through the tough times. Odysseus is coming home from the Trojan War but faces many obstacles on his way home. Once he finally reaches Ithaca he reunites with his son,