The Hero Of Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

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.

Since the cyclops’ vision is impaired, Odysseus “tied them silently together, twining/cords of willow from the ogre’s bed/then slung a man under each middle one/to ride there safely, shielded left and right/So three sheep could convey each man” (Homer 500). Odysseus possess the trait of cleverness which is demonstrated through his quick thinking and by only using using the resources available to free his men from Polyphemus’ grasp. He is a man to be revered because he uses his cunning skills to help others reach safety. Odysseus is also the last man to exit the cave because he puts their lives before his. He is also willing to take the responsibility and consequences of their actions. For example, if the cyclops were to notice him he would force his men escape and leave him behind to be devoured. Odysseus is a hero, for his willingness to put his companions’ lives before his own and use of his wits to save those around him.

What makes someone a hero? Is it the adventures they go on, the traits they possess, or how popular they are? In The Odyssey, Odysseus embarks on one huge adventure to save his people, but barely gets back home. The struggles on this journey have proved whether Odysseus is in fact a hero, or just a fool who got lucky. Although literary scholars of The Odyssey have argued that he is not a hero, closer examination shows that he is a hero because he met the ultimate goal of defeating Troy, bravely led and sacrificed for his men, and escaped multiple enemies.

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.

Being a legitimate hero is not all about having the extraordinary supernatural powers commonly seen on television. Heroes are people who aid others, often putting themselves at risk to do so. They made the decision to fight, not necessarily physically, for their values. Odysseus, the main character in The Odyssey, should be considered a hero. He put his own life in jeopardy to protect his men from the supernatural threats that they faced throughout their journey. Odysseus should be regarded as a hero because he is brave, clever, and cautious.

Odysseus the Heroic The Odysseus, by Homer, is a story about adventure and courage. The Odysseus creates an atmosphere where it’s all about Odysseus and how he handles the danger. Three questions people have about the Odysseus are: what makes Odysseus an epic hero? What are his qualities and flaws? Why is Odysseus considered an archetype?

Odysseus fits the role as a modern hero because in the story Odysseus outwits some of his enemies. “The Cyclops’ rams were handsome, fat, with heavy fleece, a dark violet.” (Pg. 571,Line 376) Odysseus hides his men under Polythemus’s sheep because, Polythemus was blinded and unable to see. To save his men Odysseus proved that more mattered than himself. These are a few ways that Odysseus saved his crew and out witted his enemies.

Odysseus is a truly a hero he saves his crew in more than one case and tries to save them by giving advice. He also completes many challenges and emerges victorious. Odysseus on the surface is selfish and injures a cyclops after he invaded its home as well as kill many suitors that did the same thing he did to the cyclops, but when

In Homer's The Odyssey, Odysseus shows time and again his heroic characteristics such as, courage, leadership, and cleverness that prove him and others to be a hero, even today. Odysseus’s goal is to return home to Ithaca after fighting in the Trojan War, but is forced to overcome obstacles set throughout his journey designed to make him fail. Odysseus uses his heroic traits to conquer these obstacles. The same traits that make Odysseus a hero are also present in many of the people who are labeled as heroes today. For example, Martin Luther King Jr., an undeniable hero, is courageous, a leader, and clever. Odysseus’s courage helps him to stay determined while he propels himself through bumps in his journeys on his way home.

Another way Odysseus is also a hero is he always finds a way to survive whether he is in conflict or out on the sea. One of the many situations Odysseus survives is his encounter with Skylla. Six of his crew members do perish but through his hard work and dedication he survives. He makes another smart decision in choosing to go through Skylla instead of Kharybdis because only six of his crew members die instead of the whole crew. Another decision Odysseus makes to survive is not eating the cattle of Helios while on Thrinikia, his crew members choice in eating the hallowed cows results in their death, but Odysseus knew the consequences and did not touch a cow. Another way Odysseus' quick-decision skills helps him is when he chooses to leave the island of the Lotous-eaters, because he realized his whole crew would have fell under the curse if he had stayed there. Odysseus is also a master tactician whose complex plans save his crew and help him regain his crown. One of these plans was his ingenious idea to trick Polyphemos, which shows he is a hero by saving countless lives. Another plan he implemented was to kill the suitors which is also a success because Odysseus and Telemakos themselves kill over a hundred men without an injury to themselves .Odysseus is a quick-thinker whose resourceful ideas save many lives.

What defines a hero? Many will say qualities such as strength, loyalty, and tremendous courage. From slaying the great monster to rescuing the innocent from certain death, heroes by definition perform heroic feats and demonstrate abilities far beyond those of the average person. However, despite their record of accomplishments, all heroes have flaws. Interestingly, western literature uses the Biblical concept that all men have sinned and fall short in some way. Homer’s epic The Odyssey illustrates this point in a very direct and precise manner. Odysseus, the main protagonist has the strength of a hero, yet at times his pride consumes him and leads him to make dubious decisions. We should admire Odysseus for his strength and cunning, but at the same time take note of his pride and poor judgment.

A hero is somebody who is intelligent, strong, and always puts others first. When you first think of Odysseus you probably see him as strong, intelligent, and what people would classify a hero, but once you see past the obvious you’ll understand why he is infact, not a hero. Odysseus is self centered, and unloyal. He doesn’t put other people first, and isn’t always honest. He also seems to do whatever he wants.

Odysseus the main protagonist of the Odyssey carries out very noble tasks. Odysseus was a very smart man. With using his skills he leads his team for almost 13 years. He also had the idea of the Trojan horse. When He gets to Ithaca after 20 years he outsmarts all the suitors that have been harassing his wife.

Since Odysseus needs to stay anonymous in order not to evoke any retribution from any of the divine beings, similar Poseidon, who are as of now attempting to devastate the man known as Odysseus. When he at last traps Polyphemus into letting him and his men, camouflaged as sheep, escape from Polyphemus’s surrender. This is such an extraordinary example to being a hero to spare the greater part of his man from threat and this made him hero. Also Homer included that how Odysseus being hero like being loyal to his family and his kingdom. Furthermore, being prideful, loyalty and hospitality is truly critical in Ancient Greek

What is a hero? Is a hero a powerful being capable of doing amazing things? Or, is a hero just someone to look up to? If anyone can be a hero, then would they even want to be one in the first place? Being in the spotlight is hard as any mistake you make will ruin or hurt your “hero” status. If the hero has always been powerful and well known, like Odysseus, they would already know how to act like a hero. They would know not to make any mistakes. Odysseus is a hero and has been considered one for thousands of years, but does he really deserve that title? In many ways, he is flawed. Odysseus, just like all of us, he is not the perfect hero or person at all due to his untrustworthiness, his ego, and his human nature.