The Role Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

Odysseus has a side to him that is very heroic and many people can look up to, in which he helps others without thinking of himself. When Odysseus helped save his men from Circe he was being selfless, and thus heroic. “I

Have you always read books where the main character is usually the hero of the story? What if I told you that in the book The Odyssey the main character isn’t the hero. As a matter of fact, there is no specific hero in the The Odyssey. Although Odysseus is the main character of the story, he is definitely not the hero. Odysseus has acquired some qualities of being the hero, but have acquired numerous of qualities of not being one. First of all, Odysseus has shown quite a few time of where he showed no respect towards others. In addition, how can he be considered a hero when he killed a mass of people. Lastly, he has been unfaithful towards his wife Penelope. Overall, Odysseus have proven that he isn’t a hero through his traits that appeared throughout the story.

The Odyssey by Homer, was an absolutely outstanding story, and it had me reading on the edge of my seat the entire time. Odysseus, the main protagonist in the story, had full blown determination to return back to his homeland, where his wife and son, Penelope and Telemachus, awaited him in Ithaca. After successfully attacking any obstacles thrown his way, Odysseus arrives back home. However, Athene disguises him as an old beggar, and he finds more than just his family awaiting him in the palace. Suitors had invaded his palace, and completely dishonored not only him, but his family. Odysseus ends up taking action and slaughters anyone who was involved in the wooers’ plot. Odysseus was fully justified in the actions he took. The punishment he

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.

The admirable character or hero in Homer’s The Odyssey is Odysseus. Odysseus shows multiple heroic traits throughout the story, but a clear trait is displayed when Odysseus and his men are sailing through the land of the Sirens. Some might argue differently, that Odysseus has methods that are to cruel or harsh for a leader, but there is evidence to prove this wrong, and support the claim that Odysseus is the hero in The Odyssey.

American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson once stated,” A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” Emerson is an english philosopher that uses intuition to peer into reality. Greek philosophers are looked upon for most of greeks history. Philosophers are knowledgeable and often right. A philosopher such as Emerson uses knowledge to determine what makes the average person a hero in the eyes of society.

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

“An epic hero is someone who has a long journey, supernatural powers, possesses Greek virtues, and is a strong warrior. ”(“The Hero: Some Definitions”). Odysseus possesses those features; he is strong cunning, strong, and confident. However, in today’s society we would not consider Odysseus a hero.

Receiving help from others defines a hero more than superpowers and magic, or knowledge and skill. Receiving help makes a hero human-like and relatable throughout their journey and trials. The god’s help throughout Odysseus’ story in a number of ways: when Hermes was went by Athena and Zeus to help Odysseus off of Calypso’s island, when the sea goddess Ino saved Odysseus with a magic scarf, Athena’s help and supervision throughout the journey of Odysseus, and Athena’s influence during the battle of the suitors and Odysseus. Odysseus’ help from the gods shows Odysseus’ virtues of humility, his humanity, and his bravery.

The entire question of a how a hero is depicted answers itself in three words, bigger than self. These qualities reveal themselves through difficult times when the individual requires them most. When one connects wisdom from their past and their strength, only then creates a hero. Whether rescuing one from a burning building or leading them to a well-deserved victory at home, both show a hero, no matter the time period. Challenged by antagonists, Odysseus from Homer’s Odyssey acquires the aspects of a hero over the course of the epic poem. After peeling away the layers of capes and medals, the debate remains if one still possess these qualities. An originally seemingly arrogant Odysseus contradicts the stereotypes and creates a new definition

Odysseus was justified in killing some of wooers and the people that helped them. This is because the wooers were trying to take over his home and marry his wife while he gone for his journey. He has every right to defend himself and what is his.

When you think of The Odyssey, do you think of our society today? From courage to judgement, multiple messages are portrayed through Odysseus in Homer’s epic, The Odyssey. These themes not only illustrate prevalence in Odysseus’s time, but they show in our everyday lives.

Odysseus’ role in the Odyssey is extremely significant both in Greek culture and in hero stories as a whole, he represents and protects Greek cultural ideals, and shows us an example of heroism that still resonates today. It is stated in the hero cycle that any great hero

“There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.” These words said by Mark Twain, an American author, have an unmistakable significance when compared to the journey of Odysseus in Homer’s poem The Odyssey. This collection of Odysseus’s adventures offers an account of his life and his pursuit of fame after the Trojan War. In his epic The Odyssey, Homer uses the motifs of sexual temptation and the temptation to rebel in pursuit of kleos to comment on the desires that drive Odysseus further and further away from home, therefore commenting on the desires inside of everyone that ultimately keeps them from accomplishing their goals.