The Role Of Odysseus In 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.

The term “dynamic” is often used in literature to describe a character who changes drastically from one point in the story to another. When reading “The Odyssey” an epic poem by Homer, we see that our protagonist, Odysseus, changes throughout the course of the novel. This essay will argue how he changes, and also what changes him, such as his travels, his relationships, and how fate and the Greek gods affect and change him.

In The Odyssey- Part II, Odysseus with the help of his son and loyal servants. They slaughtered all the suitors and maids for the following: they tried to take advantage of his goods, they tried to marry his wife continuously, and destroyed his house. The slaughter of many of the suitors may have been brutal, but it was necessary.

The Odyssey by Homer, is a epic based off the actions, travels, adventures, and heroic episodes of a greek by the name of Odysseus. Throughout the story, Odysseus’ travels take him to new places on new adventures with no insight on what could happen next. Odysseus refers to himself, and is referred to a number of times, as a hero. Throughout the time of book 9 to book 12, there are many scenes throughout the story that portray the qualities Odysseus possesses that lead him to be given the heroic title. On the contrary, there are numerous occasions where Odysseus does things that might not be expected of someone seen as heroic. One of the first things that stood out to me starting in book 9, was Odysseus’ pride for his native land and where he comes from. Here, Odysseus states, “Nothing is sweeter than your own country” (Book 9, Line 37). This quotes shows how Odysseus is prideful of his home, Ithaca, and believes it to be the “sweetest sight” (Book 9, Line 31). Another scene that represents Odysseus’ heroic qualities is when Odysseus and his crew were being held by the cyclops, Polyphemus, and he comes up with an escape plan. During this, Odysseus states, “And I bade my comrades cast lots among them, which of them should have the hardihood with me to lift the stake and grind it into his eye when sweetsleep should come upon him.” (Book 9, Lines 328-329). To me, this portrays Odysseus as a quick thinker and a problem solver. In this situation, the problem was that him and

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.

The hero of Homer’s Odyssey is Odysseus—the glistening, golden-skinned, muscular, clever hero that every audience aspires to be…right? Homer’s idea of Odysseus being the ideal man at the beginning of the Odyssey is repeatedly proven to be wrong. On more than one occasion, Odysseus displays definitively unheroic behavior that conflicts with his descriptions as a paragon of honor and virtue. His beautiful exterior conceals his true interior: that of a hypocritical antagonist who flouts the same rules he claims to uphold.

Odysseus is the main character in an epic poem called the Odyssey. In the poem Odysseus has had some bad luck getting home, with some of the gods helping him and some hindering him; his journey towards home is a constant struggle. In this poem we see a man being broke and rebuilt, through constant irony his faith was damaged and without the help of Athena he probably would have given up on his journey. Through his hard work and wise spirit he finally does achieve his goal.

Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, a hero to many, a wife, a father, and a leader. He has done amazing things in his life. Odysseus faces adversity many times trying to come home from the trojan war. He would do anything to come home and be with his wife and son which shows how the relationships in his life matter to him. Odysseus lived a fulfilling life because he had positive relationships, was intelligent, and brave.

Heroes are everywhere, no matter how small their heroic actions may be. However, what is a hero? A hero is someone who helps others without regard to themselves. A person like Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird, who put Tom Robinson in front of his own reputation, and was called a “black lover” in the racist community for doing the right thing. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus has done this more than once on his journey home, however he also has been selfish. Odysseus is a man who has been both heroic, like when he rescued his men from Circe, but he has also done unheroic actions, like when he didn’t tell his men about the dangerous bag of wind.

Imagine you’re on a ship in the deep dark sea attempting to find your way home, but instead, you discover yourself farther and farther from your loved ones. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus faces the hardship of this exact scenario. In a time of hardship, personalities are revealed, ranging from heroic to cowardice. A hero is someone who is valued by his intelligence and confidence, allowing him to be a leader. Odysseus is a hero because his leadership is valued by his shipmates, his intelligence was exemplary when a plan was needed, and his confidence was indisputable when theirs was uncertain.

In The Odyssey, the author, Homer, describes Odysseus’ epic, but difficult, journey home from Troy. As The Odyssey progresses, Homer characterizes Odysseus as the fearless, clever warrior, who is helped by Athena and Circe, who are intelligent, but always subservient to men, women, showing that men are more powerful than even the most smart and talented woman. One example of Homer’s depiction of Odysseus is when Athena tries to help motivate Odysseus in the fight against the suitors by reminding him of his battles in Troy; she says, “You are not the man you were Odysseus! Where is the courage and strength you showed in that endless conflict, those nine years of battles for beautiful Helen! Many a man you killed in open fight and by your device the great city of Priam was taken!”

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

How would you feel if you had to leave someone you love and you had to go on a long trip with many dangers and quests? Odysseus has to go through all that in the Odyssey by homer. In this book is a series of pomes of challenges a man name Odysseus must face to try to get home. Odysseus has to face challenges going to a Cyclopes home, a women name Circe, and a giant beast name Scylla. But when a person is trying to achieve something the outcome might not always satisfy the person.

Odysseus holds many characteristics of an epic hero. These appear throughout The Odyssey, and become a basis for why he is an epic hero. For example, Odysseus has hubris, the trait of excessive pride in oneself. During Odysseus’s talk with Alcinous, it is revealed that he believes that he is very famous, and that his “‘fame has gone abroad to the sky’s rim’” (Homer 2). With what he feels is a strong argument, Odysseus tries to convince Alcinous to give him supplies, ships and men, to help him get back to his homeland, Ithaca. Odysseus feels entitled to these, because of how he believes others esteem (4) him. Odysseus extols (2) himself, and has a clear case of hubris, which goes along with all of his other “epic hero” traits. Along with having hubris, Odysseus also has a deep love for his homeland, a characteristic of other epic heroes. When describing who he is to Alcinous, Odysseus mentions that his “‘home is on the peaked sea-mark of Ithaca...being most lofty in that coastal sea’” (Homer 4-8). How “The Raider of Cities” describes Ithaca to Alcinous, shows how proud he is of his homeland, and

Odysseus Homer Odyssey is a Tale of great struggle and great rewards. The story is of a great man named Odysseus and the journey he goes on to return home. Throughout the story you see how physically strong, devoted, mentally weak, and strong-willed he is. You see every side of Odysseus in the epic. From his very low points to his greatest times, he becomes the hero that we associate with his name now.