Theseus: A Hero In Homer's 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.

In ancient Greece, Theseus would be considered a hero because he was courageous while also being kind. Even as a small child, Theseus showed great courage. For example, when he was a young boy and was looking for his father, he chose travel by land instead of by sea because the land was more dangerous. The land was more dangerous because there were many bandits along the way, but Theseus wanted to become a hero as quickly as possible, so he traveled by land and killed every bandit along the way. Greeks would have valued this courage because in ancient Greece, people greatly admired brave and powerful heroes who wouldn't back down from any challenge. Although Theseus was brave, he was also kind to others. This is why he convinced Hercules not to kill himself after he murdered his family under the influence of Hera. Many other people would’ve agreed with Hercules ending his own life for what he’d done, but Theseus knew that it wasn’t his fault, and that suicide was not the right way. The ancient greeks would have valued this because ancient greece was a violent and dangerous, so someone who was kind and gentle and was also strong was person to be respected.

Many think being a hero is having super powers, but on the contrary it's more than that. A hero is one who is distinguished for their courage and bravery, and looked upon for their great deeds. A hero like this is not just found in modern society today, but in mythology as well. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus earns the title of a true hero by conveying many qualities such as: determination, courage and leadership.

Odysseus is a hero because he acts courageously while facing the many challenges he encounters. Odysseus’s shows great bravery when he engages in physical challenges. Odysseus daringly fights against the suitors, while significantly outnumbered: “For I must

The trait of heroism is something that has changed over thousands of years. Today’s heros have different traits than those heroes of the Trojan War. However, a few have survived the test of time. Many of modern day heroes, as well as past heroes, do hold these long enduring traits, like Nelson Mandela, Marcus Luttrell, Louis Zamperini, and the fictional Iron Man. Odysseus, the main character in The Odyssey by Homer, portrays the traits necessary to be dubbed a hero. One is a hero if he or she shows leadership, bravery, resilience, and creativity throughout their actions.

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.

If compared to Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey theory, Theseus is considered a mythological hero; however, not in a historical manner in which he is often accredited.

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.

There are many different ways that a hero can be described or imagined. Everyone has their own ideas of what makes someone a hero. Also, for many heroes it is debatable whether they really are a hero. In The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald, Odysseus is one such debatable hero. Odysseus is a hero because he is brave, level-headed, and he shows faithfulness and respect to important figures in his life.

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.

In most stories the typical hero is a person who is selfless, strong, uses their power, if any, to help others, and are usually nice and humble. Greek heroes however tend to vary in comparison. For instance, in the Iliad by Homer, the Greek hero Achilles is very strong and well loved, but he only fights in battles to gain personal glory, not to help others however, he is still a hero nonetheless. The ideal of heroism fluctuates between cultures, therefore the notions of heroism set forth can be contradicting. The heroes in the short stories Theseus retold by Robert Graves and The White Snake by the Grimm brothers show similar and dissimilar traits in both character, and the concept of heroism; but, both of the main characters are still considered heros.

A hero is someone who is determined to have courage or outstanding achievements and is also recognized for the impact they have on the community. Odysseus is the most obvious candidate for the hero in the story, because he is the main character and the story is written around his journey home. However, when The Odyssey is critically read with the main focus on the heroism of Odysseus, there are many reasons why he would not be seen as a hero. In an article by Emily Nicole Howell, an English I teacher at Rustin High School, she talks about how Odysseus

Overall, the ancient greeks valued Theseus because of his compassion and wisdom. Theseus showed compassion when Hercules’s burst of insanity, caused by his stepmother, Hera, led him to kill his wife and children and then want to kill himself. Although the public shunned Hercules, Theseus thought that a man could not be charged for murder if he had not known what he was doing, and those who had influenced the man should be charged for the crime as well. So Theseus brought him under his wing and welcomed him inside his house. Theseus, who was just as compassionate as he was wise, demonstrated his wisdom after his father’s death, who was king of Athens. The only place of power he wanted was the position of commander and chief. He also formed a council and a place where people could vote. Thus, establishing the first democracy. As seen in my first example, Theseus showed compassion to Hercules, when no other man

Heroes is a being that is admired for courage. Most times people think heroes are people who save others and many times it is true but Theseus, Perseus, and Hercules are a bit different. These heroes have have been favored by gods. Also they have traits such as having confidence and some not very intelligent. Every hero is different and these heroes go through very different journeys.

Theseus’s first encounter with sacrifice is the slaying of the King Horse when he is only seven years old. He is terrified when he sees the King Horse slaughtered before his own eyes. Theseus describes his feelings as he sees the horse killed: “That blood seemed to tear the soul out of my breast, as if my own heart had shed it” (Renault 11). Although his mother assures him that the horse has been returned to Mother Dia, the earth goddess, Theseus still grieves for the horse as he saw it as his own brother. The Horse Sacrifice is an act of renewal for the people of Troizen, for long ago the King Horse led the Hellenes to the land near the