Quinn Leonard
Dillon
5th Period
Jun 7 2023
Odysseus: The Hero of a Bygone Time The definition of hero has changed throughout time based on societal standards and views. Many traits that would have been admired thousands of years ago, would appall the people of today. Culture changes over time, and although Odysseus exhibits some timeless characteristics of a hero such as bravery and determination, he misleads his crew, depends on divine help, and does not demonstrate mercy. These are qualities Ancient Greeks would have seen as admirable, but they would not be viewed in the same light today. To begin, Odysseus is unmerciful to anyone that has wronged him. He kills all of the suitors in the hall, “Spattered and caked in blood like a mountain lion,” (Fitzgerald 22. 450) he did not leave any survivors. After he does this, he orders Telemachus to kill all of the servants that have been
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The first example of this is after him and his crew have escaped from the island of Polyphemus, and they have made it back to the ship. As they are leaving, Odysseus reveals his true identity to Polyphemus so he can boast, and Polyphemus responds to this by cursing them with the power of his father, Poseidon (Holt 9. 443-452). The second time where Odysseus puts his crew in danger voluntarily is when he was warned by Circe about Scylla and Charybdis, (Holt 12. 22-70) and chooses to not tell his crew of the danger in an effort to allow most of them to make it past the two dangers. As a result of this, six of the crewmembers end up being killed by Scylla. This reveals Odysseus as an outdated hero. In Greek society, there was an emphasis, especially in places like Sparta, on the success of the group as a whole, such as in battle, with losses being expected and planned for. In contrast, modern society places much more value on individual human lives than the Ancient
Odysseus’s narrow-minded way of handling difficult situations by getting past the obstacle even if other people have to die along the way for his own survival make him an incompetent leader and an unfaithful husband.
Odysseus was extremely brave on how on he put his life in danger. For an example is from book 11 The Land of the Dead Odyssey life was at risk when he entered the land of the dead, following Circe’s instructions. “Odysseus and his crew set out for the land of the dead. They arrive and find the place to which Circe has directed them.” (Homer 388).
If odysseus were to be using modern day standards he would be taking all of the people that committed a crime to prison. Odysseus would be more into the justice system then by killing all of the bad people like the souters he would have taken them to the court and let them go through the system. But back in his time he would have to kill all of them which he did. So he would believe in justice not
Instead of killing all of the suitors, Odysseus could’ve jailed them or make them pay a fee, however he slaughters all of them brutally. An important addition to this is that the suitors are all of nobility and have high social status, which can cause Odysseus lots of complications when dealing with the aftermath of the massacre. He could lose his title as king, his kleos, or even his kingdom could go against him because of his killing of all of the suitors. This shows how unheroic he is, acting on his emotions and not taking into consideration the consequences of his
In Greek mythology there are over a thousand stories about heroes and their adventures against nature and mystical and dangerous creatures. But there are always a few traits in the heroes that are repeated in all of these stories. And the Odyssey is not different. Through out the Odyssey the main character, Odysseus, shows a number of heroic qualities. Some of those qualities he shows is his kindness for his men, and bravery when facing all of the hardships in the Odyssey.
Regardless, Odysseus was extremely heroic and victorious in the Trojan War, and proved his loyalty once more when he finally returned home to his family. At the time Homer wrote the Odyssey, Odysseus was a loved and favorite hero among the Greeks for years. Which is why it comes as a surprise, as expressed by one writer in “The English Journal”, that modern readers do not see Odysseus as a hero. The author predominantly tributes this to their lack of knowledge of what people in society were like at the time. The first example they use is that modern readers see Odysseus as much less faithful than his wife, Penelope.
Odysseus explains, “Our squadron sank” (10.145) due to his actions. Odysseus also led his crew to victory in the war, but many men die on the journey home. Odysseus’ impetuous interactions should have taught him to be more circumspect and go into everything with a plan, but they do not. After the Cyclops, Odysseus and his crew arrive at the Laestrygonian land where Odysseus once again
“True heroism is not to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost” -Arthur Ashe. Odysseus is a figurehead in Greek mythology for his bravery, persistence, and grand stature and demeanor. Yet, in recent years, the definition of a hero has changed substantially into something more of a role model. Introducing characteristics such as morality, kindness, and having relatable qualities that other people can connect with. While Odysseus could be an archetypical Greek hero, he lacks the qualities that are required to be looked up to and the standards of the modern-day hero.
This ultimately showed the disloyalty to his men, which is the opposite of a Greek value at the bare minimum. Odysseus continues to be more of an untypical hero, or really no hero at all. “This is the fundamental ambiguity of his essential qualities. We have seen how prudence may decline toward timidity, tactfulness towards a blameworthy suppressio veri, serviceability towards servility, and so on.” (W.B. Stanford).
Although Odysseus is the main character of this epic poem, he should not be viewed as a hero and sometimes is indeed presented otherwise; failing his crew many times, disrespecting Poseidon, showing his stubbornness, selfishness with his pride, all extend his return home. Odysseus wants to go back a lot, but while he is on his journey he rarely asks or takes his crew’s opinions on the occurring situation. His confidence is also a big obstacle for a fast return home. The angered god Poseidon is tormenting him while he sails, but Odysseus is not even thinking about apologising and once again shows too much pride in himself. There are very few traits of a good leader which Odysseus possesses, and they aren't the most important ones.
Although some may say that Odysseus deserves the loyalty of his crew, he does not because he puts them in the way of danger, is very inconsiderate, and usually follows other plans that people have gave him. While on his journey home,
(Book 10, page 159, PDF). Odysseus had left almost always meant to die with only saving a few which may have caused a sense of controversy and confusion. Also Odysseus hadn’t thought of a way to save all of his men, which eventually impacted his journey and his entire crew. Though Odysseus did have several acts of heroic deeds, the amount of failure in a majority of those other acts overpowered them
In the book called The Odyssey by Homer, it mainly follows the story of a king of a village called Ithaca, hundreds of years ago-This man, is named Odysseus. Odysseus goes through many adventures after the victory of the Trojan War. However, this is where Odysseus, is not being as strong as a great war hero and a king as he should be. Although Odysseus was seen as a very strong person, physically and mentally, he lacks the appreciation and the care of his crew throughout the trials and didn’t think through many of his actions thoroughly and how they would affect not only his crew but people around him.
Just as Achilles is confronted in the Iliad with the problem of balancing his honor with his pride, Odysseus repeatedly faces situations in which self-restraint and humility must check bravado and glory-seeking. In his early adventures, he fails these tests, as when he taunts Polyphemus, inflaming Poseidon. As the epic progresses, Odysseus becomes increasingly capable of judging when it is wise to reveal himself and when it is appropriate to rejoice in his