ipl-logo

Argumentative Essay: Is Odysseus Really A Hero?

739 Words3 Pages

Odyssey Argumentative Essay: Is Odysseus really a hero?

[intro]
The Odyssey, is a very old Greek Mythology story by the author, Homer. The Odyssey is made up of several books and outlines the plot of a hero that we still use for movies and books today. It is a tale about the adventures of Odysseus traveling through the sea and numerous islands. He meets challenging obstacles that consequently affect the outcome of the story.
[body1]
In book 5 of “The Odyssey”, Odysseus demonstrates that he is immoral, which disqualifies him from being a hero. In the book, Odysseus has been trapped on the island of Ogygia for several years after losing all his crew from an attack by Helios. When Odysseus is about to be released from the island, he decides to sleep with Calypso, a nymph goddess who lives on the island, before he sets off to return home. In the first part of book 5, Odysseus and Calypso are illustrated kissing and sleeping together(Homer 53). At this moment, Odysseus is cheating and being disloyal to his wife, Penelope, who lives at Odysseus’s house in Ithaca. Odysseus’s actions signifies his unheroic qualities because he did not try …show more content…

For example, when Odysseus and his crew travel near the Sirens, who are man-eating mermaids, his men have to put beeswax in their ears to not listen for the Siren’s baiting song. However, Odysseus makes his men tie him up so he can listen to the song: Odysseus’s crew is illustrated tying Odysseus to the top of the boat(Homer 136). In this instance, Odysseus is putting his men in danger by his selfish action of listening to the Siren’s song. If Odysseus had been able to free himself from the rope he was tied from, he would have got himself killed and most likely put his whole crew in danger. Based on the choices Odysseus made in book 12, it concludes that Odysseus' selfish trait puts others in danger and makes him

Show More
Related
1230 Words | 5 Pages

Hero: “a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities” (Merriam-Webster) Evident in many classic stories, the hero is always the character that makes the justifiable choice. Their role as the hero is never questioned. The hero always prevails, and in the end, the hero accomplishes the journey with greater wisdom, knowledge, and reestablished views of the world that compensates for the horrors they encounter along the journey.

Read More
1013 Words | 5 Pages

The Odyssey is a book by Homer about a character Odysseus who was stuck at sea for many years trying to return home. Odysseus is a warrior who conquered Troy with a wooden trojan horse and prevailed from the wrath of the gods. Odysseus shows many character traits in this stunning story, but the ones that describe him the most are brave, clever and determined. He is brave enough to lead an army into war, clever enough to trick a cyclopes, and determined enough to keep trying to return home.

Read More
522 Words | 3 Pages

As Odysseus arrives to the island-home of Calypso, the beautiful nymph, he is quickly held prisoner. Although it may seem that Odysseus felt that he was truly a prisoner, he, at one point in his stay, enjoyed Calypso’s presence and was willingly seduced by her. It is clear that over the seven-year stay, Calypso had fallen in love with Odysseus and he had let his vulnerability to women become his harshest weakness. Her female dominance was even shown at times of manipulation through her ability to hold a man prisoner and prevent him from carrying on with his travels home. Although, when it came upon Athena that Odysseus was eager to arrive home to Ithaca, Zeus sent Hermes to have Calypso free Odysseus.

Read More
1764 Words | 8 Pages

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.

Read More
1141 Words | 5 Pages

He felt obligated to remain with her in a perfect paradise for seven years. However, throughout the entire time he was trapped with Calypso, Odysseus felt that he was wanted elsewhere. Thus, he longed to return to his home and to his dearly loved Penelope. Odysseus’ passion for being with his wife ultimately won the call for him to return home.

Read More
500 Words | 2 Pages

In the epic story the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan war, and on his way home he finds many obstacles ahead of him. Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and he is trying to return home to his land. Many creatures try and stop him from achieving his goal of returning home, but he and his crew have to push through and get home. Odysseus portrays bravery and courage leading his crew through these tough challenges. Odysseus heroically leads his crew and himself through dangerous obstacles, but also foolishly endangers them during the journey home.

Read More
521 Words | 3 Pages

As we all know, the definition of a hero is described as, "A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. " In the epic "Odyssey" written by Homer, Odyessus's 10 year journey home is shown throughout the story. It starts off with Odysseus in Troy after the Trojan War, and then continues with his journey home. It is a rough, long journey with 16 stops and challenges. Throughout the entirety of this epic, Odysseus shows the difference between his hero qualities and his zero qualities.

Read More
541 Words | 3 Pages

Odysseus The Hero Imagine you are in the middle of the ocean and all of a sudden a giant whirlpool opens up and tries to consume you, what would you do? These were the types of challenges Odysseus faced and accomplished in The Odyssey. Written by Homer, during the early 7th century, The Odyssey, is an epic poem about the journey of Odysseus on his way home from the Trojan War. As Odysseus and his men travel back they run into multiple struggles including Lotus Eaters, Cyclops, and sea monsters. These challenges test Odysseus’s heroic characteristics as he struggles to get home to his wife and family.

Read More
881 Words | 4 Pages

Odysseus' Journey Sailing around every corner of the world, Odysseus shows off his heroic abilities as he battles monsters and makes decisive decisions in The Odyssey. The epic poem which contains the story of Odysseus was written by Homer called, The Odyssey. The this epic poem, Homer talks about Odysseus' journey across the world as he tries to find his way home to Ithaca. However, as he was cursed by the gods, he faces many obstacles such as fighting monsters. In the end, Odysseus shows that he's a hero by being brave, fighting through the gods' curse, and never giving up on your goals just like the modern day hero, Bethany Hamilton.

Read More
913 Words | 4 Pages

In the epic, The Odyssey, Homer displays Ancient Greek values and virtues through his character/hero, Odysseus. Odysseus is a true hero in the eyes of the Ancient Greek Civilization because he was intelligent, loyal, and extremely religious. During Homer’s lifetime, being religious was expected. The

Read More
557 Words | 3 Pages

The Odyssey is an age old classic read around the world. In the Odyssey, Homer tells the story of the wayward Odysseus. The story follows the protagonist as he makes his way back home, dealing with man-eating Cyclopes, a vengeful god, and a possessive nymph. During the story, the reader sees many sides of Odysseus as he dealt with his tribulations, such the cunning and witful side, but also the pompous and indulgent side. To begin with, Odysseus is trapped on an island with the nymph, Calypso.

Read More
450 Words | 2 Pages

The odyssey, an epic told by Homer in ancient greece, has many major themes following odysseus’s adventures. While Odysseus is sentenced to never return home after the Trojan War. He is overcoming challenges to return home to his wife penelope and his son Telemachus. Throughout the story major themes of loyalty, hospitality and vengeance are hidden within the plot. The story continues to show his heroic side with three major traits.

Read More
539 Words | 3 Pages

Even though the people we call heroes do not normally start out as unusual but if Odysseus was in our date in time then he would be considered unusual. Not only does he talk to gods but in our culture mainly we only believe in one god but he believes in many. He was a leader of an island and to many of his people he was considered one of the gods. He was a good leader and was also loyal to his people, except his wife.

Read More
524 Words | 3 Pages

If Odysseus hadn’t told them told them to plug their ears they probably would have ended up like all the other sailors. Another time was when Circe turned his men into pigs Odysseus, with the help of Hermes, ended up saving his men and they were no longer pigs. To help Odysseus Hermes

Read More
541 Words | 3 Pages

The Odyssey by Homer is a book that involves the Journey of Odysseus and his men and the Obstacles they come across. The Odyssey portrays many themes including vengeance, hospitality, courage, bravery and more. Odysseus experiences some good and bad during his journey. He comes across people who help him, but also comes across creatures who hold him back. Odysseus is an Epic hero because of his quick thinking skills, bravery, and confidence for himself and his men.

Read More

More about Argumentative Essay: Is Odysseus Really A Hero?

Related Topics

Open Document