As one reads fiction novels, old and new, it is likely that one will encounter a certain type of person : a hero. It is easy, when the word “hero” comes to mind, to immediately think of dragon slayers, giant killers, and damsel savers. Although this is true in some circumstances, like Odysseus in The Odyssey, heroistic qualities consist of more than just strength and military expertise. Heroes can be quiet people who stand up for those who need it, like Juror number 8 in 12 Angry Men. Heroes can also be given this title for the people they impact, like Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, but they always leave a great impact on those around them.
Firstly, heroes don’t have to be big and strong to make
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In The Odyssey, by Homer, the main character Odysseus depicts many heroistic qualities. After the Trojan War, Odysseus is fighting to get his crew and himself to their home of Ithaca against all odds. While on their way home by sea, they are blown off course and land on an island that has many sheep and wild game on it. Odysseus and a contingent of his men go to explore this island, as they are low on food and water. They stumble upon a cave full of food and begin to feast. Soon, the owner of the cave comes back. They are horrified to find that this owner is a monstrous Cyclops who blocks the door of the cave with an immense stone. Knowing that the Cyclops is the only one who can move this rock, Odysseus knows he must keep the Cyclops alive or they will be trapped. He devises a plan to help his men escape. This plan begins with Odysseus giving the Cyclops a lot of wine, so as to get him drunk. When he is asleep, they take a sharpened stick and plunge it into the eye of the Cyclops. He, instinctively opens the door to his cave and stands in it, waiting for the men to escape. But Odysseus, in all his cunning, tells his men to hang in onto the Cyclops’ sheeps’ bellies and escape that way. This incident shows his extreme cunning and ability to keep his cool in fatal situations. After that, they end up on an island where a enchantress named Circe turns his men into pigs. Although everyone else wants to run away, he runs towards the danger and negotiates with Circe, and eventually gets his men back. This shows the comradery between him and his men, another necessary thing for a hero. Finally, when he does return, his home has been overrun by suitors, trying to take his kingdom. He is not afraid to go up against all of them at once, and he kills them all, taking his kingdom back. These are just small snippets of Odysseus’ cunning, fathership of his men, and