Heroism is not only in the man, but in the occasion - Calvin Coolidge. Coolidge suggests that heroes are not born from nothing, they are molded into a hero based on situations and how they adapt to them. Society imagines a hero as a fictionalized cape wearing individual with superhuman abilities. However being a real life hero requires much more courage in a drastic and perilous situation. A mythological character that displays these same morals is the character Odysseus in the Homeric epic The Odyssey. Odysseus reflects heroic and honorable morals of a hero, comparable to Martin Luther King Jr. in Washington, D.C., yet critics of Homer’s epic believe Odysseus should not be portrayed as a hero.
Odysseus represents the ideals of a hero by consistent display and behavior based on his perceived virtue in honor. In Odysseus’s epic journey, he demonstrates many heroic qualities. For example, the quote from the epic: “ ‘Why not take these cheeses, get them stowed, come back, throw open all the pens, and make a run for it? We’ll
…show more content…
Martin Luther King Jr. as the leader of the black, heroically and wisely led them against racial discrimination risking his own life. He states, The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy -Martin Luther King Jr. His words tell us that in a time where discrimination was everywhere he stood up when people needed him the most, as a hero, showing his own heroic courageousness. Many people describe Martin Luther King Jr. as “One of the most lauded African-American leaders in history” (Biography.com). Odysseus is also recognized as a heroic commander for his compatriots as he served to protect them and saved their lives numerous times. Odysseus should be recognized as a heroic leader comparable to Martin Luther King Jr. for both of them were able to lead groups of people out of