Claudia Martin-Park
Mr.Hatchel
Honors English 9
Period 5
April 24 2023 Who is More Heroic Penelope or Odysseus
Hero: a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. When it comes to the true definition of a hero, who or what actually exhibits more heroism in their own historical narrative than the others? To be specific In the epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus demonstrates much greater heroism than Penelope. He demonstrates numerous heroic traits throughout the narrative, including bravery, loyalty, perseverance. Whereas Penelope only demonstrates her loyalty to odysseus.
Odysseus is considered one of the bravest heroes in Greek mythology His bravery is evident throughout
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One particular instance is how, after being imprisoned on Calypso's Island for seven years, he persisted in attempting to escape in order to return home. Athena eventually intervened on his behalf, and he was eventually freed. His ongoing attempts to flee over a period of seven years demonstrate how he persisted and never gave up. Another instance of Odysseus' perseverance is when he won back his kingdom and wife by defeating his enemies and “While he had arrows he aimed and shot, and every shot brought down one of his huddling enemies.”(pg 612) It took a lot of effort to be able to win back his old life, but he didn't give up until he showed his perseverance. Another instance is how, despite numerous challenges, he was determined to speak to the prophet Tiresias once he entered the underworld in order to learn how to return home. This demonstrates his persistence in making an effort to return home and his commitment in completing each duty so that he might return home as soon as …show more content…
Such as her immense loyalty which is a large part of being a hero, she shows this loyalty by waiting for his return even after 20 years. Penelope is constantly besieged by suitors who are eager to marry her and take over her home, but she remains steadfast to her devotion to odysseus. Once he finally returns her loyalty is shown in multiple ways one being how she recognizes him even with a disguise ultimately showing her utmost loyalty to her husband.Although this can be used to make a pretty compelling case that Penelope is more heroic than Odysseus, there are many other qualities that make Odysseus stand out, including his loyalty to Penelope, which led him to choose her over immortality and luxury in order to return home. He also shows multiple other traits that show much greater heroism than Penelope shows in this epic poem. Hence Penelope may be heroic but not more than