Homer's The Odyssey revolves around one protagonist Odysseus and his journey home. Odysseus, the epic hero of the story, is traveling for ten years to return home after the Trojan War. In the story, Odysseus is forced to encounter many obstacles before reaching Ithaca. There are many ways the reader could say that Odysseus is an epic hero. In The Odyssey, Odysseus personifies the ideal epic hero because he faces supernatural foes, he receives supernatural help, and he displays courage. One way Odysseus shows he is an ideal hero is through his fighting of supernatural foes. The goddess of the sea, Calypso, traps Odysseus on an island. Odysseus stays on this island for seven years. Eventually Odyseus realizes he must return home to his wife, …show more content…
Odysseus shows extreme courage when he fights the sirens. The sirens are tempting creatures that lure those out at sea. Odysseus while on his journey encounters sirens. He forces his crew to tie him up in order to avoid falling into the temptation. Odysseus still puts himself in a tricky situation but courage helps him escape. Circe warns Odysseus, “If any one unwarily draws in too close and hears the singing of the Sirens, his wife and children will never welcome him home again, for they sit in a green field and warble him to death with the sweetness of their song” (Butler Book 12). Circe gives a warning about the Sirens and Odysseus overcomes them. Through his extreme courage Odysseus is able to fight them. Another way Odysseus shows courage is through the fighting of the Cyclops. Using his intelligence he outsmarts the cyclops by riding the underbelly of the sheep. With great arrogance the Cyclopes say, “We Cyclopes do not care about Zeus or any of your blessed gods, for we are ever so much stronger than they” (Butler Book 9). The Cyclopes believe they are the strongest and even go as far as to believe they are stronger than the gods. Odysseus with great courage is able to escape the Cyclops. In conclusion, the sirens, and cyclops are two perfect examples of Odysseus using great