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Examples Of Odysseus As An Epic Hero

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Odysseus is the main character of The Odyssey which is an epic by Homer. Odysseus can be portrayed as not heroic, but you could say he is an epic hero and he does possess all the qualities to be one. On Odysseus’ time away from home he travels over a vast setting and he is also a great warrior. Odysseus travels far and wide: “West from Ilium brought me to Ismarus(40,983)...We came to the coastline of the Lotus-Eaters(88,984)... In the next land we found were Cyclopes(109,986).” Because odysseus is well traveled he is heroic. Additionally, he is a great warrior. Odysseus gets himself in many battles and fights and wins every one. Even defeating a Cyclops: “lugging it near the Cyclops… straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye,” (330-333, 992). Odysseus is a strong warrior and he escapes with his life. Odysseus traveling over a vast and being a great warrior in turn makes him heroic. …show more content…

Odysseus is very selfish: “Godsake, Captain! Why bait the beast again? Let him alone!... how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye”(448-459,996). The fact that Odysseus is selfish reinforces the idea that he is not a hero. In addition to his selfishness Odysseus is a cheater as well: “the enchantress, desired me, and detained me in her hall. But in my heart I never gave consent,” (32-34,983). A hero is always loyal to his significant other. Odysseus is a selfish, cheater and neither of these qualities is a something a hero should

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Leadership In Odysseus In Homer's The Odyssey

511 Words | 3 Pages

It is clear that Odysseus is not a hero through his terrible leadership. In conclusion, Odysseus is not a hero because of his impulsive decisions, his hubris, and terrible leadership. He does not plan ahead, he is not humble and a sore loser, and he strays away from telling important things to his men. Though in Greek society Odysseus is seen as a hero, he can not be called one now.

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Larger Than Life Quality In The Odyssey

463 Words | 2 Pages

There are many heroes in many stories but not a single one compares to how the epic hero Odysseus. The Odyssey is by the famous poet Homer is a fiction story about a king who is coming back from War and the quest back takes 20 years. Odysseus is an epic hero because he has done many heroic acts and his Larger than Life quality is his intelligence. Many people share the argument that Odysseus is not a hero but there's parts of the story that make me disagree. The part is when Odysseus and his men get trapped in the Cyclops cave and Odysseus has to use his larger than life quality to save them.

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Odysseus As A Heroic Figure In Homer's Odyssey

518 Words | 3 Pages

A heroic person is best described as someone whom is extraordinarily bold and that daringly goes to extreme measures for particular reasons. Odysseus lived up to such heroic qualities numerous times throughout Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, while on his voyage home to Ithaca. Homer has created Odysseus as a heroic figure in the Odyssey possessing characteristics of savior, courageous, and sly. Savior was shone while is on the island of the Lotus Eaters, home to a harmless group of people who eat only the flowering lotus plant. He sent and trusted three of his men to scope the island but instead they ran into and joined the lotus eaters.

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Examples Of Odysseus Being An Epic Hero

155 Words | 1 Pages

The Epic Hero Odysseus In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus shows determination and curiosity which demonstrates that he is an epic hero. Odysseus shows that he is determined to get home when he says, “ I grew sick with fear but presently I gave command to my officers” (Homer 388). He shows that he is determined to get home when he could leave The Land Of The Dead but he needs to talk to Tiresias. Accomplishing this task makes Odysseus heroic because he will do what it took for his men and himself to get home.

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Examples Of Odysseus As An Epic Hero

185 Words | 1 Pages

Odysseus qualifies as an epic hero In the poem The Odyssey. One reason that contributes to the fact that Odysseus is an epic hero is because he engages in combat on his own. Odysseus tells his crew, " I / alone should listen to their song"(Homer 23-24). This evidence proves that Odysseus engages in combat on his own because he tells his men that he is going to listen to the sirens by himself. Another reason that contributes to the fact that Odysseus is an epic hero is because he is a strong leader.

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Characteristics Of Odysseus An Epic Hero

499 Words | 2 Pages

Valor, confidence, always emerges victorious, astute, gods who meddle in the life, loyal, strong. All signs of an epic hero. Was Odysseus a hero? I believe so. Odysseus portrays many of these traits in the Odyssey.

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How Is Odysseus A Leader

620 Words | 3 Pages

Odysseus went above and beyond as far as heroes go though. True heroes are leaders who are loving, kind, fair, caring, and admired by those whom they rule, but Odysseus was so much more than that. He was so dedicated to his crew, that he was willing to sacrifice himself for them, and he almost did just that on Circe's island. He knew he stood no chance against Circe and would probably be turned into a pig, but he had to at least try to get his men back, even if it meant sacrificing himself in the attempt. As the swineherd said when asked about Odysseus, “Never another master kind as he” and as he elaborated on the subject of Odysseus, “That man, old friend, far away as he is… I can scarcely bear to say his name aloud, so deeply he loved me, cared for me, so deeply.

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Examples Of Odysseus Being A Hero

808 Words | 4 Pages

Odysseus as a Hero In Homer’s timeless epic, The Odyssey, Odysseus of Ithaca is a true hero. A hero is someone who is loyal to their country, loyal to their family and loyal to their god(s). Odysseus has proven himself a true hero as in the book and the movie, The Odyssey. The Odyssey is an excellent book to read to find out about loyalty and hero’s.

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Examples Of Odysseus As An Epic Hero

654 Words | 3 Pages

Not only does he display qualities of an epic hero in times of conflict, but he also does in times of peace. Odysseus’ cunning intelligence is seen in a time of conflict when he and his men are in the Land of the Cyclopes and are tasked with the job of escaping the one-eyed giant, Polyphemus. Given the intense circumstances they are under, it is Odysseus’ job, as a leader, to lead his men to escape. Being the shrewd character he is, Odysseus plots to sedate Polyphemus with wine. He

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Examples Of Odysseus Being A Hero

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.

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Examples Of Odysseus As A Hero

590 Words | 3 Pages

This shows that he’s heroic because he goes out of his way just to save three of his crew members. This makes it clear that Odysseus, although a little flawed, is a hero, because he goes out of his way just to save his crew and gets nothing in return. So the debate on whether Odysseus is a hero or not is very debatable. Even though it's a very debatable topic your can say that he is Smart, he’s trying to get home to save his wife from the unwanted suitors, and that he is as loyal as can be to his crew and will do almost anything to save them.

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What Makes Odysseus An Epic Hero

831 Words | 4 Pages

Well the definition of an epic hero is, “a brave and noble character in an epic poem, admired for great achievements or affected by grand events. ”(Dictionary.com) If that doesn’t describe Odysseus, I don’t know what does. He risks his life in many circumstances, and he’s widely admired for being the one of the reasons the trojans won the war. He is also affected by lots of events throughout his adventures.

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Odysseus Character Analysis Essay

574 Words | 3 Pages

You must be made all of iron" (279-80). While Odysseus is a strong man and a hard worker, it is always better to be on his good side, as he can be very temperamental( third source). We see that he has a temper multiple times throughout his journey, but the most prominent time, perhaps, is when he has the suitors killed when he returns to Ithaca. In conclusion, Odysseus is a hero because of his many great qualities.

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How Odysseus Is An Epic Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

541 Words | 3 Pages

Odysseus is an epic hero because of his bravery and confidence during every obstacle throughout his journey In Part 1 whie Odysseus is about to come across cyclops cave, he says “I brought along and victuals in a bag, for in my bones I knew some towering brute would be upon so soon- all outward power, a wild man, ignorant of civility. “ Odysseus is showing his bravery of not being petrified of what he might come across, like the cyclops. Odysseus has no intention of harming them, but he is not sure what their intention is. This example is important because not only does it show confidence in himself, he also shows confidence in his men. In Part 2 Odysseus also shows his confidence in his men in part 2 where Eurylochus says, “Are you flesh and blood, Odysseus, to endure more than a man can?

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Comparing Odysseus And Ulysses In The Odyssey

863 Words | 4 Pages

In The Odyssey, Odysseus was a major hero of the novel. He had both heroic traits and human weaknesses. Odysseus defeated the Cyclops, defeated the suitors that were courting his wife, and overcome other challenges throughout the novel. A special trait that made Odysseus a hero was that he was a courageous

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