Examples Of Odysseus As An Epic Hero

Odysseus was a man who showed great courage and intelligence throughout The Odyssey. Going through the twenty long years of fighting battles that no ordinary man could, he showed signs of perseverance, leadership, bravery, and concern for his crew. Against his will, he was thrust into a series of multiple voyages and adventures that could have killed him and his men, but he fought his way home. On these adventures, Odysseus always put others first and outwitted enemies that were far more powerful than he was. Showing signs of bravery, he always stood up to the fight, and never failed to meet a challenge. With these examples given, it is clear to see that Odysseus is labeled as an epic hero. Although what strikes people's attention is Odysseus’

When faced with the twin dangers of Scylla and Charybdis, Odysseus kept his crew calm to avoid panic. To defeat Scylla, “A man surfcasting on point of a rock for bass or mackerel, whipping his long rod to drop the sinker the bait far out, will hook a fish and rip it from the surface to dangle wriggling through the air: so these were borne aloft in spasms toward the cliff” ( Homer 815-820). As the leader, Odysseus kept his men from getting killed due to panic and showed bravery in facing the unknown dangers. He quickly figured out how to defeat both Scylla and Charybdis, therefore he demonstrating true courage because he could have panicked too. In battling the Cyclops, he showed outstanding courage by taking action and piercing the ogres eye with a hot spear. These lines say, “I drew it from the coals and my four fellows gave me a hand, lugging it near the Cyclops as more than natural force nerved them; straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye” (Homer 329-332). Showing courage in these lines, Odysseus and his men pierced Polyphemus’ eye knowing they could be killed while the action is being done. They follow through with the dangerous plan, for the chance to escape his cave. With these two examples odysseus shows great courage for him and his men, in the face of terrible

The first example of perseverance is shown, “But anguish lies ahead, the god who thunders on the lands prepares it, not to be shaken from your track, implacable, inrancor for the Sun whose eye you've blinded” (Homer 234-236). Tiresias is telling Odysseus that he still has a long voyage to go through, and many extreme dangers to face before arriving home. What Teiresias tells Odysseus is daunting, because he has already been through so much with his crew which shows perseverance. Another example is stated, “ Though you survive alone, bereft of all companions, lost for years, under strange sail shall you come home, to find your own house filled with trouble: insolent men eating your livestock as they court your lady” (Homer 646-650). He now knows that even when he gets him, there will be further struggles for him to overcome. Knowing this is the path, he chooses to go forward persevering through the journey. It would be very easy for Odysseus and his men to give up and feel discouragement, but they do