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. Despite many people arguing that Odysseus does not show heroic qualities, nevertheless, he should be considered one due to his leadership skills and cleverness.
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When Odysseus and his men are trapped in the Cyclops’s cave he realizes he needs to encourage them if they want to successfully get out of the cave. When his men were ready to poke the Cyclops in the eye, Odysseus states, “...and cheered my men along with battle talk to keep their courage up…” (Homer 380). This character's behavior shows that even though Odysseus was frightened himself, as a good leader he is, he put his men before himself to make sure their needs were taken care of. Due to the fact that Odysseus puts others before himself which shows leadership qualities, he can be considered a