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Heroism In Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

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In the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus shows heroism throughout his interactions with the Cyclops, Polyphemus, more than anything else. Odysseus first demonstrates his heroic actions towards Polyphemus by using one of his various cunning tricks. Odysseus already knows that he couldn’t possibly defeat the Cyclops by fighting due to their difference in strength and size, so he came up with a machination, which was to do what he’s adept to, using his brain. He tried to make the Cyclops drunk so he wouldn’t be in his normal state, which would be at his advantage because it would be easier for him to take actions when Polyphemus is drunk-asleep. To make him drunk Odysseus first trick him into drinking the wine “Cyclops, try some wine...to wash down your scraps of …show more content…

In this section, Odysseus shows that he is a true hero, for he uses his strength to defeat his enemy. In another, Odysseus once again uses his guile and cleverness to escape from the antagonist along with his companions. He follow through his plan, which was to hide under the rams of the Cyclops’. “ So three sheep could convey each men”, he hides both himself and his men on the belly of the rams( Homer l. 289). When the sheep go out of the cave they would also get out and let go once they’re outside and be free. Odysseus, with his endless persistence and cleverness once more save both him and his mates from danger. However, from the opposing view,Odysseus also display arrogance when he was communicating with the Cyclops. For instance, he brags to the Cyclops about how he beat him. In the text. He stated “ O Cyclops..Puny am I...How do you like the beating that we gave you, you damned cannibal?”( Homer 171 ll.388-341). Odysseus gloating represent that even though, he’s hero, he’s still arrogant and impulsive even after the deaths of his men. His victory over Polyphemus is a very good and honorable thing but some might consider him to be no difference to the Cyclops whom he called “monstar” , when he’s

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In the Odyssey by homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald, the Cyclops encounter is one of Odysseus’ greatest flaws and successes at the same time. It began to go downhill when Odysseus lies about his name and the condition of his ship. When him and his men are captured by the cyclops Odysseus claims his name is nobody, and his ship was wrecked, he does this to aid his escape plan and as a tactic to guard his name and men. When the escape plan is put into play, Odysseus stabs the cyclops in the eye with a red hot spear all the while him lying about his name was put into use because the cyclops yells, in agonizing pain, nobody stabbed him in the eye, this causes the other cyclops to lower there guard and not go to assist their brethren. All

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In The Odyssey an epic poem by Homer, Odysseus, a hero from Ithaca, is trapped on his way home from Athens and Troy. His son, Telemachus, goes on a journey looking for his lost father. Both son and father want to reclaim their house from the suitors who wish to marry Penelope, Odysseus’ wife. Genghis Khan, Choi Yuna, my brother, An Thai, and Odysseus have traits like strength, thoughtfulness, and attractiveness. People need heroes with these traits because they need role models and someone to guide them through life.

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In the Epic, “The Odyssey,” written by Homer, is the story of a man named, Odysseus, and his experiences and his exploration told through many episodes within the story. Odysseus, as the leader of his men, he lacks qualities of humility, empathy, and focus, which overall prevents him from being qualified as a good leader. In not having humility, it causes Odysseus to often lose focus. During the episode, “The Cyclops,” Odysseus and his men escape the island in which Polyphemus, the cyclops, was keeping them held captive, rather than thinking of his men and immediately leaving, Odysseus takes the time to gloat and risks their safety. (Cyclops.

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TS1 (Thesis): In The Odyssey, Homer depicts Odysseus’ real foe as the theme of temptation with displays of hubris and lustrous goddesses, which portrays the importance of being vigilant to not submit to temptation. ST1: Homer depicts that Odysseus is determined to get home, but Odysseus succumbs to temptation when he leads his crew into the cyclops lair, eats the cyclops’ food, and demands for a gift, resulting in a protracted journey home. 1: Homer displays Odysseus as recklessly brave when he requests, “we’re at your knees, in hopes of… a guest-gift”(9.300) from the cyclops. 2: It is apparent that Odysseus has given into the temptation to be arrogant when he declares for the cyclops to give them, “a guest-gift,” after Odysseus and his men have broken into the cyclops lair, showing even further Odysseus’ isn’t vigilant to

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Menelaus states, “No one took on so much, went through so much as Odysseus.” The epic poem, The Odyssey, by Homer, is the story of an ancient war hero’s 10 year struggle to return home after the Trojan War. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus faces the wrath of the gods, and fights battles against many mythical creatures such as Polyphemus, and the his grueling mental battle with the sirens. Across Odysseus’s journey, he shows many characteristics of a hero such as his resiliency, and his tactileness. For example, Odysseus shows his ability as a tactician through his encounters with Gods and monsters, such as his seven year time span on calypso’s island.

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While Odysseus has exhibited traits of a hero, he is also selfish and over confident. You can see this when he is sailing away from the cyclops, Polyphemus. Odysseus yells out to Polyphemus, after keeping his identity a secret, “Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye:/ Laertes’ son, whose home 's on Ithaca!,” (Homer 9.504-505). By saying this to Polyphemus he not only endangers him and his crew, but his city too because of his over confident and selfishness. A different example of this occurs earlier in the poem when he commands his men to fight “backed on the ships, with lances keep play/…/ although so far outnumbered/…//

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Puny, am I, in a cave man’s hands? How do you like the beating that we gave you, you damned cannibal? ’” (Homer 431-434). Odysseus’ arrogance is shown in his behavior towards the Cyclops. He insults the Cyclops purely to seem more powerful than he is instead of focusing on protecting his men.

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In The Odyssey, the character Odysseus can be considered a hero because he demonstrates many characteristics that are attributable to most heroes. After the battle at Troy, Odysseus strives to sail back to his homeland (Ithaca); however, he encounters some issues along the way and Poseidon attempts to make it impossible for Odysseus to return home. At the beginning of this journey, Odysseus wants to make it back to Ithaca with all of his crew alive. This selfless goal displays Odysseus acting for the greater good because he knows that these men have families that depend on them and would like for them to come home. Along the journey home, Odysseus and his crew come across a cyclops and become trapped in the cyclops’ cave.

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Just as Achilles is confronted in the Iliad with the problem of balancing his honor with his pride, Odysseus repeatedly faces situations in which self-restraint and humility must check bravado and glory-seeking. In his early adventures, he fails these tests, as when he taunts Polyphemus, inflaming Poseidon. As the epic progresses, Odysseus becomes increasingly capable of judging when it is wise to reveal himself and when it is appropriate to rejoice in his

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Odysseus was a man of great stature and strength; however, Odysseus was not only physically strong, but mentally strong as well (Olson). We can see Odysseus’ mental strength, or cunning, and bravery when he is in the den of Polyphemus and devises the plan to save him and his crew by calling himself nobody and stabbing out the cyclops’ eye. He also recognizes that he

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In the section “In the One-Eyed Giant’s Cave” from Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus is portrayed as a hero through his character traits and behaviors. When Odysseus and his men attack the city of Ismarus, the Cicones’ strong hold, Odysseus made sure to fairly distribute the spoils among his men. Odysseus’s behavior shows that he is a great leader, a characteristic of a hero. While Odysseus and his crew are in the Cyclops’ cave, Polyphemus, the cyclops, notices them. Polyphemus asks who they are with a monstrous tone, “‘Strangers!'

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When Odysseus is leaving the cyclops cave, his egotistical behavior is shown when he tells Polyphemus who hurt him. Odysseus screams to Polyphemus, “if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so—say Odysseus, raider of cities, he

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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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