Zeus’s power is that he can throw lightning
The Odyssey Many people deem Odysseus to be an archetype hero. But was he really? Sure, he won many wars, but did he show the characteristics that matter? No!
SOCRATES No—that’s the aerial Vortex. STREPSIADES Vortex? Well, that’s something I didn’t know. So Zeus is now no more, and Vortex rules instead of him. But you still have not explained a thing about those claps of thunder.
In part one of Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus uses his epic hero qualities to help him out on his quest to get back home to Ithaca. He’s shows superb intelligence when fighting the cyclopes in “Book 9.” That’s a quality of superhuman intelligence that Odysseus possessed all throughout his entire journey. Another epic hero quality that helped Odysseus was help from Greek gods and goddesses. In part two of Homer’s Odyssey, Athena helped out Odysseus when he got back to his home land.
Did you know, Odysseus had slept with other women just to get home to his family! In the Odyssey, by Homer, there were two women who he faced during his journey home, Circe and Calypso, who had “compelled” him to sleep with him so he could finally leave. After all this happened, Odysseus was informed that 6 of his men were to die. Well, he never told them their destiny which was of them to die. He did all this because he didn’t want his crew to back out so he could get home.
“A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others,” said Douglas MacArthur. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus the epic hero, portrays these same traits in his leadership of his shipmates. He leads them though victories and consoles them through losses. He is sought out for his wisdom and intelligence, and he is well respected for his consistent bravery. Although from an outside perspective Odysseus may seem calm, fearless, and stable, during the many obstacles he faces on his trip home, different sides to is character are revealed.
A hero is someone who is revered for his or her exceptional achievements and bravery. Anyone who puts themselves before others not for recognition or an award, but because it is the right thing to do, is a true hero. In "The Odyssey," written by Homer is an epic poem about a man named Odysseus and his crewmates competing against the power of the gods to return to their homeland, Ithaca. Throughout his journey, he loses almost all of his men, but Odysseus finally arrives home, concluding his prolonged twenty-year voyage. Odysseus must battle the suitors that have taken his wife Penelope, and may soon kill his son Telemachus.
In Aristophanes’ Clouds, Strepsiades is told that “Zeus is dead and Vortex has taken his place on the throne” (381-381) by Socrates. Then he tells his son, Pheidippides, how stupid he is to think that Zeus is still a god, only a few days after he has ‘learned’ this information himself. In the same way he uses this knowledge that “There is no Zeus” (1167) to try to remove his debtors. Then once the clouds scold him for attempting to outsmart his debtors he agrees by saying, “Ah, holy Clouds, that’s harsh- but you’re right”
The Hero Odysseus Heroes can come in all shapes and sizes, from the modern day accountant politely holding the door open for her coworkers to the towering firefighter rescuing people for a living. But all of the people fail in comparison to the mighty Odysseus. In the Epic Poem, The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is the hero that leads his men on a journey back home after the Trojan War in Greece. However, along their journey, the men upset the gods, creating a ten year adventure filled with new challenges set forth because of the gods’ wrath. On the other hand, there is the smartest man on the planet, Stephen Hawking, who has not been exempt from life’s struggles, including his ALS diagnosis; but is able to persevere through it all.
The Odyssey is often cited as an epitome of the hero’s journey and the monomyth. The hero of the story, Odysseus is on a 10 year battle homeward from the Trojan War to see his wife and son again. With the help divine intervention, Odysseus is able to return home and save his wife from the evil suitors who have continuously tried to win her. One could easily argued that Odysseus is an exemplar of the hero, but there is another story: Odysseus is the opposite of a hero and is not worthy to be called such. He is the villain where the gods are the hero.
In literature, great leaders must have dominant characteristics that make them unique, but they must also make wise decisions. A person of such standards must have traits such as integrity, humility, and intelligence. In the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer, the depiction of Odysseus as a legendary leader is lauded throughout Greek culture. However, even though his strong leadership is praised it is extremely distorted from the truth. Odysseus has demonstrated his fatal flaws; his hubris, inability to be loyal, and his narcissism.
Even though people typically believe that the main hero of Homer’s the Odyssey is Odysseus himself, the true hero of the Odyssey is Penelope. Even though her entire story isn’t told in the epic poem, you can still tell that she went through struggles and trials just as her husband Odysseus did. Along with going through trials, she comes up with witty ideas in order to overcome them. She is very clever, and she also plans long-term. She is loyal to Odysseus and faithfully waits for his return.
Heroism, tends to be difficult to define and remarkably ambiguous in literary works. In the Odyssey, however, Homer clearly defines a hero as a humble, determined, and loyal individual; thus, according to Homer, it is not enough to claim to be a hero, but it is also important to exhibit those qualities that Homer values as heroism. Odysseus, despite claiming heroism, upholds these traits inconsistently, as seen in his taunting of Polyphemus. In contrast, Telemachus, Odysseus’ overlooked son, dramatically grows up over the course of the epic and ultimately reveals his truly heroic qualities by the end of the poem. Thus, because Odysseus claims to be a hero, but fails to remain humble, determined, and loyal throughout the epic, he is not a hero.
The Odyssey by Homer tells the story of Odysseus’ drawn-out, treacherous journey through the dark and unknown seas to Ithaca. After successfully defeating the Trojans in the Trojan War, Odysseus faces various obstacles, which test his worthiness in society. Odysseus is the iconic epic hero because he exemplifies all of the characteristics of that archetype. An epic hero is a figure in society that is idolized because of their admirable traits and ability to spark hope within the hopeless. The concept of epic heroism is incredibly significant because of its eternal life and its survival through ancient times to modern popular culture.
The Epic Hero of The Odyssey The Odyssey is a tale of a great hero trying to get home. An epic hero. An epic hero is a courageous and honorable person. Homer’s character Odysseus exemplifies this in many ways.
