The word hero has had many meanings throughout history. The modern definition of a hero states that they are a person who is idolized for their courage or noble qualities. Whether Homer’s protagonist, Odysseus, from the Odyssey is actually a hero has been up for some debate. Yet, Odysseus is a hero since he shows loyalty to the gods, family, and crew, courage in the face of numerous perils, and leadership in challenging times.
During the duration of the Odyssey, there were several instances where Odysseus’s loyalty was tested. One such instance is throughout the Trojan war, Odysseus probable questioned the graciousness of the gods and their true intentions with the world. He could have fled the war and abandon his faith in the gods, resulting in him having a safer and simpler life. He stays loyal to them, however, and looks to them for
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Over the course of the Odyssey, it is mentioned that Odysseus is a Trojan war hero. He showed tremendous amounts of courage when he left his homeland and family to fight. Odysseus doesn’t know if he will ever make it home, and if he didn’t, his son would grow up without a father and his wife might remarry. It is said in the Odyssey that Odysseus was the one who came up with the idea for the Trojan horse, which ultimately won the Trojan wars. During Odysseus’s journey home after the war, he encountered various instances where he was forced to show courage. Those instances include the encounter with the Cyclops and the Sirens. When Odysseus and his crew landed on the island of the Cyclops, Odysseus put himself in grave danger when he confronted the Cyclops. He put aside his own safety for that of the rest of crew and does so in various circumstances. Likewise, Odysseus could have simply put something in his ears so that he wasn’t able to hear the Sirens’ song. However, he chose to face the Sirens’ song with courage and