Odysseus As A Hero In Homer's Odyssey

From the start of The Odyssey to the finish, Odysseus is portrayed as a hero. He displays multiple heroic qualities that influence this “hero” perspective. Odysseus also often has the side of Athena, who carries him through his journeys and battles. In contrast, Poseidon is constantly trying to sabotage Odysseus’ quests. Odysseus exhibits many heroic qualities such as, strength, craftiness, confidence, loyalty, and courage, but the gods challenge his heroism throughout the story. As a hero, Odysseus has to have strength, courage, and craftiness in the face of danger. These qualities have immensely assisted him in his quests and battles. His craftiness is what helped the Greeks win in the Trojan War. Odysseus, with the help of Athena, devised the plan to build the Trojan Horse (Book 4, Lines 291-298). He also made sure the plan followed through and that no one gave the Greeks away before (Book 4, Lines 306-311). In conjunction with his craftiness, his courage allowed him to complete the next-to-impossible. When Eurylochus returns to tell Odysseus that the crew has been turned into pigs by Circe, Odysseus courageously and without

The last stop Odysseus makes before going back to Ithaca, is to Alcinous, who adores Odysseus (Book 13, Lines 1-96). Here, Alcinous willingly gives him a magical ship that sails him straight to Ithaca (Book 13, Lines 79-96). This strong bond has payed off for Odysseus, seeing that this is the way he got home. Another bond made was with Helen and Menelaus, King and Queen of Sparta with whom he fought side by side with in the Trojan War. Telemachus travels to speak with them about Odysseus’ whereabouts, and they treat him like an honored guest (Book 15, Lines 81-95). They shower him with hospitality and gifts (Book 15, Lines 144-161). Odysseus, having made this relationship, passed the generosity onto his