In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, Odysseus of Ithaca is the hero. A hero is someone who is loyal to their country, family, and gods. The Odyssey is a grand and very detailed adventure. The main character, Odysseus, is a victim of an “epic journey” while trying to get back home after 20 years. Have you ever wondered what makes a hero?
In The Odyssey there are many characters who could be defined as a hero. Odysseus is not one of these characters due to his loose morals leading him to be disloyal and have impulsive behavior. Throughout Odysseus’ journey home, he exhibits his loose morals as he is disloyal. Odysseus and Calypso make love one last time after receiving the news from Mt. Olympus that it is time for Odysseus to leave. Homer says, “And now, withdrawing into the cavern’s deep recesses, long in each other’s arms they lost themselves in love” (Homer 5.250-251).
When Telemachus encounters Menelaus, readers learn more about the heroic status of Odysseus through a set of epic conventions. Menelaus and Telemachus’ exchange in particular gives insight on the epic conventions that are used to praise Odysseus for his heroism. After listening to Telemachus troubles and pleas for help, Menelaus begins his speech with praise for Odysseus through an epithet, calling him a “great captain” (359). By saying this Menelaus shows respect for Odysseus’ leadership and skill. Menelaus continues with an epic simile, which doesn’t contribute much to the plot, but can reveals more about Odysseus’ heroic status.
In Greek mythology there are over a thousand stories about heroes and their adventures against nature and mystical and dangerous creatures. But there are always a few traits in the heroes that are repeated in all of these stories. And the Odyssey is not different. Through out the Odyssey the main character, Odysseus, shows a number of heroic qualities. Some of those qualities he shows is his kindness for his men, and bravery when facing all of the hardships in the Odyssey.
It’s important to have strategy at sea especially on the Mediterranean, if you make one wrong turn you’re a goner. Strategy can help you stay on the right path and it did in Odysseus’s case, especially when taking on the Cyclopes, “I took the wooliest ram, the choicest flock, and hung myself under the kinky belly, pulled up tight with fingers twisted
In order to be defined as a leader, one must be loyal, decisive and able to take the initiative. According to this definition, Odysseus does not fit the profile of a leader. For example, he is loyal to neither his wife nor crew. When Odysseus visited Circe, he disregarded his marriage to Penelope. By engaging in intercourse, he violated the trust of his wife while she remained loyal, despite the urges from the suitors.
Usually, epic heroes share common character traits such as braveness, courage, and leadership. In Homer’s Odyssey, it is my belief that Odysseus is a hero because he demonstrated leadership qualities by leading his group to fight the suitors by being disguised as a beggar so that nobody would suspect him as being Odysseus. For example he fought the suitors, the three headed monsters, and a giant.
Douglas MacArthur once said “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,” His saying points out that in order to be a true leader, they shall be confident and independent as well as courageous through difficult decisions and open-minded. In the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus shows all of these traits during his journey returning home to Ithaca after the Trojan War. Odysseus as a human makes foolish mistakes, many important choices are made during his trip to Ithaca, he truly is longing for his return home and does whatever it takes whether it is good or bad. Odysseus shows elements of good leadership throughout book IX. In the beginning,
The Odyssey is an epic told by Homer. The Odyssey takes the reader through an adventure with the protagonist, Odysseus, in his journey to get home to his wife. Odysseus faces challenges with the Greek gods as he journeys home. A good leader is defined as someone whom successfully leads a group to an agreed goal. Odysseus was not successful in directing his men to success, instead he lead his men to death.
Odysseus went through a lot of adventures. And through good and bad time he almost always is getting out of the situation. Through all the adventures he showed an “Epic Hero Trait” and that is clever. He always makes a plan or decides something important. He got through the Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, and now even his own home.
When Odysseus commands his men to go back to sea to voyage, he is a good leader because he is telling his men what to do. He is being a leader by protecting his men from the Ciccone 's army by leaving before reinforcements come. For example, when Odysseus and his men are heading to the sirens Odysseus states “you are to tie me up, tight as a splint” (Homer 1005). Odysseus is an admirable leader when he orders his men to tie him up and do not untie him because he is sacrificing himself for the good of his men. He is a leader when he does this because he lets his men not suffer the sirens while he has to.
As a leader Odysseus should be careful to do exactly what will benefit his crew the most. The lack of communication throughout the whole journey home will eventually lead to mistrust and betrayal of Odysseus by his crew. Following Scylla and Charybdis they reach the island of the god of the sun, and because of the crew’s spite for Odysseus they don’t follow his directions not to harm the cattle of the Sun. Just in the events of the journey back to Ithaca alone the reader can see how Odysseus’ inability to be a strong leader leads to the dismantling of a good relationship between him and his crew, which leads to a much more difficult trip. Odysseus’ inability to be a great leader for the group leads to a lot of conflict among the crew members.
The famous American president Calvin Coolidge once stated, “Heroism is not only in the man, but in the occasion.” In other words, a person may have heroic qualities but is not necessarily a hero, since the true indication of heroism in an individual is shown by his or her behaviors in different situations. In Odyssey by Homer, the protagonist Odysseus uses his godlike charm and cunning to return to his homeland, despite the fact that the mighty god Poseidon wishes that he never returns. Though Odysseus is developed as a character with heroic qualities, his use of said qualities within certain situations cause him to be portrayed as an antihero, as shown through his lack of control, self-centered actions, and excessive bloodshed.
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 the novel “The Odyssey” Homer displays the main character Odysseus with god like qualities which results in him judging others through tone and actions. When the main character Odysseus came from his confrontation with the goddess Circe his group of men are happy and grateful to see him. His men are gathered around him as if they are the sheep and he is the Shepard that guides them through every step of the way. Odysseus is a well respected man who is admired by his men and is like a higher power to due his god like qualities . While odyssey’s crew is stranded without his leadership and advice, they are unsure where to go due to lack of knowledge and no mentor to lead them.
