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Odysseus As A Hero In The Odyssey By Homer

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Hero or Not? What is an archetypal hero? Superman, Batman, the police, firefighters, your mom or dad? Many think a hero is one who has super powers or a special ability, but there is a lot more to being a hero. A hero is one who is distinguished for their courage and bravery, and looked upon for their great deeds. However, a hero is not just found in modern society or movies, but they are also found in mythology. In the epic poem, The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus earned the title of a true hero by conveying many heroic qualities such as, determination, courage, and leadership. The Odyssey by Homer is about Odysseus and his 10 year journey returning back home to Ithaca after the Trojan war. On his way home he had many tough and encounters for example some were the cyclops, the Lotus-eaters, the sirens, …show more content…

While his family was back home his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus shoo away the suitors that want Penelope‘s hand. In the end Odysseus becomes a hero and re-takes the throne of Ithaca. In order to be a hero one must be fearless and have a lot of courage, meaning they must have to act confident in their actions. Looking back at the text of the odyssey, by Homer, Odysseus did have many fearless traits. For instance “Hear me, my lord, whoever you are. I came in great need to you, a fugitive from the sea and the curse of Poseidon; even for the immortal gods that man has a claim on their mercy who comes to them as wondering man in the way that I now come to you current and to your knees after much suffering pity me then, my lord I call myself your supplicant.” (Homer 1012. 895-905) This shows that Odysseus is fearless and had the courage to talk to the gods to forgive his men. He thinks about others. Instead he could have not talked to the gods and left his men in

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A hero is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements or noble qualities. In the movie, Odysseus shows that he is a hero by showing off his bravery and courage to defeat several monsters. He showed courage when he faced the Cyclops, when he met Lotus Eaters, and when he went back to Ithaca to see his wife. Odysseus and his men went to the cave to show the Cyclops that they are better than him. The Cyclops got angry when he got back to his cave since Odysseus and his men were eating the Cyclops’ food.

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According to Christopher Reeve, “I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure despite overwhelming obstacles.” In The Odyssey, Odysseus tries to return to his home Ithaca from Troy but lets his pride get to him. Throughout the journey, he faces many obstacles because of his pride. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus shows that he is not a hero because of his pride, arrogance, and emotions. Odysseus shows that he is not a hero when he takes pride in himself when he is about to leave the island of the Cyclops after blinding him.

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According to Zeus “A true hero isn’t measured by the size of his strength, but by the strength of his HEART.” In the Odyssey, Odysseus tries to get home to his wife and son, but he always seems to get set back. Along the way, Odysseus faces obstacles on his journey home. Odysseus shows he is a hero throughout the story when he saves his crew from the Cyclops, he makes sure his crew doesn’t die from the Siren’s songs, and he had the favor of Zeus against the men he fought for his kingdom, highlighting that he was the hero in Zeus’ eyes. Odysseus having the favor of Zeus is a big deal because he taught good meaning, Odysseus is a hero.

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The people of the past thought of heroism surprisingly similarly, especially the Greeks. After returning from his long journey, he comes to a house overrun with suitors. To free his house of these men, Odysseus slays them on spot. As well as, to defeat the Cyclops Polyphemus, Odysseus uses his cunning intelligence to outsmart Polyphemus. Finally, Odysseus and his crew go by the Sirens with little harm, through all of the wits and planning done.

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What makes Odysseus a hero is that despite his selfishness, lack of self-control, pride and violent nature, he fights against the odds to fulfill his destiny with the help of the gods. Even though he is not entirely good, he still, with all his defects manages to get back home to his family and kingdom. The first display of Odysseus imperfection was his pride. After heroically saving his companions from Polyphemus by deceiving him with the name “Nobody” (147.405-410), Odysseus pride becomes inflated endangering the lives of his companions as they escape from the Cyclops.

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Odysseus defies the suitors and wins his wife and kingdom back. Despite Odysseus' overconfident nature, Odysseus proves he is a hero by showing bravery and intelligence. When it comes to being a hero, being brave is one of the most

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In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus should be considered a hero! Odysseus has done more good deeds than bad deeds throughout the years of the Odyssey. Odysseus has saved lives more than he has taken them for no good reason. Odysseus has honored people more than dishonored people. Today’s hero code is completely different than in Odysseus’s time.

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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.

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Usually, epic heroes share common character traits such as courage, self control, fearless, daring. In Homer’s Odyssey, it is my belief that Odysseus is heroic mostly because his is courageous and fearless. For example, he wasn’t panicking when he was against the cyclops, he was thinking of what to do so they can escape the cave.

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In The Odyssey Homer makes Odysseus’ journey to his beloved Ithaca excruciating. Odysseus encounters many friends and foes throughout his journey and has to be a leader throughout his experiences. As an example, he encounters Polyphemus and Poseidon, both of whom make his journey mentally and physically painful. Odysseus faces countless scenarios in which he has to save multiple people in those situations. He also encounters the suitors, who are a group of men that try to marry Penelope, when he returns to reclaim his home.

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Heroes are, “People who take risks despite fear”(Source 2). In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus faces many challenges that make him a hero. He battles monsters, goddesses, and enchantresses. Odysseus is a hero in the way that he uses his brain to think about and approach dilemmas. When he and his men are on the Cyclops’ island, Odysseus tells the cyclops that his name was Nobody.

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During Odysseus’s journeys, while trying to find his way back home, he goes through many adventures showing off these characteristics of a hero. The first characteristic that Odysseus possessed, which shows he is an epic hero, is how brave he was. For instance, when Odysseus wanted to venture off to Circe and leave the island, it was Eurylochos that told him not to go without his

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An example of Odysseus fearlessness is conveyed when he makes a speech and tells his men; “Old shipmates, friends, the rest of you stand by; I’ll make the crossing in my own ship, with my own company, and find out what the mainland natives are”(Homer 374). It is logical to conclude that Odysseus is a hero who will not just stand by but instead puts himself to take action and face the danger that awaits him. He is a fighter and does not let fear hold him back. When they finally met polyphemus, there was a battle between them, they had made a plan to stab the cyclops in the eye to escape the land of the cyclops and so as they did the men“...fell back in fear. Clawing his face he tugged the bloody spike out of his eye” (Homer 380).

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The ancient archetype of heroism is commonly quantified by the amount of incredible and perilous feats overcome by one individual, so it should come as no surprise that Odysseus is able to overcome many of these daunting obstacles.

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In The Odyssey, Odysseus was a major hero of the novel. He had both heroic traits and human weaknesses. Odysseus defeated the Cyclops, defeated the suitors that were courting his wife, and overcome other challenges throughout the novel. A special trait that made Odysseus a hero was that he was a courageous

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