Odysseus As A Hero In The Odyssey

In The Odyssey, the character Odysseus can be considered a hero because he demonstrates many characteristics that are attributable to most heroes. After the battle at Troy, Odysseus strives to sail back to his homeland (Ithaca); however, he encounters some issues along the way and Poseidon attempts to make it impossible for Odysseus to return home. At the beginning of this journey, Odysseus wants to make it back to Ithaca with all of his crew alive. This selfless goal displays Odysseus acting for the greater good because he knows that these men have families that depend on them and would like for them to come home. Along the journey home, Odysseus and his crew come across a cyclops and become trapped in the cyclops’ cave. Odysseus’ over eagerness

The reader can already see Odysseus being considered a hero in his culture when Telemachus tells his different hosts who his father is and the hosts reply with great pride and admiration for Odysseus. Similarly, Menelaus displays Odysseus’ heroism when he tells Telemachus the tale of how Odysseus helped the Achaeans win the battle of Troy. Throughout these stories of Odysseus’ accomplishments, the listener can identify how strong Odysseus would have to be to fulfill these achievements. Thus, for being strong, winning a battle, and providing epic stories of his triumphs, Odysseus has proven himself to be a hero within his culture. Another element in this culture that correlates someone with being a hero is their connection with the gods. Although Athena’s infatuation with Odysseus is not known to the human characters at this point in the epic, it could potentially become known which would amplify Odysseus’ heroism. Therefore, at this point in the novel, Odysseus is already considered a hero in his culture for his strength and victories, but his heroism could hypothetically be increased by new situations later in the