Odysseus As An Epic Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

An epic hero is said to have superhuman qualities, such as cleverness, strength, bravery, and leadership. Epic heroes are known to be admired for their great achievements and grand journeys. These descriptions of what an epic hero is like can be noticed in Homer’s The Odyssey: an epic poem about Trojan War hero Odysseus, and his prolonged journey home due to unfortunate circumstances. Odysseus can be presented as an epic hero, because of his cleverness and leadership throughout his journey.

Cleverness is an epic hero’s best friend when it comes to thinking. This applies toward Odysseus because it helped him get out of difficult situations. His quick thinking in these difficult situations have managed to save him. There have been many sparks

While being trapped in the cave, Odysseus spotted a large green staff just sitting inside (99:P3). He saw the potential of what he can do with it. The first spark of cleverness was shown when he and his crew sharpened one end of the staff. Turns out, Odysseus will use the sharpened staff as a weapon to blind Polyphemus. Later on, Odysseus manages to make Polyphemus drunk due to convincing him to drink the finest wine he will ever have. The next spark of cleverness appears when the drunk Polyphemus asks Odysseus for his name. Instead of using his real name, Odysseus says that his name is “Nobody” (101:P1). He says this so after he executes his plan of escaping the cave, Polyphemus will be unable to seek revenge on him since he only knew him as Nobody. In the island of the cyclops, Polyphemus owned many rams. The only time he opens up his cave is when he lets them out. So after Odysseus and his crew blind Polyphemus, his rams began to run towards the mouth of the cave. Polyphemus feels each of his rams in case the crew is riding on them. Another spark

Odysseus is a great leader because of his bravery and courage throughout his journey. After the tragedy with Polyphemus and the Lasestrygonians, Odysseus and his crew found themselves in the island of Circe. Because of the tragic encounters, most of Odysseus’s men were afraid to explore the island. Odysseus shows his demonstration of leadership when he decides to put on his battle gear and explore the island on his own, while allowing the frightened crew to rest on the harbor of the island (118:P1). While exploring the island, Odysseus also had to take responsibility for the well-being of his men. He made sure to not have his men with an empty stomach; by doing so he made sure to find a source of food, in which he did (119:P1). When talking about Odysseus as a leader, it is pretty obvious to include his role in the Trojan War. This is because he was the man who led the Greeks to invade and destroy Troy, and win the war. In brief, Odysseus makes a good leader because of his thoughtfulness, bravery, and courage towards his