ipl-logo

Odysseus As An Epic Hero In Homer's Odyssey

1348 Words6 Pages

Joseph Campbell once said, ”the cave you most fear to enter holds the treasure you seek”.This ideology of confronting one's inner fears through obstacles and becoming more powerful each time, propels the hero of the story to become an epic hero at the end of their journeys of self-discovery. Odysseus in The Odyssey recited by Homer was certainly not exempt from the title of ‘Epic Hero’ due to his skills and his sympathizable traits’ and his fantastical adventures back to home . While some may say The Odyssey is a tale of Odysseus piecing his life together with adventures that could have easily been avoided, but he faced due to his bereft of forethought, Odysseus is an epic hero nonetheless for his divine physical abilities with the incorporation …show more content…

However, his gifted powers had to be toiled for by Odysseus through the trials for which the gods then decided to take sides with him and help him out. For example, when Odysseus’ men were turned to pigs, Odysseus went to “confront Circe… Hermes gives him the magical plant roots… called moly… only a god could extract the roots of such plants… and warned him of the witches tricks” (circe,Lines 270-81). Hermes’ contribution of the moly plant which is laborious to find and extract shows us that the gods are swayed by Odysseus’ actions of how he felt obliged to save his men and they believed he is one to deserve such power. The protection and support of the immortals also tells us that the quests and the adventures he was going through weren’t of small matter but ones that a mere mortal cannot perform himself. In addition, Odysseus had the support of “Father Zeus [who] will grant our old wish” along with “Athenas’ support…in the face of battle… be brave Telemachus” even though they ”do not interfere with mortal men’s issues” (page 1034-5). This illustrates how Odysseus has the backing of the gods even though they never interfere with such issues, he has convinced them to support his personal vendetta. If it were to be a person fixing his life there would be no necessity or need for a god to interfere and help out especially in advancing one's interests. Odysseus is sometimes misinterpreted as being a person piecing his life together and doesn't show any hero like characteristics, however, they are oblivious to the fact that if he were piecing his life he wouldn't need supports of otherworldly beings and the gods interferences which make him fit the archetypes of

Show More
Related
668 Words | 3 Pages

Some characteristics that contribute to being a hero include doing tasks that benefit others and being fearless, but the greatest characteristic is making decisions without the help of others. Again, Odysseus falls short of what he is expected to do. Throughout his entire journey, Odysseus did not make one decision without the help of a god and frankly, Odysseus would not be alive without the gods telling him what to do. “Then Skylla made her strike, whisking six of my best men from the ship.” Watching six of his best men get eaten by a six-headed monster could not have been easy for Odysseus because those men were the people that had kept him alive thus far.

Read More
196 Words | 1 Pages

In part one of Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus uses his epic hero qualities to help him out on his quest to get back home to Ithaca. He’s shows superb intelligence when fighting the cyclopes in “Book 9.” That’s a quality of superhuman intelligence that Odysseus possessed all throughout his entire journey. Another epic hero quality that helped Odysseus was help from Greek gods and goddesses. In part two of Homer’s Odyssey, Athena helped out Odysseus when he got back to his home land.

Read More
290 Words | 2 Pages

Overall, Odysseus is often portrayed as a “model hero”, but in reality he has many faults such as being untrustworthy, arrogant and

Read More
711 Words | 3 Pages

Odysseus, rather than using his intelligence to come up with a solution, allows the gods to do his bidding for him. Later in the story, he again relies on the gods when he has escaped. When Poseidon makes the winds and seas difficult for him,AThena helps him by calming them down (72) He again e depends on someone else to help him;he is too lazy to do it himself The fact that others are constantly feeling the need to help him speaks to Odysseus’ incompetence that is the result of his unwillingness to utilize his own intelligence to come up with solutions.

Read More
393 Words | 2 Pages

The Odyssey Odysseus is an epic hero. In the Odyssey by Homer is about an epic hero Odysseus who is unable to get home after almost 20 years until he learns that he needs the gods. Odysseus is a great warrior who travels over vast setting,and he faces supernatural foes and receives supernatural help. Showing his ability as a warrior infers that Odysseus is an Epic hero. In the epic story him and his men was washed up on a cyclops island that was ruled by the one Poseidon’s son Polyphemus.

Read More
922 Words | 4 Pages

In Greek society, there are many valued characteristics of the hero Odysseus which are still valued today. These traits may not be as important in today’s modern world, but there is no doubt that Odysseus is an epic hero. In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus proves that he is an epic hero through divine intervention in the Call, where he blinds Polyphemus in the Challenges, and the Atonement, where he goes through a transformation. Odysseus reveals the help of the gods as he plots with Telemachus against the suitors who are plaguing his home to take back what is rightfully his in the Call.

Read More
784 Words | 4 Pages

Gods are an active problem to Odysseus. Odysseus has to conquer several obstacles on his journey these hardships wouldn't be so difficult if the gods didn’t interfere. A case of this in the novel is when Circe baits Odysseus and his men with meat and bread, then turned into pigs except for Odysseus. This causes them to stay on the longer for a more extended period of time than they had hoped for. While on the island, Odysseus says, “So day by day we lingered, feasting long/ on roasts and wine until a year grew fat.”

Read More
414 Words | 2 Pages

He wants his chances of success and failure to be solely dependent on himself. Even when Odysseus is helped by the Gods, he never lets them do the job for him. Odysseus doesn’t beg “Gods hear my plea…” or anything of the sort. Athena helps Odysseus because her “heart breaks” for Odysseus she is willing to go out of her way to help him in any way she can. Even the nymph suspects that Odysseus is being taken away from her by “unrivaled lords of jealousy”, which seems to be the case.

Read More
1223 Words | 5 Pages

Odysseus was egotistical, and as a result, it cost him and his allies great losses. However, by the end, Odysseus becomes a selfless person, someone who can be deemed a true hero. “Odysseus doesn’t have a linear growth pattern like Telemahkos; he already exhibited his manliness and his warrior self during the Trojan War. His trials have more to do with the gaining of wisdom and judgement beyond the heroic code, which will make him a better king. He gradually learns prudence and self-restraint.

Read More
549 Words | 3 Pages

Along with battling supernatural enemies, Odysseus shows he has superhuman

Read More
830 Words | 4 Pages

It is because Gods set up scenarios for Odysseus out of their purposes. However, it is undeniable that Gods were civilised, and they measure the qualities of Odysseus with supreme standards. And the most significant thing that is demonstrated in Odysseus is his loyalty to his homeland and family. He has a strong motivation to return home because he feels he has the responsibility to restore the stability of his homeland. Odysseus’s patience was tested, and his bravery grows.

Read More
728 Words | 3 Pages

Without the gods, Odysseus probably wouldn’t even be alive long enough to retake his throne. Odysseus only disguised himself to get revenge on the suitors by murdering them all to regain complete control over his kingdom. The only reason he survived his odyssey and returned back to his palace in the first place is because of Athena and the other gods. Odysseus can’t find a way to stay out of trouble and maintain his current disguise without the major help from the gods. The only reason Odysseus made his homecoming at the end of The Odyssey is mostly a result of the generosity of the gods, but Odysseus can’t even recognize that.

Read More
1754 Words | 8 Pages

The loyalty he has is not just for his men, but also for his wife and his household he left behind many years prior (E.W.L. 2.13). While he has the ability to be a quick thinker and is resourceful which helps him in many situations, he also uses this same ability and some shrewdness to manipulate or convince those around him to his needs without regard for any future consequences. Even with the accomplishments he has completed in his adventures in eventually establishing himself; as an exceptionally hero, he does has some flaws that make him a mortal hero having human like flaws. These acts do test his mortality, but also grows his hero status. Odysseus at times is notoriously annoying the Gods, but still understands that they control factors of his life; he does have a protector in Athena (Dobel

Read More
838 Words | 4 Pages

Man is Nothing Without the Gods For any proper work of epic poetry, divine intervention is required. This is why in Ancient Greece protection and assistance Drôme the gods is crucial. The Greek gods play a large role in the lives of all Greek citizens, whether they are helping them or hurting them. Throughout novels such as, “The Odyssey,” the characters do their best to appease the gods since they know that their lives heavily depended on it. The life of Odysseus is no exception to this matter, especially with the meddling of Aeolus, guardian of the winds, Athena, goddess of war, wisdom, and cleverness, and Circe, enchantress and goddess of magic.

Read More
846 Words | 4 Pages

Odysseus has grown from the man he was before, as now he finds comfort and safety in obeying the gods when in the past he did not consider their wishes. Odysseus has only returned due to Athena and he has recognized that and his compliance is founded in his appreciation and respect for her. Odysseus is now a hero due to the obedience he now has to the gods, founded in a sense of humility. Through Odysseus’ experiences on his journey, he learns the value of obedience and dangers of arrogance and ultimately, become a hero through the lessons learned.

Read More

More about Odysseus As An Epic Hero In Homer's Odyssey

Related Topics

Open Document