As the popular American poet and author, Maya Angelou, said, “I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people.” Odysseus is revered by few as a hero, to many others he’s a pirate who loves to boast of his victories. And if the quote holds true, only caring for a handful of people is no heroic quality. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus displays few heroic qualities but loves acting like a pirate. Odysseus is no hero, an unreasonable man who has few heroic traits and protects only a handful of people. Firstly, a hero must be a decent person, one who can put themselves in another's place. Odysseus may feel remorse for those close to him, but he doesn’t take into consideration the feelings of others. For example, in “Odysseus’ Revenge”, where Odysseus begins his revenge against all the suitors within his home he states, “Not for the whole treasure of your fathers, all you enjoy, lands, flocks, or any gold put up by others, would I hold my hand. …show more content…
Clearly, it was somewhat acceptable for them to try to persuade Penelope to marry them. Most suitors meant no harm, but they still couldn’t reason with Odysseus, the man who ended another’s life without even blinking once. Furthermore, a hero requires many positive traits, not just appealing physical features. Odysseus might’ve been considered a hero back in Homer’s time, but now in the modern-age, one requires more than traits fit for