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Odysseus Is Not A Hero In The Odyssey By Homer

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Heroes are often thought of as very powerful and superhuman, but would someone be a hero if they led many men to their deaths? In the many parts of the story “The Odyssey” By Homer, Odysseus shows unheroic characteristics in several of his actions. Odysseus is the leader of Ithaca and he must go on a 20-year journey to arrive back home after fighting in the Trojan war. Odysseus and his men get stuck at several places for several years which elongates the journey. Odysseus is not a hero because he does several things to get his men hurt to help himself get home.
In the story “The Cyclops” By Homer, Odysseus is not a hero. Odysseus escapes from the Cyclops lair after losing several men and he starts to jeer at the cyclops, “If I could take your life I would, and take your time away, and hurl you down to hell” (line 306-308). Odysseus invites himself into the cyclops home and steals his food while the Cyclops is not home. When the Cyclops returns Odysseus tricks him and stabs his eye out. Odysseus shows no hospitality towards the cyclops. He gets several of his men killed and shows no remorse. He even gets himself and his men cursed so it will be a long journey to return back home to Ithaca. …show more content…

As Odysseus nears the cliffside of the great monster Syclla he states,”But as I sent them on toward Scylla I told then nothing, as they could do nothing. They would have dropped their oars again, in panic, to roll for cover under the decking”(lines 161-164). Odysseus supplants his bravery and hope with doleful feelings as he watches his men be eaten alive. The men are ghastly of the situation of they are in. They possessed no prior knowledge that Scylla was going to attack and tear apart six of them. Odysseus uses the six men to travel past Syclla and only regrets his decision when he watches them be

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One of the reasons those people might say that is because Odysseus has a hero’s key traits: he was loyal, compassionate, and cunning. Odysseus was loyal to his family by trying his best to get home and succeeding. Compassion was shown by Odysseus when he was patient while plotting against the Trojans. Last but not least Odysseus was cunning when he defeated the Cyclops in the cave whilst escaping.

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Ever since childhood, people develop an image on what a true hero should be like. A considerable hero is someone who looks after their allies and makes rational decisions in tough situations. On the contrary, in the book, The Odyssey, Odysseus shows that not all heroes make the most reasonable choices. For instance, he is willing to sacrifice his own shipments in order to get back to Ithaca. Yes, it may be one of the best options considering the position they are in, but he was the reason why the crew is in that position in the first place.

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There are many heroes in many stories but not a single one compares to how the epic hero Odysseus. The Odyssey is by the famous poet Homer is a fiction story about a king who is coming back from War and the quest back takes 20 years. Odysseus is an epic hero because he has done many heroic acts and his Larger than Life quality is his intelligence. Many people share the argument that Odysseus is not a hero but there's parts of the story that make me disagree. The part is when Odysseus and his men get trapped in the Cyclops cave and Odysseus has to use his larger than life quality to save them.

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Is Odysseus a real war hero? Did he actually like his crew or did he have them as bait so he could get himself home? The book The Odyssey by Homer and translated by Robert Fitzgerald, is an epic that is truly epic. The main character Odysseus and his crew are on their journey back from Troy after they have become war heroes. They have to face many dangerous creatures and gods to get home.

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There is no excuse for his behavior, except his own selfish pride and hubris. So no, Odysseus is not a Hero.

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As Homer wrote, “ So these now fell upon the suitors in the hall, turning, turning to strike and strike again, while torn men moaned at death, and blood ran smoking over the whole floor. ”(Homer 1095). This quote shows that Odysseus is very angry at the suitors for taking over Ithaca and for taking his wife away. Odysseus’s actions towards the suitors depicts him as a violent man. Odysseus selfishness can also rob him of being heroic; as Homer writes “ Odysseus does not tell his men of Circes last prophecy - That he will be the only survivor of their long journey.”(Homer 1066).

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With no regard for Penelope’s happiness nor her desire to be with Odysseus, the suitors pursue the principle they deem most important, political power; but this conflicts with Odysseus’ values to regain political stability and his desire to be with Penelope. Odysseus must then confront the suitors if he is to achieve his values, and decides he must slaughter all of the suitors. As the novel progresses, even Odysseus is found to prioritize his principles over others, as evident with his shipmates. When Odysseus’ ship must traverse past Scylla and Charybdis, he is faced with a decision, to either “mourn / six men” or “lose them all, and the ship, too” (Homer, Odyssey, 12.119). In this case, Odysseus must place his values of his return home and his life, over the lives of the six crew members.

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A hero is someone who is revered for his or her exceptional achievements and bravery. Anyone who puts themselves before others not for recognition or an award, but because it is the right thing to do, is a true hero. In "The Odyssey," written by Homer is an epic poem about a man named Odysseus and his crewmates competing against the power of the gods to return to their homeland, Ithaca. Throughout his journey, he loses almost all of his men, but Odysseus finally arrives home, concluding his prolonged twenty-year voyage. Odysseus must battle the suitors that have taken his wife Penelope, and may soon kill his son Telemachus.

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The main character Odysseus in the Odyssey written by Homer is generally thought to be a great hero; however, he shows more traits of a quite flawed character on closer inspection. Around the beginning of Odysseus’ journey home after the war, Odysseus decides to take a detour to the home of a cyclops deciding to not listen to his men’s suggestions to leave while they still could; consequently, it does not end well: “Ah, how sound that was, Yet I refused. I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer no pretty sight it turned out, for my friend” (9.130-132). This thought by Odysseus shows that he realized his decision to go to the mysterious island wasn’t the most rational one and that his men’s pleas to leave were the better option, but he decides to be stubborn and place his curiosity before his men’s safety resulting in a non-heroic

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Odysseus is not a hero because he stabs Polyphemus in the eye and blinds him. Odysseus is still a hero because he is a leader. Moreover, after Odysseus and his men fight the Cicones, he orders ¨Back and Quickly! Out to sea again!” (Homer 984).

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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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What makes a hero a hero? If a so-called hero has major flaws, is he still considered a hero?Odysseus did many great and heroic things but some of the things he did make him look less like a hero. Odysseus can be thought of as very brave in the physical and spiritual sense but because of his failure to get his men back home to Ithaca and his unfaithfulness to his wife, he was not truly a hero. Odysseus is thought of as a hero in the physical and spiritual sense because of his bravery while facing the many dangers of creatures, goddesses, and many other things for almost 20 years trying to get home to his wife and son. He never failed to remember his main goal was to get back to his wife and son in Ithaca.

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In the text it states, “It was our luck to come here, here we stand beholden for your help, or any gifts you give-as custom is to honor strangers. We would entreat you, great Sir, have a care for the gods’ courtesy; Zeus will avenge the offending guest.” In this statement it tells how if the Cyclops didn’t greet and assist Odysseus that the Gods would harm them. This can be seen as a malicious threat and it clearly offended the Cyclops because he later attacked. So now this “legendary hero” had clearly mistreated innocent Cyclops and become unfaithful to his wife that he loved.

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Odysseus is an epic hero because of his bravery and confidence during every obstacle throughout his journey In Part 1 whie Odysseus is about to come across cyclops cave, he says “I brought along and victuals in a bag, for in my bones I knew some towering brute would be upon so soon- all outward power, a wild man, ignorant of civility. “ Odysseus is showing his bravery of not being petrified of what he might come across, like the cyclops. Odysseus has no intention of harming them, but he is not sure what their intention is. This example is important because not only does it show confidence in himself, he also shows confidence in his men. In Part 2 Odysseus also shows his confidence in his men in part 2 where Eurylochus says, “Are you flesh and blood, Odysseus, to endure more than a man can?

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