Odysseus Is Not An Epic Hero Essay

Odysseus is Not an Epic Hero Epic heroes are well known as gods or humans that leave their life on the line during battle or a war. These larger than life characters resemble loyalty, hospitality, and self control. From the Trojan War to the treacherous journey back to Ithaca, Homer’s The Odyssey depicts Odysseus as a glorified human being that should not be distinguished as an epic hero based on attitude and disrespect for Greek values. Odyssey’s attitude towards his men and others on the way back home to Ithaca is beyond unacceptable for someone to hold the title of an epic hero. Generally, epic heroes like Achilles from the Iliad use their attitude to help shape their men and themselves in battle. Instead, Odysseus’ hubris catches up

For example, after devising a significant plan to escape with his remaining of the twelve men from Polyphemus' cave he shouted, “If I could take your life I would and take your time away, and hurl you down to hell! The god of earthquake could not heal you there.” (Homer ℓ 479-481) from his ship down beneath the mountain. Odysseus decides to boast to Polyphemus and from there things can only get worse for Odysseus and the rest of the men. For Odysseus’ excessive boasting and hubris Polyphemus prays to Poseidon to make the rest of Odysseus’ journey a living hell. Odysseus’ attitude in this instance suggests that he is not necessarily made for winning, or better yet not getting eaten by a cyclops. Instead, it just comes to show how Odysseus would rather talk about his name and glorify it then keep his men safe and away from danger. These words and actions only continue to come from Odysseus as he tries to bring his men home in a “safe” fashion. Despite his moments, Odysseus continues to shine, but does so in the wrong way. Repeatedly Odysseus tends to be “the only hero who is represented, both in the Iliad and in the Odyssey, as being concerned with food and explicitly

Many gods have the power to do whatever they want and bring hell upon whomever they decide to, especially Zeus. For continuous disrespect to Greek values, this happens a lot to Odysseus on the voyage home to Ithaca, as there are many obstacles in the way of the kingdom that was once his own. One highly regarded Greek value is hospitality, which Odysseus continues to disobey. “Ah, how sound that was! Yet I refused. I wished to see the cave man, what he had to offer– no pretty sight, it turned out, for my friends.” (Homer ℓ 171-173). Although Odysseus knew what grave danger he was putting himself and other men in, he still decided that he did not care. He had no respect for the cyclops or the hospitality it was providing, even if it was not yet home. Deciding to overstay the welcome at Polyphemus’ cave, although not a huge welcome, Odysseus’ men paid the price of death. This ultimately showed the disloyalty to his men, which is the opposite of a Greek value at the bare minimum. Odysseus continues to be more of an untypical hero, or really no hero at all. “This is the fundamental ambiguity of his essential qualities. We have seen how prudence may decline toward timidity, tactfulness towards a blameworthy suppressio veri, serviceability towards servility, and so on.” (W.B. Stanford). Odysseus continues to prove over and over again that