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Odysseus Is Not An Epic Hero Essay

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The odysseus unit Essay Have you ever wondered if Odysseus is a real epic hero? Lets see if he Represents one of the most important Ancient Greek values. Odysseus firstly doesn't really represent the Ancient Greek values for example the Ancient Greek value of truth. He doesn't represent it because firstly he lied to multiple people for many reasons, good or bad, not only that but he also lied to his wife and you'd expect an epic hero to be loyal to everyone but not Odysseus. He did not only lie to Penelope, his wife, but he also lied to and about other women and I'm going to be showing you some examples of why Odysseus is not an epic hero. My number one example of Odysseus being untruthful is him cheating on his wife aka Penelope. Odysseus cheats on his wife (Penelope) with Circe and Calypso. Odysseus cheats on her while he left Ithaca for the Trojan war, meanwhile Penelope was hoping he was alive and returning home soon. Penelope never found out because Odysseus never mentioned it to her because he lied and lied to her. I am going to start with Circe as an example of one of the women he cheated with. Odysseus visited her island, Aeaea, with his companions, whom she changed into swine. But Odysseus, protected by the herb moly …show more content…

He then manipulated Penelope and tried to sneakily find out if she had been unloyal/unfaithful to him while he had been unfaithful. “The clever hero goes as appointed to Penelope with the idea of testing her and her maids(some of the maids have not been loyal to the household and have been involved with the suitors)” (Beers and Odell 696). That quote basically sums it all up on how Odysseus is a narcissistic, a manipulator, and a hypocrite because he had the nerve to test his wife while she had been worrying about him for years and had been cheating and lying and just doing horrendous

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Odysseus did not tell the full truth to his men, he slept with the goddesses and he was impatient. If Odysseus would’ve told the truth and done what the gods told him to do, he would’ve gotten to Ithaca faster. Based on the story and the facts, Odysseus was prideful, unloyal and irresponsible, therefore, I deem that Odysseus is not an archetype hero. Odysseus was prideful. He thought that he could beat anyone who came up on his path.

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For example, while Odysseus was away, his wife Penelope remained completely faithful to him for 20 years and turning away more that 100 suitors. However, Odysseus is not as honorable, cheating on Penelope twice. In addition to this, after Odysseus finally returns, he decided to slaughter all of the suitors that pursued Penelope, all of whom were kings of other kingdoms. Along with killing 108 young men, he killed 12 handmaidens that he felt were disloyal to Penelope as well. At the time, those who heard the Odyssey originally most likely thought that Odysseus was justified in his killing of the suitors and maids because it was seen as him protecting his kingdom and his wife, but reality, all it was was

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One characteristic of Odysseus’ that makes him unheroic is his excessive lying. There are many events where he lies for either is well-being or to gain extra information from others. One example is when Odysseus and his crew had been captured by Kyklops and in order to escape Odysseus came up with a plan that involved injuring and lying to him. To trick him, Odysseus says, “‘Kyklops, try some wine. Here’s liquor to wash down your scraps of men.

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Why would Odysseus ever feel nervous if he was innocent? He clearly had something to hide. Even Eurycleia had a bigger part in securing the fate of the maids’ than Penelope. When Odysseus returned, he wanted to kill all the maids; however, he couldn’t, so he told Eurycleia to select a few to punish. Eurycleia, spurred by resentment and jealousy, chose the twelve prettiest, youngest maids to spite Penelope.

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Odysseus’ disguise in Ithaca allows him to gain an insightful understanding not only of Penelope’s faithfulness, but also of the respectful suitors and the insulting suitors. He uses this deceit to fully understand what the situation has been for the last twenty years. Penelope is also deceptive with her tapestry, using it as tool to delay her choice of a suitor. “By day she’d weave at her great and growing web—by night, by light of torches set beside her, she would unravel all she’d done”, causing the suitors to wait painfully until her ploy is discovered (2, 115-117). Homer further strengthens the bond between Odysseus and Penelope by showing that the two are equally deceitful and use their wiliness to take the advantage of a

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This reveals Odysseus as an outdated hero. In Greek society, there was an emphasis, especially in places like Sparta, on the success of the group as a whole, such as in battle, with losses being expected and planned for. In contrast, modern society places much more value on individual human lives than the Ancient

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In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, some might argue that Odysseus’s dishonesty and deceit cause loss of trust and negative consequences. However, Odysseus’s dishonesty and deceit do not always have bad intentions, it can be seen when Odysseus and his men escaped out of Polyphemus’s cave to get out of trouble and when Odysseus received help from his men to get closer to their objective. While lying is looked down upon, people

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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

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In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus uses lies as a protective disguise against strangers. Not only does Odysseus utilize lies to keep his identity a secret but also, through the use of specific language, he conveys unspoken points. These points invoke different feelings and opinions in the people to whom he lies. Odysseus can quickly tailor his lies depending on the person and the situation he is in. Odysseus’s skill of creating intricate falsehoods and his use of lies as a way of controlling the thoughts of person he’s lying to, reveals his exceptional tact and guile.

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Odysseus is Not a Hero The translated version of the story The Odyssey, also known as The Epic, is a story about Odysseus, king of Ithaca, spending ten years on a journey back to his homeland. During his trip home, Odysseus makes cowardly decisions that reveal he is not a hero. Odysseus is not a hero because he is selfish, greedy, and secretive. Odysseus is not a hero because he is selfish. When Odysseus is leaving Ismarus; the island of the Cyclops, Odysseus and his men are sailing away from the island after escaping the Cyclops cave by stabbing him in the eye.

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There are people who think Odysseus is a hero then there are those who hate him and think he’s a bad guy. One of their strongest claims may be that he cheats on his wife with Circe. But back then it was very common for a man to sleep with someone other than his wife,even though the women weren’t allowed to do it. That may be their biggest claim but they should know that it wasn’t uncommon back then. So they shouldn’t say Odysseus is a bad guy just for doing that one thing, they should consider all the good things he did before they say he’s a bad

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