Odyssey Research Paper

Kayla: Good afternoon and Welcome to the International Debate Competition. I, Kayla Tardy, am your host for this competition. Today, we have two great heroes, both who are considered the best of their time, and who are here to debate on the question: What makes an ideal hero. Let’s meet our contestants. At the podium to my left we have the seventh and last conqueror, Sundiata of Mali. At the podium to my right we have the legendary Greek King, Odysseus. Now that I have introduced them, let’s get on with the debate! The directions are as follows. You are both here to defend your title as the most ideal hero by having a good, old fashioned debate. You each will have 4 minutes to present your initial arguments. The first round is done when you

After all, it is what I am known for. Introducing myself, "I am Odysseus son of Laertes, known before all men for the study of crafty designs, and my fame goes up to the heavens."(19-20) I am courageous, intelligent, determined, and the best leader of my time. I embody exactly what a hero should be. They call me the “man of many wiles” because I can and have outsmarted many beasts. Laughter stills “fills my heart to think how nobody’s name-my great cunning stroke- had duped them one and all.”(461-462) I am a great leader. I constantly led my men and directed them to safety whenever there was trouble. I, more importantly, saved the Greeks in the Trojan War! It was my clever thinking that brought the idea of the Trojan horse, and my great leadership that lead us to victory. There is not a fearful bone in my body. When my men wanted to avoid certain places because they were afraid, no fear runs through my blood, so I always lead by example. Because I am a great leader, they trust me so, that they always followed me. I have also come to terms with my mortality and know, as a hero, that one day; my life will be gone from the saving of

In order to be a hero, you have to be ready to constantly put your life on the line to save others. To be a hero, your heart has to definitely be pure. You cannot be a selfish thinker when other people’s lives are in your hands. Like a hero, “I defend the weak, I defend the innocent.”(61) Around the time of my fight with the evil King, my mother died. She was my rock, and I was deeply saddened by her departure, but I had an empire to save. When lives are in trouble and my country is at stake, “it is no longer time for words.”(45) You have to take action when the time is right. You have to be a leader, but a leader everyone loves nevertheless. Not only did I know that I was a hero, in every place that I lived, people knew also. A seer once even compared me to a silk cotton tree by stating, “You are the outgrowth of Mali just as the silk-cotton tree is the growth of the Earth, born of deep and mighty roots.”(62) For those who are unfamiliar with a silk-cotton tree, it is an extremely large tree, with thorns on the side. The tree is a representation of my strength, my ability to defend my country, and my journey with doing so. In conclusion, I am the little seed planted that ultimately saved Mali, and made it into the super empire that it is today. Without the seed, there is no growth, so without a hero like me fulfilling my destiny as savior and King, there would not be a Mali. Thank