Qualities Of A Hero In Odysseus And My Grandpa

A hero is someone who displays exceptional traits such as courage, nobility, and selflessness, especially in the face of adversity. They inspire us with their actions and give us hope during difficult times. Heroes can be found in history books, literature, films, and even in our lives. Whether they become known or remain anonymous, heroes remind us of the best parts of humanity and the capacity for good that exists in each of us. All of these traits remind me of two people, Odysseus, and my grandpa. In my opinion, Odysseus and my grandpa are both heroes, and I see them as equals.

One clear-cut example of a hero is Odysseus, the son of Laertes. Throughout his epic journey, Odysseus shows many traits that make him a hero. Out of these many

One example of his leadership was when Odysseus knew he had to be available to lead his men, and not under the spell of the Siren. This is shown when Odysseus says, “The lovely voices in ardor appealing over the water made me crave to listen, and I tried to say ‘Untie me!’ to the crew, jerking my brows; but they bent steady to the oars.” (Book 12, 752). This quote shows that Odysseus wants to be the leader of the men, make sure they are under guidance, and care for their well-being. The fact he is fighting as hard as he can to help them shows that he is a leader. Next, Odysseus is a very smart character. He finds ways out of many situations, and always stays one step ahead. One example of this is when Odysseus outsmarts the Cyclops. He gets him drunk, and, “straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye” (Book 9, 376). After this, he tricks the Cyclops into confusing the other Cyclopes by getting him to tell them that “Nohbdy, Nohbdy’s tricked me.” (Book 9, 403). He was able to trick the Cyclops into saying that nobody has

There are many similar aspects to their characters. All the things I said about Odysseus’ character apply to my grandpa as well. First, my grandpa is a leader just as strong and brave as Odysseus. He is a war veteran, which makes him equally as brave, as Odysseus also fought in a war. It’s proven they are both veterans by the statement “Telemachus has been searching the Mediterranean world for his father, who has never returned from the ten-year Trojan War.” (Elements of Literature 752). In the war, my grandpa went through many hardships, he had to kill and see people get killed with his own two eyes, which made him as strong as Odysseus. Next, my grandpa is a smart man. He was instrumental in the development of dry mixes, leading to three patents on laminated foods. He also co-authored the 1,400-page technical reference book, Conversion Factors for the Baking Industry. Odysseus is also a very smart man, as he doesn’t disobey the people above him. Odysseus “urges his exhausted crew to bypass Thrinakia” (Elements of Literature 784). This quote shows that Odysseus knows exactly what he has to do to survive, in a world of corruption. Lastly, my grandpa is determined. Always worked hard to help us, and he never gave up. Even when he was enlisted, he helped his fellow soldiers. He was always wanting to make people happy. He taught me to never give up, and that when my mind is telling me that I should, I’m not even halfway