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“A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom.” (Bob Dylan). A modern hero is recognized by the goodness in their heart. Odysseus, the protagonist of Homer’s “The Odyssey”, is not a good example of a modern hero. Heroes cannot be cross cultural, and Odysseus’ heroics do not transcend time and apply to the modern world.
Talon Nilsen Wendt- Period-2 Q4 Final Exam: Odyssey Essay 5/24/23 The author Brodi Ashton is an american author that has wrote a hand full of books and she once said “Hero’s are made by the paths they take not the powers they are graced with”. This quote is perfect because it showcases that Odysseus a hero because he had the gods on his side but because of the choices he made and how he followed them through. Many people debate if the protagonist is a hero or a cold blooded killer. The definition of a hero is someonewho is selfless and will save the lives of others before the thought of his or her life crosses their mind.
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.
TS1 (Thesis): In The Odyssey, Homer depicts Odysseus’ real foe as the theme of temptation with displays of hubris and lustrous goddesses, which portrays the importance of being vigilant to not submit to temptation. ST1: Homer depicts that Odysseus is determined to get home, but Odysseus succumbs to temptation when he leads his crew into the cyclops lair, eats the cyclops’ food, and demands for a gift, resulting in a protracted journey home. 1: Homer displays Odysseus as recklessly brave when he requests, “we’re at your knees, in hopes of… a guest-gift”(9.300) from the cyclops. 2: It is apparent that Odysseus has given into the temptation to be arrogant when he declares for the cyclops to give them, “a guest-gift,” after Odysseus and his men have broken into the cyclops lair, showing even further Odysseus’ isn’t vigilant to
Aphorism, adage, dictum, moral, life lesson: in other terms, things of which this paper will be of. This is a paper about a tale of true sacrifice and courage. Many stories have elaborate life lessons, and Homer’s epic tale The Odyssey is no exception. This paper will amalgamate the ones felt to be most important.
Odysseus: An Epic Hero There are many characteristics of a hero; heroes usually have some type of problem(s) that they try to overcome. Heroes are Courageous meaning they attempt and/or accomplish a goal even when afraid. They are decisive, meaning they act when there are people in need. Heroes usually possess some type of inhuman qualities but are still humans and have flaws. They are also dedicated, when they set out to do something no matter what and who gets in the way the finish what they started.
The Odyssey is often cited as an epitome of the hero’s journey and the monomyth. The hero of the story, Odysseus is on a 10 year battle homeward from the Trojan War to see his wife and son again. With the help divine intervention, Odysseus is able to return home and save his wife from the evil suitors who have continuously tried to win her. One could easily argued that Odysseus is an exemplar of the hero, but there is another story: Odysseus is the opposite of a hero and is not worthy to be called such. He is the villain where the gods are the hero.
Julia Schultz Ms. Nokes Honors English 9 7 February 2023 Odysseus the Flawed Hero The term hero is significantly misused in The Odyssey by Homer. Odysseus, king of Ithaca, is an example of a hero who does not deserve the title. Nonetheless, Odysseus shares many qualities of being a hero: he led his crew to victory in the grueling ten-year-long Trojan war due to his strategic thinking, and bravely made it home alive from the ten-year-long journey back. Odysseus is brave, cunning, and has great leadership skills: all of these traits are characteristics you would expect in a hero.
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.
The First Anti-Hero In the story The Odyssey, the author Homer introduces the reader to a hero who shows qualities of courage and intelligence. Odysseus, our main protagonist throughout the story, is known for his cunning intelligence and courage in the face of danger. As the reader follows Odysseus' journey home after the Trojan War, Odysseus is seen to contend with many challenges and obstacles that test his skills as a leader. He shows the reader how to overcome these challenges using his quick thinking and strategic planning.
The significance of being a hero in real life or in literature is the development of certain elements of their characters that bring out the qualities that allows those around them to follow faithfully; without doubt or question. Beowulf and Odysseus both have their own individual paths that they have taken in their quests; during these quests they are able to establish to those around them through their acts the establishment of their hero status. Odysseus, also known by the Latin name Ulysses, was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey (Encyclopedia Britannica). Beowulf is an epic poem from Old English relating to the hero exploits of Beowulf and his battles.
The concept of hero has been interpreted in many ways throughout the ages. Hero have gone from knights slaying dragons and rescuing the princess, to heroes who save the world with their supernatural-like powers, to a modern day hero who is someone who has noble qualities and is regarded as a role model. In the epic, The Odyssey, by Robert Fagles, the heroic Odysseus is a well known in Greek mythology. However, although Odysseus is the most respected, honorable hero of Greek mythology he is not a modern hero. A modern day hero is someone who puts their life on the line to save the lives of other innocent people.
“A hero is someone who, in spite of weakness, doubt or not always knowing the answers, goes ahead and overcomes anyway” and this shows the quality of a hero that the well-known hero, Odysseus, does not have. In the novel, The Odyssey, Odysseus goes to war against the Trojans in hope to win. When Odysseus slaughters the Trojans, he starts to act like he was greater than any god. The gods punished him by stranding him at sea for more than ten years without being able to go home. Odysseus is not a hero because he was not humble or good at accepting the help that he received, and he also acted before synthesizing the consequences that he would face in the future.
What makes a hero? Is a hero someone who commits a sacrifice for something greater than himself? A person who does what is right, no matter the cost? In his work The Hero With a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell lays the groundwork of the monomyth; a similar hero's journey or cycle that is present in almost every myth, in every culture. Campbell’s “The Power of Myth” and the hero wheel both add further criteria to define just what it is to be a hero.
The figure of the literary hero has been around from ancient Greece to modern worldwide literature. It first appeared in Greek myths and it was the figure that would stand between the laymen and the Gods. He would be the descendant of those gods and would encompass traits such as prestige and integrity. He was considered a special kind of man that could not be compared to the rest. Every individual has their own reading of what a hero entails but as a collective encounter the hero personifies the ideals and expectation of the community in which he is created.
