Who Is The Hero's Journey In The Odyssey

A Spirit of Adventure

In order to accomplish his goals, one needs to have a strong will and determination. Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, tells the story of Odysseus, who has to overcome many obstacles and distractions in order to return to his beloved homeland. His ten-year journey home becomes the longest and greatest of his life. In his poem, “Ulysses,” Alfred Tennyson writes of a man named Ulysses who is getting older, and is looking back on his past adventures. Ulysses has a great desire to leave his homeland and explore more of the world. Tennyson’s “Ulysses” is a valid extension of Homer’s The Odyssey. Throughout his adventure, Odysseus proves to be a wandering spirit, only happy in one place for a short period of time. On their way

When Calypso tells Odysseus all of the trials that he will have to endure after he leaves her island, Odysseus assures her, “And if again one of the gods shall wreck me on the wine-dark sea, I will be patient still…for in time past much have I borne and much have toiled” (Homer 62). Odysseus is sure that he can defeat whatever trials the gods send to him. He has overcome so many hardships in his past that he is confident in his ability to triumph over whatever may come next. He is determined to use his strong will to return home, even if while on the journey he will have to overcome obstacles that he does not have the physical strength for. Near the end of his life, Ulysses says that he is, “Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will/To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield” (Tennyson). Ulysses knows that he is not as strong physically, but he is still determined to continue travelling and seeing new places. He realizes he will face obstacles that will be challenging to his physical body, but plans to rely on his strong mind in order to carry him through whatever hardships he faces. Ulysses and Odysseus rely on their strong will when their physical bodies fail them. “Ulysses” is a valid extension of The Odyssey because Ulysses and Odysseus possess similar character traits. Both men are examples of those who strive to live their lives to the fullest up until the last minute. Their lives demonstrate that even if a person is weak physically, they can do almost anything they want if they only set their mind to