Why Odysseus Is A Hero

What is a hero? Society says a hero is someone who has courage and has risked their lives for others. The dictionary definition of hero is a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In ancient Greece, a hero was "a man or woman, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his or her bold exploits, and favored by the gods" (Greek Mythology). Odysseus has all of these qualities. Odysseus is a hero because he is trusted and favored by the gods, has achieved many outstanding deeds, and overcomes many obstacles to reach his goal.

Odysseus is a hero because he is trusted and favored by the gods. There are multiple times in the book

He is a leader throughout the Trojan War. He even came up with the idea of the Trojan Horse, which lead the army to victory over the Trojans. Also when Odysseus finally comes and finds all of the suitors after his wife, he manages to defeat them all, despite the fact that they are greatly outnumbered, with only the help of a few men. Odysseus’s main achievement is returning home to Ithaca and to have not given up. Odysseus has to overcome many problems and through all of these problems, he perseveres and finally reaches home. As Penelope’s slave Dolios says, “Dear master, you returned! You came to us again! How we had missed you! We thought you lost. The gods themselves have brought you! Welcome, welcome; health and blessings on you” (Homer 457). Overall, Odysseus has achieved many outstanding things and while achieving these things, has had to overcome many obstacles as

In the Odyssey there is one problem after another. One example is when Odysseus encounters the cyclops Polythemus. When Polythemus asks for Odysseus’s name, he replies with the name “Nobody.” Then, after Polythemus falls asleep, Odysseus stabs the cyclops’ only eye, therefore blinding him. When the other cyclops ask who did it, Polythemus replies with Nobody. Then, Odysseus and his men sneak out by tying themselves to the bottom of Polythemus's sheep. Another obstacle that Odysseus overcomes is the Sirens. The Sirens are creatures which draw people in and kill them with their singing. In order to overcome this obstacle, Odysseus plugs all of his men’s ears with beeswax until they reached out of hearing range. He also addresses his crew saying, “Seirenes weaving a haunting song over the sea we are to shun, she said, and their green shore all sweet with clover: yet she urged that I alone should listen to their song. Therefore you are to tie me up, tight as a splint, erect along the mast, lashed to the mast, and if I shout and beg to be untied, take more turns of the rope to muffle me” (Homer 214). Because Odysseus takes these precautions and listens to Kirke, he survives. There are many more different obstacles within the story and Odysseus manages to overcome all of them and and continue pursuing his journey