Examples Of Heroism In The Odyssey

In the Homeric epic The Odyssey, the main protagonist Odysseus shows time and time again that he is a hero. According to Dictionary.com,[1] a hero is “a man distinguished by exceptional courage, nobility, fortitude, etc” or “a man who is idealized for possessing superior qualities in any field.” Odysseus has portrayed heroism through his courage, his perseverance, and his wit. The first point is that Odysseus was courageous. He was so courageous that he would go to confront Circe, goddess of magic, in her own lair; despite the fact that she turned his men into swine with ease. To do this, he took an herb called moly, as instructed by Hermes the messenger god, to immunitize himself to her enchantments before the altercation. When Odysseus’