Homer's Odyssey: Is Odysseus A Hero?
Is Odysseus a hero?
Can Odysseus, the “hero” of the Odyssey, be considered a Greek hero in the ancient world? Certainly, one can agree that Odysseus has certain characteristics that would prove him to both a hero and scoundrel through countless passages in the reading. But overall, Odysseus can be considered one of the many Greek heroes proven through common physical traits, spiritual traits, and his charismatic personality that he shares with many other heroes.
A common trope in Epic Greek stories is the masculine and strong hero that frequently uses his strength to get out of situations. This means that, in the physical sense Odysseus can be considered a great hero. He overcomes all the extreme dangers within the book such as wondering for …show more content…
Although he has been wandering away from home for almost twenty years, the only thing that keeps him alive is the thought of his wife and son that are back at home waiting for him. He embraces his mortality and it becomes the basis of what gives him the strength to withstand all the difficulties he faces. In addition, he is unbelievably clever and witty. One can find throughout the Odyssey that Odysseus was the man that saved the Greeks in the Trojan War and helped them win the brutal war. He “in every kind of strategy [used in the war] proved himself supreme” (Book III 120-121). The idea of the Trojan horse, how they won the battle, was developed by Odysseus. Also, we see Odysseus various times in the Odyssey making his way through the most difficult situations by using his wits and cleverness.
However, the fact that Odysseus does have some flaws cannot be rejected. These flaws include the fact that he loses a lot his men (Book IX 59-61, IX 287-290, X 118-133, XII 243-246, XII 416-419) and the fact that he boasts about himself especially when he reveals his name after defeating the Cyclops (Book IX 500-504). Nevertheless, this does nothing but adds to the idea of Odysseus being more evidence of him being a hero. He is a mortal hero, a human, and humans have
Can Odysseus, the “hero” of the Odyssey, be considered a Greek hero in the ancient world? Certainly, one can agree that Odysseus has certain characteristics that would prove him to both a hero and scoundrel through countless passages in the reading. But overall, Odysseus can be considered one of the many Greek heroes proven through common physical traits, spiritual traits, and his charismatic personality that he shares with many other heroes.
A common trope in Epic Greek stories is the masculine and strong hero that frequently uses his strength to get out of situations. This means that, in the physical sense Odysseus can be considered a great hero. He overcomes all the extreme dangers within the book such as wondering for …show more content…
Although he has been wandering away from home for almost twenty years, the only thing that keeps him alive is the thought of his wife and son that are back at home waiting for him. He embraces his mortality and it becomes the basis of what gives him the strength to withstand all the difficulties he faces. In addition, he is unbelievably clever and witty. One can find throughout the Odyssey that Odysseus was the man that saved the Greeks in the Trojan War and helped them win the brutal war. He “in every kind of strategy [used in the war] proved himself supreme” (Book III 120-121). The idea of the Trojan horse, how they won the battle, was developed by Odysseus. Also, we see Odysseus various times in the Odyssey making his way through the most difficult situations by using his wits and cleverness.
However, the fact that Odysseus does have some flaws cannot be rejected. These flaws include the fact that he loses a lot his men (Book IX 59-61, IX 287-290, X 118-133, XII 243-246, XII 416-419) and the fact that he boasts about himself especially when he reveals his name after defeating the Cyclops (Book IX 500-504). Nevertheless, this does nothing but adds to the idea of Odysseus being more evidence of him being a hero. He is a mortal hero, a human, and humans have