How Is Odysseus A Hero

A hero is someone held in high regard due to their fortitude, admirable traits, and amazing accomplishments. Heros come in many different shapes and sizes, all having different motives and goals. They aren’t all the typical strong, powerful, crime fighting super soldiers as seen in films. In a majority of books and movies the protagonist is also a hero. In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, the tale of Odysseus is told. After a ten year war with Troy, Odysseus, is trying to get back to his home land of Ithaca and he will do whatever it takes to do so. Yes, Odysseus fights against the gods, and horrendous creatures to get back to his loved ones; however some of Odysseus actions are completely unjustified. His lack of consideration toward other’s feelings
Tiresias, a prophet who lives in the underworld, privately tells Odysseus that six of his men will be eaten by the sea monster Scylla. Rather than warn his men of their predicted death, Odysseus just “told them nothing” because he thought there was nothing he could do to save them (682). Since they couldn’t properly defend themselves, Odysseus basically ensured his men’s death. If Odysseus would have let his men know the prediction, they could have had a better chance of not perishing. Another discourteous thing Odysseus did, was cheat on his wife. When he finally got home he said, in disguised, to his wife, Penelope, “who else in the world would keep aloof as you do from her husband” (707). Odysseus was questioning whether or not Penelope would stay true to him. Not only did he have coitus with Circe for a few seasons, but he also slept with Calypso for seven years. Meanwhile his wife, didn’t take advantage of any suitors that were waiting at her doorstep which she could have easily done. Yet, he still expected her to stay loyal to him. She waited and stayed true to her lord for twenty years while he spent at least eight years being dishonest to her. He held her to expectations that he didn’t even meet
When it was time to face the suitors Odysseus didn’t do what any real hero would and give a fair fight. Odysseus locked all of the suitors in one room and, “not a good ashen was there for a man to take and throw” (704). In essence, Odysseus trapped all of his wife’s suitors in one room while he mercilessly murdered them. Most heros generally have to fight off their enemies whom are also equipped with weapons. That’s what makes them a hero because although they killed someone, the hero gave them an equal opportunity to live. But Odysseus just decided to take easy way out, because he couldn’t face the real challenge. Odysseus also is cowardly because he blames the gods for his own mistakes. He yelled to the gods, saying “O father Zeus and gods in bliss forever, you made me sleep away this day of mischief!” (686). Odysseus knew that if his men ate Helios, the sun god’s, cattle then all of his men would die. But again, he did not tell his men this crucial piece of information, and just told them not to eat the cattle. Later, he fell asleep and the men ate the cattle, then died. Instead of coming to terms with the fact that his asinine decision led to his men’s death, Odysseus did what any other incompetent person would do, blame anyone else but