Odysseus: A Hero In Homer's Odyssey

What makes a hero? A hero is usually considered as someone who has great courage, does bold deeds, and is thought of as a model being. In the Odyssey, composed by Homer, Odysseus goes on a twenty year journey home from the Trojan War to Ithaca. Throughout this journey, Odysseus faces fearsome monsters, rough seas, and many other troubles and triumphs. Odysseus is a hero because he courageous, looks out for others, and is loyal to his quest. Odysseus is courageous because he protects his men and never backs down from a fight. When Odysseus and his men get captured by the Sirens, he wants to protect his men from the sirens enchanting voices. To do this he, “...carried wax along the line, and laid it thick on their ears”, effectively plugging
the men's ears with wax(548-540).
This caused the men not to be overpowered by the Sirens. Odysseus gave up his own safety to save his men's lives, showing a courageous act. Another example is, when odysseus and his men were trapped by the Cyclops, he devised a plan to free himself and the men. Odysseus put the plan into action because he, “... leaned on it [the spear] turning it as a shipwright turns a drill in planking,” blinding the Cyclops(316-318). Odysseus came up with this because he did not want to kill him, or his men would never escape. Therefore, his plan was to blind the cyclops by stabbing him in the eye. This effected the rest of the journey because again, he saved his men from death. Finally, he is courageous when he goes to kill the suitors for his wife. After he reveals himself to the suitors, Odysseus starts shooting arrows to kill them. Then he says to Telemachus, “when they are all gone if I’m alone, they can
dislodge me,”(1306-1308) He is saying that if the arrows run out and I can no longer protect myself, then let them kill me. It is a courageous act because he stood up to the sutors and saying that if he could no longer protect himself, they would dislodge him. This affects the rest of the journey because these words make Telemachus run to go get help to save his father. After killing the suitors, he returns to his family and takes back his kingdom. Odysseus is a hero because he cares about the lives of others. His men, and his family. When Odysseus and his men land on the island of the Lotus, three of this men eat the lotus plants.When they find the men, Odysseus warns them by saying that if you , “...taste the lotus, you lose hope of home,”(86-88). By Odysseus warning the men of the dangers of the lotus plants, he is saving their lives. He is showing his appreciation for them. Therefore, they can continue on their journey home. If he hadn't warned them, all of the men would have been stuck on the island forever. When Odysseus return home he speaks to his son about the plan to kill the suitors. Then he explains to him to, “...let no one hear Odysseus is about” and to not tell “...Laterous, nor the swineherd people here nor any slave, nor even Penelope.”(994-996). He is protecting his family and those who work at the castle from the plan he has for the sutors. If they had found out he was home, the sutors would never leave. In order to take back his kingdom he needed to kill the suitors. These events show his respect for others lives and his will to protect them. Odysseus is a hero because he is loyal to his quest.
On the island of Helios all of Odysseus’ men were killed. After, Odysseus set sail alone on the open sea. Then a terrible storm hit and the waves become treacherous. When his boat gets wrecked, he stays afloat by, “...lashing mast and keel together ,” riding the frightful storm(797-798). He works so hard by trying the parts of the boat together just to keep afloat. If he hadn't done this he would have died in the ocean and would have never made it home to his family. This is representing his will to survive and his loyalty to his journey. After all his hardships and sacrifices, he finally made it back to his home of Ithaca. When he sees his wife Penelope for the first time in twenty years, “...he wept at last..” knowing that his wife was “clear and faithful in his arms”(1408-1409). THis let him know that the hardships that he faced were worth it. He finally made it home to his family and his
home. It’s true that a hero will have some flaws as well. One might object that his arrogant mistakes and actions put his men's lives in danger. When Odysseus yells to cyclops, “Let them know it’s Odysseus, raider of cities,”(1325) This outburst from Odysseus causes the Cyclops to curse the rest of their journey. It can be seen as Odysseus putting his men in danger because of his arrogance and overconfidence. However, throughout the story there are many examples of Odysseus’ actions keeping his men safe. When the men face the six-headed monster Scylla, he says, “I told them nothing , as they would do nothing. They would have dropped their oars again, in panic…”(620-622). His actions here are not arrogant but thoughtful. If he had told the men that six were going to die, it would have caused a panic. This would have killed everyone on the boat. Odysseus is a hero because he is courageous, looks out for others, and is loyal to his quest. He is an example of a model being in ancient Greek times. His actions. words, and incredible journey has survived thousands of years and has inspired some of the most famous works of our time.