Odysseus Hero Definition Essay

What is your definition of a hero? It is definitely not a man with supernatural powers that can fly or have unhuman super strength. Many believe this is the case, but the definition is definitely the opposite of this one. A hero would be someone who has courage and has risked or sacrificed his life for others to achieve greatness. A hero to others is a person that has discovered or achieved something outstanding. A hero was a leader who not only had physical strength, but mental strength as well. “He” was usually someone that got themselves into danger, and in cases where the average man would suffer, the hero would have enough stamina to survive. Odysseus shows all of these signs and has achieved greatness because of these characteristics.

In ancient Greece, a hero was considered a man, who is exceptionally clever and talented with great courage and strength,
However, he displays vices that could lead to his death. He tends to be very prideful and arrogant. Odysseus' intelligence and confidence has made him unable to back down from battles .This can lead to more harm than good. Laodamas asks Odysseus if he wants to compete in sports with them, and Odysseus declines the invitation. Seareach then publicly questions Odysseus' skills, and his manhood, by saying, "[you] have no skill in any of the contests of fighting men” (page 129). Seareach's words highly insulted Odysseus' pride. This leads him to take the men up on their challenge. He retaliates by throwing a discus further than any Phaeacian could throw. Later in the book, when Odysseus identifies himself to the Phaeacians, he says, "Men hold me formidable for guile in peace and war: this fame has gone abroad to the sky's rim” (page 145). These actions that Odysseus displays shows that even though he is confident, he can be insecure of his manhood. When his manhood seems threatened, he will defend