Odysseus Is An Epic Hero Essay
Odysseus is the hero that appears in The Odyssey, Homer's epic about Odysseus’s 10 year struggle to return home after the end of the Trojan War. In this epic, Odysseus battles mythical creatures and endures the wrath of the gods. All while being the epic hero of the story. Being the protagonist of this epic, Odysseus has many qualities that make him the hero.
Odysseus has the standard qualities that make him a hero; strength, bravery, courage, nobility. He is also the embodiment of the standards and morals of his culture. But his most redeeming quality is his intellect. He proves time and time again that not only is he smart but also extremely clever. He shows this not only by openly evaluating situations but also by outwitting his opponents, such as the Cyclops. He uses this to his advantage, to overcome the obstacles preventing him from returning home. He also uses it in ways, such as lying, stealing and cheating, …show more content…
which is not normally shown in a hero. But he is also willing to pay the price for his knowledge. An example of this is when he insists on being tied to the mast of his ship so he can listen to the Siren’s call even though he knows the consequences.
While Odysseus has a sharp intellect, he is also very self-disciplined. This is shown when he refuses to eat the lotus and saves his men. And like most heroes he has a very large thirst for glory and is motivated by victory. Odysseus’s only goal throughout this epic is to return home to his wife and child and reclaim the throne of Ithaca and he is willing to do anything to achieve this goal.
Although Odysseus is willing to do anything to return home, he usually given two options when confronting conflicts: life or death.
He is given these options even when the gods intervene. Whenever Athena intervenes, she always offers Odysseus ultimate success or complete failure. In the end, he survives all of his battles.
While Odysseus is an epic hero there are a few things about him that are not so heroic; such as his loyalty to his wife. He enjoys a luxurious life with Calypso all while Penelope, his wife, fights off suitors in order to remain loyal to Odysseus. While he does want to return home, he also admits that not even his wife can compare to Calypso.
All though his infidelity is not so heroic, Odysseus does have the qualities and strengths that make him a hero. He wins every battle and returns home to his wife and child. It may have taken him ten years to return home but he did it. Odysseus is an extremely well written character and a guide to what makes a hero. It is easy to understand why critics say he is the first “modern
man”.
Odysseus has the standard qualities that make him a hero; strength, bravery, courage, nobility. He is also the embodiment of the standards and morals of his culture. But his most redeeming quality is his intellect. He proves time and time again that not only is he smart but also extremely clever. He shows this not only by openly evaluating situations but also by outwitting his opponents, such as the Cyclops. He uses this to his advantage, to overcome the obstacles preventing him from returning home. He also uses it in ways, such as lying, stealing and cheating, …show more content…
which is not normally shown in a hero. But he is also willing to pay the price for his knowledge. An example of this is when he insists on being tied to the mast of his ship so he can listen to the Siren’s call even though he knows the consequences.
While Odysseus has a sharp intellect, he is also very self-disciplined. This is shown when he refuses to eat the lotus and saves his men. And like most heroes he has a very large thirst for glory and is motivated by victory. Odysseus’s only goal throughout this epic is to return home to his wife and child and reclaim the throne of Ithaca and he is willing to do anything to achieve this goal.
Although Odysseus is willing to do anything to return home, he usually given two options when confronting conflicts: life or death.
He is given these options even when the gods intervene. Whenever Athena intervenes, she always offers Odysseus ultimate success or complete failure. In the end, he survives all of his battles.
While Odysseus is an epic hero there are a few things about him that are not so heroic; such as his loyalty to his wife. He enjoys a luxurious life with Calypso all while Penelope, his wife, fights off suitors in order to remain loyal to Odysseus. While he does want to return home, he also admits that not even his wife can compare to Calypso.
All though his infidelity is not so heroic, Odysseus does have the qualities and strengths that make him a hero. He wins every battle and returns home to his wife and child. It may have taken him ten years to return home but he did it. Odysseus is an extremely well written character and a guide to what makes a hero. It is easy to understand why critics say he is the first “modern
man”.