Odysseus: The Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

On the subject of heroism, Maya Angelou once wrote that “I think a hero is any person really intent on making this a better place for all people” (Angelou). The general picture that comes to mind when the word “hero” is said is the idea of Superman or Wonder Woman; however, a true hero is anyone who tries to make their world a better place. Odysseus, the hero in Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, fought in the Trojan War and embarked on a ten year journey to return to his kingdom, Ithaca. During his quest to return home, he encounters many supernatural forces that show both his heroic, and not so heroic actions. He faces countless challenges, meets new people, and has to make sacrifices for the overall benefit of his crew (Bowler and Homer 645-705).
Odysseus exhibits his leadership skills multiple times throughout the story. One of the most significant times that he shows leadership is through the administration over his crew in the section of “The Lotus Eaters”. Upon arriving at this island, three of his men ate the lotus flowers that were offered to them. Unfortunately, the lotus flower is similar to a drug in the sense that it makes the consumer forget about his or her goals and intentions. Odysseus described that those three men “longed to stay forever...forgetful of their homeland.” As a result, Odysseus used his authority to take them, against their will, back to the ships, where he “tied them down under their rowing benches, and called the rest: ‘All hands aboard: come, clear the beach and no one taste the Lotus, or you lose your hope of home’” (Bowler and Homer 649). Although he could have easily left them behind, he stopped at nothing to make sure as many men possible returned to Ithaca safely. His leadership is shown in his determination and ability to make decisions not only for himself, but for his entire crew. Likewise, Taylor Swift has shown her leadership skills in numerous ways during her life. Her actions of leadership involve her standing up against something that she does not believe to be right. In the summer of 2015, Apple introduced a new music service, which offered a free three-month-trial to customers. During this time period, musicians were originally not going to receive pay for their music. Taylor Swift wrote an open letter to Apple, writing that "I find it [the service] to be shocking, disappointing, and completely unlike this historically progressive and generous company” (Swift). Furthermore, Swift mentioned that this is not about her, and at this point in her life, she is able to support herself and her team, but newer artists will not be paid for their success. She politely and