The Odysseus: An Epic Hero

The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word hero as “a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” Society has certain standards set for how someone can become a hero, and the qualities they must possess to be considered one. In the epic poem The Odyssey, the main heroic figure Odysseus embarks on an epic journey through the known world, making him the epic hero of this story. Odysseus is an example of a controversy character when it comes to determining if he is a hero or not. While he falls under the required characteristics, his tragic flaws set him back. “He saw the townlands and learned the minds of many distant men and weathered many bitter nights and days in his deep heart at sea, while he
Victory is what motivates Odysseus, and when he receives victory, he becomes very headstrong. When he escapes the cyclops’ cave he cries out, “O Cyclops! Would you feast on my companions? Puny, am I, in a Caveman’s hands? How do you like the beating we gave you, you damned cannibal?” (Pt. I L 395-398) Because of the arrogance he shows here, Polyphemos places a curse upon Odysseus, saying that he will lose all of his men and ships, and return home to find trouble. His curiosity also gets him into trouble. It leads him to Polyphemos’ cave and causes him to lose some of his men and it almost costs him his life. It also causes him to order his men to tie him to his ship’s mast in order to hear the siren’s call. Moreover, Odysseus does not give his men credit for any victory, he takes all the recognition. He doesn’t credit anyone but himself for escaping the cyclops’ cave. His arrogance clouds his judgement, which leads him to speak without realization of what he’s doing. While these flaws set Odysseus back, by the end of the epic, Odysseus shows character development that readers can relate to, and development that can classify him as a