The Odyssey

The Greeks define nobility as a person who would go and fight for their country, a person who has values of bravery, intelligence, strength and keen judgment. He must also be a person who the gods respect. In Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, Odysseus is portrayed as noble according to mythology legend. The American Heritage dictionary defines noble as a man often of divine ancestry, a man who is endowed with great courage and strength who is celebrated for his bold exploits and favored by the gods. (American Heritage dictionary) Odysseus was a noble man if he was being described by the Greeks, but in today’s society there probably would be some debate as to whether or not he was truly noble. Although, Odysseus did possess some of these qualities however, if one was to really think about it he did not fit the total picture. Some of his acts and decisions showed us that he is like any other human being who makes mistakes and acts self centered. The definition of nobility has changed drastically over the years. In today’s society Odysseus would not be considered as a person who is noble. Although, during his adventures he did perform heroic acts some of them were selfish and only to benefit his own ego. Today, we usually consider giving of your time unselfishly, giving blood, or even giving money, food or clothes to a less fortunate person to be noble. One would say that people such as Rosa Parks or Martin Luther King Jr. who won the Noble Peace Prize to be noble. All of their demonstrations were done peacefully and not with the intent to harm anyone. Their fight was not just for themselves, but for all humanity. They gave of themselves without expecting anything in return. Many actors, actresses, rap artists athletes etc are considered noble. They are examples of people that have changed the lives of many over the past years. Odysseus was not just the ruler of Ithaca, he was a fighter. He was also very intelligent. During the time of the Greeks he was