22 March 2012 Odysseus: Epic Hero or Not? What is a hero you may ask? Merriam-Webster states that a hero is a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability; an illustrious warrior; a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities; one who shows great courage; the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work; the central figure in an event‚ period‚ or movement. I could support Merriam and say that Odysseus fits many of these
Free Odyssey Odysseus Homer
Odysseus As An Epic Hero In the story of the Odyssey‚ Odysseus was put through many ordeals through which we see his moral and physical characteristics. After evaluating such characteristics we can see that Odysseus is a great epic hero. We can see that not only is he superior to most mortal men‚ he also shares many of the same desires‚ therefore fulfilling all the technical requirements of a "hero". Odysseus has insight about his own fate and destiny‚ but lives intertwined with the Olympic Gods
Premium Odyssey Athena Odysseus
What Defines a Hero Maya Angelou‚ an author‚ poet‚ and a civil rights activist once said: “I think a hero is any person really intend on making this a better place for all people.” But seeing as this poet says “any person‚” that person can be of human or even superhuman characteristics so long as their deed is right. In this case‚ in Robert Fagel’s translation of The Odyssey by Homer‚ Odysseus is a king longing to return home after numerous years of war. Of his tales‚ there are points of hardship
Premium Odyssey Odysseus
Heroes are the best-known part of Greek mythology. what makes a hero in Greek Mythology are battling tyrants and conquering dangerous journeys and completing difficult tasks. These heroes who conquered their obstacle’s‚ deserve to be recognized. I have chosen to highlighted my two favorite Greek heroes‚ I believe have shown incredible strength through every turn of their lives. Not only did these two go hand in hand in marriage‚ their heroism and bravery tell a story that should be written about
Premium Achilles Trojan War Greek mythology
An epic hero is someone who embodies the ideals of a society. He overcomes obstacles‚ and is courageous‚ intelligent‚ and honorable. He is on an epic journey. The Odyssey is usually described as an epic poem of an epic hero. The following text is about whether or not Odysseus really is an epic hero. Sometimes‚ Odysseus really acts like a hero‚ but sometimes not. In the Trojan War‚ he was very strong and brave‚ and he protected his men‚ but in book 9-12‚ he doesn’t seem to be the leader of his
Premium Odyssey Homer Greek mythology
In the Odyssey‚ we are introduced to odysseus as a battle hero. Nowadays when you hear of a soldier or general‚ most people think of a hard muscley guy that shows little feelings. That is accurate to who odysseus was right after the long battle of Troy. What changed him from that to a wise more caring and clever man was the journey home and the obstacles it contained. In the beginning of his journey home Odysseus and his men were very head strong as they landed on ismarus/ismara‚ which was on the
Premium Odyssey Greek mythology
Odyssey which is the story of Odysseus. Odysseus a Greek Hero who fought in the Trojan War for ten years and was gone from home for another ten years. One place Odysseus traveled to was Cyclops island where Odysseus met Polyphemus. Polyphemus was a cyclops that shows how Odysseus’ life changed and how Odysseus is a hero with a lesson to learn. Odysseus made some clever choices with Polyphemus but other choices lead to nothing but destruction and pain. Throughout Odysseus’ journey he is reminded of the
Premium Odyssey Odysseus Homer
Furthermore‚ the epic of Beowulf is an additional great example of hero in literature‚ providing a hero who stands at the face of danger and his/her enemy with bravery and courage‚ and also various antagonists who act as boosts to the already increasing intensity of what will be the hero’s next move. Beowulf is what is expected of a hero‚ the key to the success of the epic in fact. In a quote found in Beowulf that states‚ “So times were pleasant for people there until finally one‚ a fiend out of
Premium Odyssey Epic poetry Odysseus
Odyssey by Homer Odysseus has to save his men and get them home. Odysseus is a modern day hero hero. He qualifies for the job because first he is brave‚ cunning‚ and determined. He made smart decisions and knows how to get out of sticky situations. Second he is brave and he is ready for whatever comes his way. Although the ancient greeks consider odysseus a hero epic hero‚ according Modern day to Ethos and Logos he fails to measure by modern standards. Odysseus is not a modern day hero because he tricked
Premium Trojan War Odyssey Homer
unnatural things‚ like Batman and Iron Man. Odysseus is no different from the common heroes we hear today. The most heroic attribute of Odysseus was that he was smart. He was also courageous as well as confident. Odysseus was a very smart man. This was shown when the cyclops Prometheus asked him what his name was when they were trapped in the cave and Odysseus answered that his name was “No One.” This helped Odysseus and his men a lot because when Odysseus blinded the cyclops‚ who then screamed that
Premium Odyssey Trojan War Odysseus