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Is Odysseus a Hero Essay
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A hero is defined as a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal’. The definition of a hero is someone who is respected for doing something great and is respected for doing so. An average hero, or an archetypal hero, also has flaws to accompany his heroic acts. Archetypal heroes are people who do noble or heroic things, accomplish their goals or are looked up to by others. Archetypal heroes also must have a crucial flaw, that serves as an imperfection that can often affect the hero themselves or others around them. Odysseus, the protagonist in the epic, ‘The Odyssey, is a good example of an archetypal hero. Odysseus does so by accomplishing his goals and overcoming obstacles but has flaws like hubris that can get him involved in new conflicts.
Odysseus shows the traits of a hero by accomplishing his goals, and overcoming any obstacles he happens to face. For example, in the section of the book where Odysseus and his crew are about to pass the island of the sirens, that also poses a great deal of danger to them all. Odysseus chooses to be honest to his crew, and explain how they are in danger: ‘Friends… it’s wrong for only one or two to know the revelations that lovely Circe made to me alone. I’ll tell you all, so we can die with our eyes wide open now or escape out fate and certain death together.’ (Book 12, lines 166-170) Odysseus was being honest to his crew, to tell them to prepare for danger, telling them that people will die and that nobody will be safe along their journey. This is a heroic act because Odysseus is doing something that can save the lives of his crew. Odysseus also saves his crew from the sirens as they are about to encounter them: ‘Now with a sharp sword I sliced an ample wheel of beeswax down into pieces, kneaded them in my two strong hands and the wax soon grew soft, worked by my strength and Helios’ burning rays, the sun at high noon, and I stopped the ears of my comrades one by one.’ (Book 12, lines 189-193). By deafening his crew, Odysseus is saving them from the Sirens. The Sirens kill people by drawing anyone passing their island with their songs. After the person is drawn in, and because the only way to reach the island is by boat, their ship would hit the rocky perimeter of the island, destroying their ship, and leaving the crew to drown. By making it so that his crew cannot hear the Sirens, they won’t be drawn in by the Sirens. This impacts Odysseus’ journey by making his crew survive one of the obstacles they all had to face. This is a characteristic of a heroic act by saving lives, and accomplishing his goals, because after doing this, Odysseus and his crew are able to pass the island without being drawn toward the Sirens, resulting in nobody dying. Overall, Odysseus is heroic by saving lives and overcoming obstacles.
However, even though Odysseus shows heroism, and accomplishes his goals, he does have flaws that can compromise his actions. For example, during the encounter with the Sirens, Odysseus had previously heard that no man had ever passed the Sirens and survived. Odysseus however, wanted to prove this theory wrong: ‘I alone was to hear their voices, so she said, but you must bind me with tight chaffing ropes so I cannot move a muscle, bound to the spot erect at the mast-block, lashed by ropes to the mast. And if I plead, commanding you to set me free, then lash me faster, rope on pressing rope.’ (Book 12, lines 174-179) Odysseus was telling his crew that he wanted to hear the Sirens, but be tied up to his ship, so he cannot respond or move towards the Sirens. This is a showing of hubris (a showing of excessive pride, leading to a negative result) because by allowing himself to hear the Sirens, Odysseus is endangering his crew, and himself. Although Odysseus and his crew later pass the Sirens unharmed, it results in a loss of trust and respect towards Odysseus from his crew (this being the negative result). Odysseus and his crew slowly grow resistant toward each other, as his crew begins to suffer from hunger on his journey, and refuse Odysseus’ advice: ‘Listen to me, my comrades, (the person speaking is Eurylochus) brothers in hardship. All ways of dying are hateful to us poor mortals, true, but to die of hunger, starve to death- that’s the worst of all. So up with you now, let’s drive off the pick of Helios’ sleek herds, slaughter them to the gods who rule the skies up there.’ (Book 12, lines 366-371) This section shows Odysseus’ crew slaughtering Helios’ (the Greek personification of the Sun) cattle, resulting in Helios in an outrage, and conveying Zeus to kill Odysseus’ crew. Zeus then sends down upon Odysseus’ crew a lightning bolt, killing all of Odysseus’ crew, leaving Odysseus himself alive but adrift on open seas. This shows the further results of Odysseus’ hubris. Earlier, when Odysseus showed hubris (during many events, ie. Sirens, Polyphemus, Cattle of the Gods) and endangered his crew, almost to the point where he had gotten them killed several times, they had lost trust in him, thinking they were unimportant and expendable. As they lost trust more and more after Odysseus’ actions, they decided to go against his knowledge and advice, which ultimately got them killed. Odysseus’ hubris is generally his primary flaw and has an effect on him and his crew on their journey.
There are also moments where Odysseus can instantly contradict his own actions with hubris, even when his previous actions were heroic. An example of this is when Odysseus and his crew encounter Polyphemus (a cyclops and the son of Zeus), who begins killing Odysseus’ crew. Odysseus in an attempt to outsmart Polyphemus spots a large wood club that Polyphemus left behind the previous night and, with the help of his men, sharpens the narrow end to a fine point. That night, Polyphemus returns from herding his flock of sheep. He sits down and kills two more of Odysseus’ men. At that point, Odysseus offers Polyphemus the strong wine given to him by Maron. The wine makes Polyphemus drunk and unwary. When Polyphemus asks for Odysseus’ name, promising him a guest gift if he answers, Odysseus says: ‘I will tell you. But you must give me a guest gift as you promised. Nobody- that’s my name. Nobody- so my mother and father call me, and all my friends.’ (Book 9, page 223, lines 409-411) Odysseus was not telling Polyphemus his real name, meaning that Polyphemus doesn’t know who Odysseus is yet. Polyphemus thinks of it as a real name and says that he will eat ‘no-one’ last and that this shall be his guest gift. Polyphemus crashes to the floor and passes out. Odysseus, with the help of his men, lifts the flaming stake, charges forward, and drives it into Polyphemus’ eye, blinding him. With Polyphemus now blinded he yells for help from his fellow cyclopes that ‘no one has hurt him. The other cyclopes think Polyphemus is making a fool out of them or that it must be a matter with the gods and walk away. When morning comes, Odysseus and his men escape from the cave, unseen by Polyphemus, by clinging to Polyphemus’ sheep as they go out to graze. ‘And with that threat he let my ram go free outside. But soon as we’d got one foot past cave and courtyard, first I loosed myself from the ram, then loosed my men, then quickly, glancing back again and again we drove our flock, good plump beasts with their long shanks, straight to the ship,’ (Book 9, page 226, lines 515-520) Odysseus was able to escape Polyphemus as well as getting his crew out along with Polyphemus’ cattle, which they needed. This shows heroism by Odysseus being able to save others from the trouble that could have gotten them killed. Overall, this is one of Odysseus’ biggest heroic feats. He came up with a clever plan that outsmarted his enemy and then managed to save himself and others from danger.
However, Odysseus then contradicts his own heroism by saying: ‘Cyclops- if any man on the face of the Earth should ask you who blinded, shamed you so- say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca!’ (Book 9, page 227, lines 558-562). Odysseus wanted to let Polyphemus know who was the man who outsmarted him and revealed his name, kin, and home. Not only was this one of Odysseus’ biggest mistakes; this is a contradiction to Odysseus’ heroism earlier. Earlier, when Odysseus told Polyphemus that his name was ‘Nobody’, he was protecting his identity, so that Polyphemus could not harm him. After Odysseus tells Polyphemus his real name, he prays to his father, Poseidon for revenge. ‘But at that he bellowed out to lord Poseidon, thrusting his arms to the starry skies, and prayed, ‘Hear me– Poseidon, god of the sea-blue who rocks the earth! If I really am your son and you claim to be my father- come, grant that Odysseus, raider of cities, Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca, never reaches home.’ After this, Poseidon hears his son’s prayer and supposedly gave Polyphemus the strength to hurl a large boulder at Odysseus’ ship, which lands in the water next to the ship, causing the ship to collide with nearby land. This would have never happened if Odysseus hadn’t told his name to Polyphemus then he wouldn’t have been able to pray to Poseidon, resulting in him having the strength to harm Odysseus and his crew. Odysseus’ hubris can contradict his heroics and can affect him in negative ways. Odysseus has a tendency to be reckless and do things without thinking about what effect it could have on his future. His hubris can often get in the way of his accomplishments, and make his efforts seem like they were for nothing.
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What Heroic Qualities Does Odysseus Demonstrate as He Passes the Sirens?
As Odysseus passes the Sirens in Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey,” he demonstrates several heroic qualities, including:
- Intelligence: Odysseus has devised a plan to protect himself and his men from the Sirens’ enchanting song, which shows his cleverness and resourcefulness.
- Self-control: Despite being tempted by the Sirens’ song, Odysseus orders his men to tie him to the mast of his ship so that he cannot be lured to his death. This shows his discipline and ability to resist temptation.
- Courage: Odysseus risks his life by approaching the dangerous Sirens in the first place, demonstrating his bravery and willingness to face danger.
- Leadership: As the captain of his ship, Odysseus sets an example for his men by facing the Sirens head-on and successfully navigating their perilous waters. This inspires his followers and earns their trust and respect.
Overall, Odysseus’ actions during the Siren episode demonstrate his intelligence, self-control, courage, and leadership, all of which are key heroic qualities.
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Odysseus: A True Hero Essay
Essay odysseus: a true hero.
First, Odysseus shows bravery in many ways throughout The Odyssey. He shows bravery when he is with allies and friends, which is much easier to do than when one is by themselves. He shows this bravery when he goes to investigate the Kyklops’s cave, “I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer,” (IX, 248-249).
Odysseus : The Hero Of The Story
In Homer’s The Odyssey, Odysseus demonstrates the courage to face danger and adversity. When Odysseus and his men meet the Kyklops Polyphemos, they “felt a pressure in their hearts...but all the same, [Odysseus] spoke up in reply”(Homer 152). Even though everyone was astonishingly scared of the Kyklops and what may happen next, only Odysseus had the bravery to speak up to the Kyklops, even though he was scared himself. Much later, Kirke tells him of the two monsters Kharybdis and Skylla he is soon to face at sea and he listens to this, but exclaims, “Only instruct me...how if possible, can I pass Kharybdis, or fight off Skylla when she faces my crew?”(Homer 212). This exhibits Odysseus’ character as always desiring to find a way to conquer the problem even though the problem might seem out of his reach. After Odysseus and his men pass the monster Skylla, he tells to his men to keep on going and Eurylochus complains, “Are you flesh and blood Odysseus to endure more than a man
Odysseus Is An Epic Hero Essay
Being able to conquer Troy, have the god Poseidon against you, and dealing with many life threatening things on your long journey home are all things Odysseus overcame. Odysseus is an epic hero for making the long journey home and defeating monsters along the way. Epic hero's typically have larger than life qualities, are extremely skilled fighters, and are natural leaders. They can be smarter than everyone else and stand alone. In this essay, the three traits that will be focused on for Odysseus are having larger than life qualities, being smarter than everyone else, and being a skilled fighter.
Odysseus Hero Essay
In The Odyssey Odysseus stands up for his men who are traveling to war with him when Athena accuses them of not displaying much talent. It would be difficult for Odysseus to stand up for his men while talking to a goddess. However, he handles himself very wisely explaining to Athena the positive qualities in each of his men. In The Odyssey after Poseidon grows angry with Odysseus telling him he will suffer, it only makes Odysseus determination in himself increase. A hero is one who never gives up, so one major character traits they should obtain is determination Although Odysseus is beaten down by the god of the sea it does not decrease his determination. During the journey back from the war in The Odyssey after Poseidon has warned Odysseus that he will not make it home Odysseus not only works well with his men, but also is very self reliant. Self reliance is a huge part of becoming a hero because you have to be prepared at all times if something was to happen to your acquaintances, you need to have the confidence to fulfil your goal.
Odysseus: A True Modern Hero Essay
Another way Odysseus is also a hero is he always finds a way to survive whether he is in conflict or out on the sea. One of the many situations Odysseus survives is his encounter with Skylla. Six of his crew members do perish but through his hard work and dedication he survives. He makes another smart decision in choosing to go through Skylla instead of Kharybdis because only six of his crew members die instead of the whole crew. Another decision Odysseus makes to survive is not eating the cattle of Helios while on Thrinikia, his crew members choice in eating the hallowed cows results in their death, but Odysseus knew the consequences and did not touch a cow. Another way Odysseus' quick-decision skills helps him is when he chooses to leave the island of the Lotous-eaters, because he realized his whole crew would have fell under the curse if he had stayed there. Odysseus is also a master tactician whose complex plans save his crew and help him regain his crown. One of these plans was his ingenious idea to trick Polyphemos, which shows he is a hero by saving countless lives. Another plan he implemented was to kill the suitors which is also a success because Odysseus and Telemakos themselves kill over a hundred men without an injury to themselves .Odysseus is a quick-thinker whose resourceful ideas save many lives.
Odysseus Is Not A Hero Essay
In the end, I think Odysseus is a hero because although he does make mistake and although no one is perfect he tried his best to get him and his men home safely. Odysseus has many good qualities consisting of quick thinking, creativity, protectiveness, and many more. He also has bad qualities like curiosity and ignorance. So even though people make mistakes and don’t always do the right thing I think that they can still be a
Odysseus in The Odyssey: Hero or Not? Essay
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The majority of those who read The Odyssey consider the protagonist of the story, Odysseus, a hero. On many occasions, however, Odysseus makes decisions beneficial to himself alone. For example, when Odysseus and his men find themselves on Polyphemus's island, Odysseus's actions are self-centered and at the expense of his men. This can be said for most of Odysseus's actions in the story, as his main objective is to reach his home. Having his men by his side when he returns seems a trivial thing to him. Odysseus could be considered a hero, but many of his actions say otherwise. Due to the many unfaithful and self-centered decisions he makes in the story, Odysseus is not a hero.
Character Analysis of Odysseus Essay
One of the biggest traits Odysseus shows throughout the story is his bravery. The whole story Odysseus shows his courage. Taking every mission knowing there could be death; Odysseus still did not give up. Odysseus did whatever it took to make back to Ithaca for his wife and son. Odysseus showed courage by outsmarting the Cyclops. Odysseus went to the land of the dead just to bury a dead shipmate with no fear. But Odysseus showed his every bit of bravery when planning and fighting against the suitors. Odysseus set up plans to kill all the suitors with only 3 people with him. Odysseus refused to back down from the suitors so when the time came he was prepared. When all the suitors were killed Odysseus and his family had finally reunited. After 20 years of Odysseus bravery had all paid off. That’s why I think Odysseus shows he has lots of bravery throughout the story.
Odysseus The Hero Essay
Odysseus is a hero because he acts courageously while facing the many challenges he encounters. Odysseus’s shows great bravery when he engages in physical challenges. Odysseus daringly fights against the suitors, while significantly outnumbered: “For I must
The Heroic Qualities Of Odysseus Essay
Odysseus heroic qualities are strength, courage, dignity, a thirst for glory, and self-confidence. He also shrewd and ingenious, all of which make him the ideal hero in both the physical form and the spiritual aspect. Odysseus being faithful and loyal to his wife shows his dignity. Even though he has been away from his home and family for twenty years his only thoughts are with them. He overcomes all the extreme dangers he encounters showing his strength and courage. His shrewdness and intelligence shows when he, the King of Ithaca, is disguised as a beggar before Telemakhos.
Examples Of Odysseus: A Great Leader
Odysseus was a great leader and hero throughout the story in many examples as I have listed below. My first example is when Odysseus was able to make a spear when he was in Polyphemus's cave. He then took the spear and drove it through the eye of the beast, blinding him. The cyclops then moved the boulder and the men escaped by hiding under sheep.This example shows that O. is a hero because he is daring. If the cyclops was to find any of them or he had missed and woken him then this surely would have meant death for them. The second reason is in book twelve when O. must pass the sirens. To do so he slabs beeswax on the ears of his shipmates. This will make it so them can not be lured into the captivity of the sirens. O. then lashes himself
Odysseus : A Hero As A Hero
Odysseus displays a praiseworthy hero in more than one way. Again, he uses strategy over strength every time he lands upon a new island. Once Odysseus lands on new, unknown lands, he does not run to the king and queen telling them his name and entire life story. He knows that bragging and being rude will not get him very far. When he enters King Alcinous’s castle, the first thing he says to the queen is, “I come to beg you for mercy” (7. 184). He knows that by saying this they will have sympathy
Odysseus : A Hero In Homer's The Odyssey
Constantly throughout the book, Odysseus shows great courage in any and every situation he is put in. We see this glimpse of courage when he fights the suitors, or when he saves his whole crew from the Cyclops. In book 9 as Odysseus and his crew are journeying through the cave of a Cyclops, Odysseus decides to make a very bold decision and blinds the Cyclops. “Hoisting high that olive stake with its stabbing point, straight ingo the monsters eye they rammed it hard.” (page 223, line 427-428) In this scene Odysseus drives a stake into his eye, in result blinding him. This was a very courageous decision because of the fact that he and his men are up against a Cyclops. At the same time, Cyclops’s are very strong and big, and Odysseus could have easily been killed . It turns out that the Cyclops is a offspring of Poseidon which put him and his crew into a lot of trouble and danger later in their journey, and if Odysseus knew that or not it was still a brave thing to do in order to save him and his crew at that moment.
A Hero Essay : Odysseus As A Hero
Odysseus is very confident throughout The Odyssey. For example, when Odysseus and his crew are stuck in the cavern on the island of the cyclops, Odysseus tells the giant his name is Nohbdy in this quote, “Cyclops, you ask my honorable name? Remember the gift you promised me, and I shall tell you. My name is Nohbdy: mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohbdy” (9.270-274). This shows that Odysseus knows his plans always work, and he’s confident that the cyclops will fall for it. This also shows that Odysseus can do anything because of his confidence, even tricking a giant cyclops
Essay on Odysseus's Heroic Attributes
Another trait that Odysseus demonstrates repeatedly throughout the story is his loyalty. In various situations he never gives up on his crew, even when he has reason to. During an episode in the epic, Odysseus travels to the underworld to receive a prophecy. He meets his great friend Elpenor, who has died earlier in Circe’s hall. Because he is unburied and unmourned he asks Odysseus to build a cairn in his honor. Odysseus replies, “Unhappy spirit, / I promise you the barrow and the burial.” (Homer, lines 609-610). Although Odysseus is preoccupied with finding Tiresias, he shows loyalty to his crew mate by spending time with his spirit, and carrying out the spirit’s request. It could have been easy for Odysseus to ignore the spirit of Elpenor, but Odysseus shows a real emotional reply to this meeting. Not only does he show loyalty to his crew but his homeland as well. Although he could have given up during the ten year span Odysseus wandered from home, he persisted even though giving up would have been easier. At one point Odysseus is detained by the enchantress, Circe, but remains determined to reach home:
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Odysseus as a Homeric Epic Hero
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"'Kyklops, try some wine. / Here's liquor to wash down your scraps of men. / Taste it, and see the kind of drink we carried / under our planks. I meant it as an offering / if you would help us home. But you are mad, / unbearable, a bloody monster! After this, / will any other traveler come to see you?'" (Homer 155)
"But I kept thinking how to win the game: / death sat there huge; how could we slip away? / I drew on all my wits, and ran through tactics, / reason as a man will for dear life, / until a trick came-and it pleased me well. / The Kyklops' rams were handsome, fat, with heavy / fleeces, a dark violet" (Homer 157).
"Here is out best maneuver, as I see it: / bathe, you three, and put fresh clothing on, / order the women to adorn themselves,/ and let our admirable harper choose a tune / for dancing, some lighthearted air, and strum it. / Anyone going by, or any neighbor, / will think it is a wedding feast he hears. / These deaths must not be cried about the town / till we can slip away to our own woods. We'll see / what weapon, then, Zeus puts into our hands" (Homer 433).
"Then I sent out two picked men and a runner / to learn what race of men that land sustained. / They fell in, soon enough, with Lotus Eaters, / who showed no will to do us harm, only / offering the sweet Lotus to our friends--/ but those who ate this honeyed plant, the Lotus, /never cared to report, nor to return; / they longed to stay forever, browsing on / that native bloom, forgetful of their homeland. / I drove them, all three wailing, to the ships" (148).
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"You yellow dogs, you thought I'd never make it / home from the land of Try. You took my house to plunder, / twisted my maids to serve your beds. You dared / bid for my wife while I was still alive. / Contempt was all you had for the gods who rule wide heaven, / contempt for what men say of you hereafter. / Your last hour has come. You die in blood" (410).
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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Odysseus — Is Odysseus A Hero: Main Character of Homer’s Epic Poem
Is Odysseus a Hero: Main Character of Homer’s Epic Poem
- Subject: Literature
- Category: Writers , Greek Mythology
- Essay Topic: Homer , Odysseus
- Published: 10 May 2022
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Why Odysseus is a Hero Essay
“Why Odysseus is a Hero Essay”
Odysseus shows the traits of a hero by accomplishing his goals, and overcoming any obstacles he happens to face. For example, in the section of the book where Odysseus and his crew are about to pass the island of the sirens, that also pose a great deal of danger to them all. Odysseus chooses to be honest to his crew, and explain how that they are in danger: “Friends it’s wrong for only one or two to know the revelations that lovely Circe made to me alone. I’ll tell you all, so we can die with our eyes wide open now or escape out fate and certain death together.” (Book 12, lines 166-170) Odysseus was being honest to his crew, to tell them to prepare for danger, telling them that people will die, and that nobody will be safe along their journey. This is a heroic act, because Odysseus is doing something that can save the lives of his crew.
Odysseus also saves his crew from the sirens as they are about to encounter them: “Now with a sharp sword I sliced an ample wheel of beeswax down into pieces, kneaded them in my two strong hands and the wax soon grew soft, worked by my strength and Helios’ burning rays, the sun at high noon, and I stopped the ears of my comrades one by one.” (Book 12, lines 189-193). By deafening his crew, Odysseus is saving them from the Sirens. The Sirens kill people by drawing anyone passing their island with their songs. After the person is drawn in, the only way to reach the island is by boat, their ship would hit the rocky perimeter of the island, destroying their ship, and leaving the crew to drown. By making so that his crew cannot hear the Sirens, they won’t be drawn in by the Sirens. This impacts Odysseus journey by making his crew survive one of the obstacles they all had to face. This is a characteristic of a heroic act by saving lives, and by accomplishing his goals, because after doing this, Odysseus and his crew are able to pass the island without being drawn towards the Sirens, resulting in nobody dying. Overall, Odysseus is heroic by saving lives, and overcoming obstacles.
However, even though Odysseus shows heroism, and accomplishes his goals, he does have flaws that can compromise his actions. For example, during the encounter with the Sirens, Odysseus had previously heard that no man had ever passed the Sirens and survived. Odysseus however, wanted to prove this theory wrong: “I alone was too hear their voices, so she said, but you must bind me with tight chaffing ropes so I cannot move a muscle, bound to the spot erect at the mast-block, lashed by ropes to the mast. And if I plead, commanding you to set me free, and then lash me faster, rope on pressing rope.” (Book 12, lines 174-179) Odysseus was telling his crew that he wanted to hear the Sirens, but be tied up to his ship, so he cannot respond or move towards the Sirens. This is a showing of hubris (a showing of excessive pride, leading to a negative result), because by allowing himself to hear the Sirens, Odysseus is endangering his crew, and himself. Although Odysseus and his crew later pass the Sirens unharmed, it results in a loss in trust and respect towards Odysseus from his crew (this being the negative result).
Odysseus and his crew slowly grow resistant towards each other, as his crew begins to suffer from hunger on his journey, and refuse Odysseus’ advice: “Listen to me, my comrades, (the person speaking is Eurylochus) brothers in hardship. All ways of dying are hateful to us poor mortals, true, but to die of hunger, starve to death- that’s the worst of all. So up with you now, let’s drive off the pick of Helios’ sleek herds, and slaughter them to the gods who rule the skies up there.” (Book 12, lines 366-371) This section shows Odysseus’ crew slaughtering Helios’ (the Greek personification on the Sun) cattle, resulting in Helios in an outrage, and conveying Zeus to kill Odysseus’ crew. Zeus then sends down upon Odysseus’ crew a lightning bolt, killing all of Odysseus’ crew, but leaving Odysseus himself alive but adrift on open seas. This shows the further results of Odysseus’ hubris. Earlier, when Odysseus showed hubris (during many events, ie. Sirens, Polyphemus, Cattle of the Gods) and endangered his crew, almost to the point where he had gotten them killed several times, they had lost trust of him, thinking they were unimportant and expendable. As they lost trust more and more after Odysseus’ actions, they decided to go against his knowledge and advice, which ultimately got them killed. Odysseus’ hubris is generally his primary flaw, and has an effect on him and his crew on their journey.
There are also moments where Odysseus can instantly contradict his own actions with hubris, even when his previous actions were heroic. An example of this being when Odysseus and his crew encounter Polyphemus (a cyclops and the son of Zeus), who begins killing Odysseus’ crew. Odysseus in an attempt to outsmart Polyphemus, spots a large wood club that Polyphemus left behind the previous night and, with the help of his men, sharpens the narrow end to a fine point. That night, Polyphemus returns from herding his flock of sheep. He sits down and kills two more of Odysseus’ men. At that point, Odysseus offers Polyphemus the strong wine given to him by Maron. The wine makes Polyphemus drunk and unwary. When Polyphemus asks for Odysseus’ name, promising him a guest-gift if he answers, Odysseus says: “I will tell you, but you must give me a guest-gift as you’ve promised. Nobody- that’s my name. Nobody- so my mother and father call me, and all my friends.” (Book 9, page 223, line 409-411) Odysseus was not telling Polyphemus his real name, meaning that Polyphemus doesn’t know who Odysseus is yet. Polyphemus thinks of it as a real name and says that he will eat “no-one” last and that this shall be his guest-gift.
Polyphemus crashes to the floor and passes out. Odysseus, with the help of his men, lifts the flaming stake, charges forward and drives it into Polyphemus’ eye, blinding him. With Polyphemus now blinded he yells for help from his fellow Cyclopes that “no one” has hurt him. The other Cyclopes think Polyphemus is making a fool out of them or that it must be a matter with the gods and walk away. When morning comes, Odysseus and his men escape from the cave, unseen by Polyphemus, by clinging to Polyphemus’ sheep as they go out to graze. “And with that threat he let my ram go free outside. But soon as we’d got one foot past cave and courtyard, first I loosed myself from the ram, then loosed my men, then quickly, glancing back again and again we drove our flock, good plump beasts with their long shanks, straight to the ship,” (Book 9, page 226, lines 515-520) Odysseus was able to escape Polyphemus as well as getting his crew out along with Polyphemus’ cattle, which they needed. This shows heroism by Odysseus being able to save others from trouble that could have gotten them killed. Overall, this is one of Odysseus’ biggest heroic feats. He came up with a clever plan that outsmarted his enemy, and then managed to save him and others from danger.
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Odysseus: Not A Hero
The main character of the Odyssey, Odysseus the King of Ithaca is given a complex personality to an extent where it is hard to identify whether he is a true hero or not. True heroism is only achieved when a person achieves certain qualities that portray heroism. Odysseus is not a hero based on the standards of merciful, selfless, and gentle because of his actions of sacrificing his men, killing the suitors and being ruthless throughout the Odyssey. Along with many others qualities these three are helpful and necessary in a hero. A hero must be willing to do service for others and put the needs of others safety and protection before his own. Odysseus does not even come close to matching these qualities because he is a person, who only serves of himself, and he sacrifices his allies to achieve his goals and often he takes action ruthlessly. Odysseus, the crafty ruler of Ithaca is not a hero because of his lack of many important heroic qualities. One of which is his lack of mercy and because of that he can be considered more of an anti-hero instead of a hero. At the middle of the chapter Odysseus’ Revenge, Homer tells of how Odysseus showed no mercy to the Suitors, even though they begged for it and the citation that shows how merciless he is reads, “Spare/ your own people. As for ourselves, we’ll make/ restitutions of wine and meat consumed,/ and add, each one, a tithe of twenty oxen with gifts of bronze and gold to warm your heart./ Meanwhile we cannot blame you for your anger/… Not for the whole treasure of your fathers, / all you enjoy, lands, flocks, or any gold / put up by others, would I hold my hand. / The will be killing until the score is paid. / You forced yourselves upon this house. Fight for your way out, / or run for... ... middle of paper ... ...of gentle and kindness shows that Odysseus is not a hero. His way of supporting ideas that favor him most portrays him as non-heroic and his true picture is also revealed by his selfishness and mercilessness. Odysseus is not a hero based on the standards of merciful, selfless, and gentle. His actions against Polyphemus, the Suitors, and his men truly show that he is in fact the opposite of a hero. The actions he takes to return home safely and to get back his throne are very cruel and show signs that he lacks the nobility of being called a hero, or a king, or a warrior. He has shown that he powerful, destructive, and ruthless and these are qualities that a hero must not have. Odysseus, the mighty King of Ithaca is not a hero because he is not selfless, gentle, or merciful. Works Cited Homer.The Odyssey Trans. Robert Fitzgerald. New York: Vintage Books, 1990.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how odysseus, the king of ithaca, has a complex personality that makes it difficult to identify if he is true hero or not.
- Analyzes how odysseus, the crafty ruler of ithaca, is not a hero because of his lack of many important heroic qualities.
- Analyzes how odysseus is not a hero because of his selfish behavior and self-centered beliefs. he does not take actions when his men are being killed or eaten to protect himself.
- Analyzes how odysseus put his men in danger even though they wanted to get out of the cave before the giant returned, just so he can satisfy his curiosity.
- Argues that odysseus should not be considered a hero because he isn't gentle and kind like true heroes are supposed to be.
- Analyzes how odysseus' actions against polyphemus, the suitors, and his men show that he is the opposite of a hero.
- Analyzes how odysseus is a hero, but his actions are self-centered and at the expense of his men. his main objective is to reach his home.
- Analyzes how odysseus' actions on polyphemus's island are cowardly and put his men in unnecessary danger.
- Analyzes how odysseus's cowardice is evidence enough to avoid calling him a hero, but his lack of respect for his men is evident throughout the story.
- Analyzes how odysseus is an over-confident and ill-tempered man who boasts about his accomplishments and his position on monogamy.
- Concludes that many of odysseus' actions are far less than heroic. he's more interested in himself reaching home than his men.
- Analyzes how odysseus portrays himself as nothing but a hero in homer's the odyssey. he believes nothing and no one can harm him, not even the gods.
- Analyzes how odysseus portrays his selfishness right as the book begins and shows how truly incompetent he is.
- Analyzes how odysseus shows inadequate leadership qualities throughout the story. the crew relies on their leader to make decisions for the well-being of the crew.
- Analyzes how odysseus' hubris always seems to overthrow him, no matter how hard he tries to overcome it.
- Opines that odysseus is an unappreciative, self-centered, lazy, and selfish man that does not deserve the title of hero. he acts this way solely because of his hubris.
- Analyzes how odysseus is a hero who accepts who he is as an individual, but strives to change himself for the better.
- Analyzes how odysseus is a hero because he acts courageously while facing many challenges. he is exhausted from the torrential sea, yet refuses to give up because of enormous courage.
- Analyzes how odysseus overcomes physical, emotional, and intellectual challenges using his cunning wit and quick thinking.
- Analyzes how odysseus recognizes his flaws, learns from his weaknesses, and becomes a better person.
- Analyzes how odysseus becomes a more heroic leader as he inspires his crew with confident words. he realizes that the gods are above him and must be humble in order to survive.
- Analyzes how odysseus is a hero because the gods favor him, and throughout his journey home, they remain on his side.
- Concludes that odysseus deserves the title of a hero because he shows bravery and has the gods supporting him throughout his journey home.
- Defines epic hero as a brave and noble character in an epic poem. odysseus left troy after ten years of fighting in the trojan war and headed back to his homeland of ithaca.
- Analyzes how odysseus has the special ability to think far in advance for future consequences that could occur because of his crew's choices.
- Explains that odysseus was a hero because he had the help of athena, the goddess of wisdom, and the god of all gods on his side.
- Explains that a hero must be mortal and capable of death. odysseus literally overcame going through hell and back.
- Explains that odysseus is the epic hero in the poem, the odyssey, for many reasons. he is a brave and cunning leader who also had important gods on his side.
- Analyzes how odysseus is a hero because he is loyal to his crew, clever and intelligent, and courageous on the voyage back to ithaca.
- Analyzes how odysseus is an intelligent and clever man. he is a hero because he understands the situations and thinks through the struggles they are going to face.
- Argues that odysseus is a fool because he doesn't listen to others and is not cautious with anything. he sleeps with circe after she turns his men into swine.
- Analyzes how odysseus' loyalty for his crew never wavers over the twenty years of his voyage home.
- Analyzes how odysseus is an epic hero because he is a clever and intelligent man, courageous soldier and leader, and loyal to his crew.
- Analyzes how fictional heroes in literature are characters that embark on grueling, mind-altering journeys even though they receive no personal gain from these missions. the odyssey by homer chronicles the great hero odysseus’s return trip to ithaka.
- Analyzes how odysseus' clever and cunning skills allow him to make it back to ithaka after a demanding expedition.
- Analyzes how the iron courage odysseus displays in the face of danger builds a strong sense of loyalty and obedience among his men.
- Analyzes how odysseus learns from his past mistakes and rectifies his wrongs. his hubris leads him to taunt polyphemos and poseidon, who adds many difficult years to his journey.
- Analyzes how odysseus learns from past mistakes, displays superior courage, and has unmatched wits. he endures difficult challenges and temptations to return to his kingdom, where chaos has overtaken.
- Analyzes how odysseus proves himself to be an outstanding hero in various ways.
- Analyzes how odysseus shows us a vast amount of bravery and courage. he battled polyphemus to try and save the lives of all the crew members held captive in the cave.
- Explains that loyalty is one of the most important qualities in odysseus, and it helped him get through many different obstacles he faced on his journey back home.
- Analyzes how odysseus shows leadership in various ways throughout "the odyssey." he was the one who figured out a way for him and his crew to survive from the cyclops.
- Explains that odysseus is a hero because he's strong, intelligent, and was able to get out of sticky situations.
- Analyzes how odysseus, in homer's epic poem the odyssey, takes the path of heroism, resulting in the reborn spirit of a selfless, modest her.
- Analyzes how odysseus is faced with hard decisions that he must make to benefit himself and his crew.
- Analyzes how odysseus's cleverness is shown when he is put in situations where his wits coincide with one’s actions. he is able to defeat the kyclopes by outwitting them.
- Analyzes how odysseus overcomes his ego and excessive self-pride when he realizes that the gods are ultimately on his side.
- Analyzes how odysseus confirms his role as a hero because he puts thought into all of his choices, is quick-witted, and frees himself of excessive self pride.
- Opines that odyssey is a hero in every way, skilled in sports, handy with sword and spear, and master of war strategy. his return voyage from troy shows us this even if we had no idea of his great heroic stature and accomplishments.
- Analyzes how odysseus and his crew are tempted by a gift of immediate gratification, which threatens to take away their basic heroic element.
- Analyzes how odysseus would be robbed of his memories by eating the lotus flower, but he learns to be more wary of the people along his journey.
- Analyzes how odysseus proves again that he is a real hero by out smarting the cyclops and escaping the giant laestrygonians.
- Analyzes how odysseus is saved by the god hermes from a horrible fate.
- Explains that odysseus was adrift in the water for nine days with no hope, then washed up on the island home of the nymph calypso.
- Analyzes how odysseus is ready to attack the suitors without showing mercy towards them. he slaughtered the men one-by-one due to his bravery.
- Analyzes how homer's epic poem the odyssey centers around odysseus and his long journey back home.
- Analyzes how odysseus' craftiness sets him apart from the other characters as a hero because he succeeds when others fail.
- Analyzes how odysseus demonstrates an unselfishness towards his crew and homeland that inspires respect from other characters, including the gods.
- Analyzes how homer depicts odysseus as a true hero through craftiness, loyalty, and bravery.
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Essay On Odysseus Is An Epic Hero
Odysseus is an epic hero analysis.
An epic hero normally is the leader of whatever journey they are part of, and to be a leader calls for strong leadership qualities to be used. In Book 9, lines 332-334, Odysseus ponders, “I drew on all my wits, and ran through tactics, reasoning as a man
The Heroic Qualities Of Odysseus In The Odyssey
Odysseus, the main character in The Odyssey, shows many of the heroic qualities. He shows bravery and courage when battling in troy in The Trojan War. He is a great leader; For example, when he and his men are heading home after the war. They get lost at sea and Odysseus began to lead his men.
Odysseus An Epic Hero Analysis
“ I think a hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure spite of overwhelming obstacles” Christopher Reeve. Heroes usually have super powers and are constantly saving people. But it takes much more traits than this to be classified as an epic hero. Some characteristics of an epic hero are supernatural help, leaving on a journey in which proves himself, and they are sometimes honored after death. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus shows many traits of an epic hero. Odysseus faces many obstacle and life threatening situations but he overcome them all. Odysseus is an epic hero because he has supernatural help and he overcomes obstacle throughout his journey by proving himself in order to reach his goal, which is getting home to Ithaca and to take control over his kingdom.
Examples Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey
An example of him being courageous is when his men and him were passing by the Siren Island. The only way to get to ithaca was to pass through Scylla which ate men and the other was Charybdis which looked like a whirlpool, and wasn't scared of passing through them. Another example of when odysseus showed his courage was when he came faced the suitors in ithaca. Lastly he was very courageous when he finally made it to ithaca, because everyone thought he was dead and he had to tell his kid and wife why he was gone for 20 years.
How Odysseus Is An Epic Hero In Homer's The Odyssey
Odysseus is an epic hero because of his bravery and confidence during every obstacle throughout his journey In Part 1 whie Odysseus is about to come across cyclops cave, he says “I brought along and victuals in a bag, for in my bones I knew some towering brute would be upon so soon- all outward power, a wild man, ignorant of civility. “ Odysseus is showing his bravery of not being petrified of what he might come across, like the cyclops. Odysseus has no intention of harming them, but he is not sure what their intention is. This example is important because not only does it show confidence in himself, he also shows confidence in his men. In Part 2 Odysseus also shows his confidence in his men in part 2 where Eurylochus says, “Are you flesh and blood, Odysseus, to endure more than a man can? Do you ever tire?”
Heroic Qualities Of Odysseus As An Epic Hero
Do you know any epic heroes that show heroic qualities? Some heroes that you might be thinking of would be Batman, Spider-Man, or even Thor; but those aren't the epic heroes I'm talking about. I'm talking about the real heroes the ones who don't need any powers to achieve anything. The type of hero that does not need to fly or shoot lasers out of it's eyes. One hero that would be considered an epic hero would be Odysseus; you might not know who he is, well he's a character that comes out in the Iliad and the Odyssey. Odysseus is an epic hero because he cares about his family, he is intelligent and he shows courage and because he shows determination. There was one obstacle where they fell into a cyclone and were stuck there Odysseus managed to get through it.
Epic Zero: Odysseus As An Epic Hero
Would one think of Odysseus as an epic hero? Although he had excessive pride and cheated on his wife, he has many traits that makes him an epic hero. For example, Odysseus was able to come up with a genius plan to injure Polyphemos before he could eat any more of Odysseus’ men, that demonstrates the trait of intelligence. Odysseus has been through many hardships and has always used his traits to help him get through any obstacle. Throughout Odysseus’ journey home, he demonstrates leadership, intelligence, and superhuman strength.
Is Odysseus A Hero
In the epic story the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan war, and on his way home he finds many obstacles ahead of him. Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and he is trying to return home to his land. Many creatures try and stop him from achieving his goal of returning home, but he and his crew have to push through and get home. Odysseus portrays bravery and courage leading his crew through these tough challenges. Odysseus heroically leads his crew and himself through dangerous obstacles, but also foolishly endangers them during the journey home.
Essay On Odysseus Being A Hero
Being a hero originally means “a brave person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.”. Odysseus was well known for being a hero. He has the qualities of being a hero in some situations but also has flaws which make him seem less of a hero at times. Being loyal, clever, and dedicated are examples of being a heroic person. Odysseus has these qualities and more.
Odysseus: The True Hero In Homer's The Odyssey
A hero is someone who is revered for his or her exceptional achievements and bravery. Anyone who puts themselves before others not for recognition or an award, but because it is the right thing to do, is a true hero. In "The Odyssey," written by Homer is an epic poem about a man named Odysseus and his crewmates competing against the power of the gods to return to their homeland, Ithaca. Throughout his journey, he loses almost all of his men, but Odysseus finally arrives home, concluding his prolonged twenty-year voyage. Odysseus must battle the suitors that have taken his wife Penelope, and may soon kill his son Telemachus. Odysseus defies the suitors and wins his wife and kingdom back. Despite Odysseus' overconfident nature, Odysseus proves he is a hero by showing bravery and intelligence.
Characteristics Of Odysseus Being An Epic Hero
The definition of a hero is a person with supernatural abilities at performing specific tasks that normal people cannot typically achieve. In the epic poem called “The Odyssey” written by a poet named Homer, there is a character named Odysseus who contains these characteristics. During Odysseus’s journeys, while trying to find his way back home, he goes through many adventures showing off these characteristics of a hero.
What Makes Odysseus An Epic Hero
Odysseus, he’s known as a war hero on his way back to his homeland, who ends up going on a ten year long journey due to unforeseen circumstances. On this journey, he encounters many monsters, many ladies, and we see his good side and his bad side. Due to the fact that he’s very noble and brave (and in an epic poem), that makes him an epic hero. He’s also a very famous archetype for The Hero. Odysseus has some good traits, some bad flaws, and has been in some ugly situations, but overall he is a true hero.
Is Odysseus A Hero?
What would it feel like to have the whole world targeting you? What would it be like when it took you 20 years to get back to your home? I doubt you’d know. Unless you’re Koro Sensei (a yellow, octopus-like creature who can fly at mach 20 and plans to destroy the Earth in less than a year’s time, and trains a class of 27 students to try and assassinate him) or Odysseus (goes to fight the Trojan war for 10 years and due to bad luck and misfortune, and the [very angry] sea god Poseidon, it takes another 10 years to voyage home).
Examples Of Odysseus An Epic Hero
In conclusion, to be considered an epic hero they have to have these qualifications. An epic hero should have an outstanding wisdom, good strengths, and have to be brave and not afraid to do something that endangers their life. Odysseus had been really recognized for his good qualities he had that no other could have had besides him. Odysseus had his bravery, his outstanding wisdom, and his strengths even though they could also become into a weakness. These are some of the qualities that could consider a person an epic
An Analysis Of The Epic Hero Of Homer's Odyssey
As stated before, an epic hero is a person who is courageous and honorable. Odysseus is one of
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Odysseus was a true hero, he showed this through courage and determination and in many other ways. In book one Odysseus shows a great amount of bravery. Combining with his extreme strength, bravery, and high level of intelligence shows how he has supernatural abilities. His bravery comes in to play extremely in book 1 because he fought very well in the trojan war. His troops left him in the middle of the war and he stayed and fought and ended up winning the war all by himself. Book one really showed his ability to stand alone and his independence, it also showed his bravery and supernatural qualities. Odysseus has a lot of good on his side and this is shown in book 5 . I say this because there is multiple people that I will explain that helped odysseus in this book. All of his men and the boats that they were in were destroyed so calypso helped him build a new boat.
A rough uncivilized race of one eyed giants. After the made a meal of wild goats they decide to cross the mainland of the island. They immediately come upon a cave, this cave was full of sheep and crates of milk and cheese. The Men tell odysseus to go and grab some of these items to take with them since they only had fruit in their body. Odysseus decides to linger and soon comes up on polyphemus witch is one of the cyclops. Right away the cyclops devours 2 of his men and leaves odysseus and a couple others in a cell for a seperate meal. Overnight in the cell odysseus scripts out a plan to get the cyclops drunk on wine brought from the ship. It ended up working and when the cyclops passed out from intoxication they got out and plunged the wooden staff into his eye repeatedly and made him blind. They ended up getting off the island safely. This book shows his defeat on the cyclops and how he outsmarted him. To me book 10 shows and bring out odysseus leadership of the men.
I didn’t just see this in book 10 but in this book it got my attention about it. In this book odysseus did a lot of over sea traveling that definitely took some leadership. Odysseus made the key decisions on where to go, such as which islands to go to and witch direction. The men listen to odysseus, they trust him at this point. Odysseus has done too much things by now to not be trusted. Odysseus travels to the underworld in book 11. He makes the offerings according to circe’s instructions. Not just anyone would be able to travel there and see the shades of death. Knowing that odysseus has this ability to travel to the underworld it gives him larger than life qualities. Odysseus is strong but not strong enough to defeat a shade by HIMSELF with no help but himself and his sword. Knowing that he is alone this relate to book 1 standing and fighting alone once again. Odysseus is doing this for a reason that he can handle.
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Odysseus, a hero.
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The Odyssey, written by Homer, is an epic tale of a man who is called to fight in the Trojan War, yet receives more of an adventure than he expected. He spends twenty years just trying to get home and must rise above many challenges that are presented before him. Joseph Cambell claims there are five steps to becoming a hero: the call to journey, threshold crossings, bearing woundings, using defenses, and gaining knowledge. Odysseus overcomes many demanding obstacles and through his determination he becomes a hero. The first step in order to be a hero is the call to journey. This clearly happens when Oddyseus receives the call to fight in the Trojan War. However he did not know his journey would bring him to the house of Hades and back. Because Odysseus took the call to adventure, unaware of what might happen, he has taken the first step towards being a hero. The next three steps include: threshold crossings, woundings, and using defenses. Odysseus encounters many threshold crossings. For example, "She (Calypso) found him sitting upon the beach with his eyes ever filled with tears, and dying of sheer homesickness; for he had got tired of Calypso, and though he was forced to sleep with her in the cave by night, it was she, not he, that would have it so. As for the daytime, he spent it on the rocks and on the seashore, weeping, crying aloud for his despair, and always looking out upon the sea."(Homer, 63). He persists for years on going home until finally one day it is allowed. He uses his defenses the entire way home, even though it is hard at times. The fifth and final Odysseus completes in order to become a hero is gaining the knowledge that could change his life or help the general public. First, he learns not to have too much pride in the things he does, because that has lead to his downfall before: "Cyclops, if anyone asks you who it was that put your eye out and spoiled your beauty, say It was the valiant warrior Odysseus, son of Laertes, who lies in Ithaca.
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Odysseus' Reputation as a Hero in The Odyssey
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In the Odyssey, the hero of the story, Odysseus, is depicted as a courageous, brilliant man. He keeps much faith in the gods, which pays him good dividends. He is also smart and cunning, always able to escape several of the most difficult situations. However, Odysseus is not a complete good hero, and has plenty of stains on his resume. He has affairs with other women, despite being matried. He seems to inditectly cause much of his crew’s suffering and death, and he slaughters all of the noble young men of Ithaca and executes several servant women, These many misendeavours may seem to outweigh the merits of Odysseus, but most af his misactions are justifiable.
One of Odysseus’ greatest redeeming characteristics is his loyalty. Despite having slept with many other women, Odysseus never forgets his wife and son, and despite some prolong stays, he always continues his journey back home, Odysseus’ numerous affairs with other women can be justified because in many scenarios, he was pretty much forced to stay.
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On Calypso’s island, Odysseus was left with 10 way to voyage home to his own native land, no trim ships in reach, no crew to ply the oars and send him scudding over the sea’s” (321). He was held prisoner with no choice but to succumb to the goddess’ will, so he cannot be blamed for sleeping with her. Once Odysseus was offered a means of escape from the god Zeus, he immediately took this opportunity and even turned down immortality offered to him from Calypso, Odysseus’ next affair happens with Citce, Queen of Aeaea, Although it seems that Odysseus stays months or even possibly years at Circe’s place, any other man would do the same, He intially mounts her bed in order to rescue his crew members, but Circe’s hospitality and lavishing treatment for Odysseus and his erew keep him there for longer.
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He seems to stay for an extended duration, despite having no real reason (0. Itis better to understand the context in which Odysseus is in to beter understand his stay. Before he arrived at Aeaea, his crew opened the bag of winds just before they reached Ithaca. After getting a taste of victory and having it stripped away immediately would put anyone in distress, and Odysseus felt the same. As the bag of winds opened, he thought ta himself, “should I leap over the side and drawn at ance ar grit my teeth and hear it, stay among the living?” (385). Following this tragedy, he gets denied by King Aeolus and proceeds to row for “six whole days…six nights, nonstop,” until he landed on nother island, where when he left, he only had one ship left (385), Considering these previous events, the emotional and physical stress Odysseus faces makes it much more reasonable for him to stay with Circe for so long.
One affair that never happened was when Odysseus landed in Pheacia, where he was sreeted by the princess Nausicaa. The Phaeacian king was impressed with Odysseus and even offered him his daughter’s hand in marriage, but Odysseus refuses. Unlike the scenarios with Calypso and Cairo, Odysseus’ hand was never forced into an affair, and he shows us that his loyalty prevails. Through his journey home, Odysseus has tuned down beautiful women that have offered him immortality, royal marriage, and endless food and wine. Odysseus can have his faults, but his loyalty to his wife and family is an undeniable redeeming factor
Odysseus seems to not give a care in the world about the fate of his men. As long as he’s alive, all is good in the warld, so it seems to him. This is perception of him is changed however, whenever Odysseus meets one of his fallen comrades in the Underworld. Elpenor begs Odysseus 0 not forget him and to plant an oar with his tomb. Odysseus responds, saying “All this, my unlucky friend, reassusd him, “Twill do for you” (399), Even though Odysseus has likely lost dozens of other crew members, his consideration for Elpenor’s wishes reveals that he still cares, about his men.
Odysseus’ killing of the suitors is one of the more controversial actions he proceeds with. tseems that he just unleashes all the rage he’s built up over the years on some unfortunate young men, but the killing isn’t just something that Odysseus wants, the gaddess Athena wants see it happen also. While observing the behavior ofthe suitors under a disguise, Odysseus finds that many of the “noble” men of the kingdom are in fact very rude and disrespectful, something like an ancient Greek version of Undercover Boss, Antinous in particular, insults Odysseus plenty of times and then even proceeds to bang him up with a stool. “From under the table e seized the stool that propped his smooth feet as he reveled on—just lifting it into view…” (481). If this wasn’t enough, Odysseus’ home was taken over by suitors and they ate his food and drank his wine, while trying to get with his wife. This could be considered an act of treason, and (Odysseus, rightful king of Ithaca, had all the reason to kill the suitors, It would’ve been much more complicated for Odysseus if he hadd’t killed the suitors, because there would be constant tension and conflict between him and the suitors, and one side would inevitably strike out against the other. The suitors, based on their previous actions, may have very well planned to overthrow Odysseus had he not killed them. As for the disloyal maids, they served those who were against Odysseus, thus, they deserved the same fate.
The misendeavours that Odysseus has commited may seem to hurt his reputation, but there was always a reason behind his actions, He had affairs only when his hand was forced, and when he had the option against it, he didn’t cheat on his wife. Despite having caused suffering to many of his men, Odysseus showed that he still cares when he talks with Elpenar in the Underworld, The slaughter of the suitors may have seemed unnecessary and cruel, but Odysseus had every right to take his revenge and the situation might have turned out worse if he had spared the men. Odysseus may have committed many not-so-heroic acts throughout his journey back to Ithaca, but all of these situations are justifiable.
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