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Examples Of Odysseus An Epic Hero

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Is Odysseus an Epic Hero?

In Homer’s Epic Story The Odyssey, Odysseus shows many qualities that make him a Epic Hero. First Odysseus promises a friend that before he returns home he will go to where he died and bury him, this will put him to rest so he can go to a better place. Next when Odysseus and his men end up with Circe she turns them into pigs, he is told in order to change his men back he must lay in bed with Circe. Lastly Odysseus tricks the Cyclops by telling him his name is nobody, he did this to save his men’s lives. All of these scenarios tested him as a person and made him a hero and he went as far as to help a person move on to a better place.
When Odysseus visits the Land of the Dead he promises a man by the name of Elpenor from the Land of Aeaea. “Unhappy spirit, I promise you the barrow and the burial.” (56-57, 1228). Odysseus was an epic hero because he postponed getting home to help Elpenor get to a better place so he wouldn’t be in pain anymore. He didn’t break his promise even in his circumstance and after not seeing your family or wife for as many years as Odysseus did it was surprising that he was still loyal to her when he met Circe the witch. …show more content…

“How dare tell me to treat you with warmth? You who turned my men to swine in your house now you hold me here as well - teeming me with treachery you lure me to your room to mount your bed.” Odysseus was an Epic Hero here because even though he loved his wife very much and didn’t want to lay with another woman he did anyways in order to save his men. This action showed that he didn’t think only about himself that he cared for others next Odysseus tricked a cyclops in order to protect him and his

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