Epic Hero Changes In The Odyssey

When people can’t stand up for themselves. People can be selfish,cruel, and rude but a hero is being who they are are being there self, “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.”(Oscar Wilde). A hero is themself, because if they were not how would they be a hero. In my opinion, A hero is there true self and are happy for what they are doing. Also not trying to be someone else because a hero knows they can’t be anybody else they can only be themself.

The definition of a hero varies among each person’s thoughts and perspectives towards the hero. Some people choose their hero according to their looks, others choose them as a person who has a great personality and calls for what is good. A hero influences people around him to follow his good actions and manners. Not all heroes deserve to be named heroes since some only strive for fame. Dictionary.com defines the word hero as “a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities”.

Odysseus may be a hero, but he, like us, is a human and there are flaws and that makes us imperfect. Odysseus, like us, makes mistakes and there are times when we are confused and mistaken. But makes him so appealing is that we can relate to him. Even though Odysseus is hurt and broken he still kept going. Driven by hope and love, at last, our hero Odysseus finally found his way back

However, heroism can take place in our everyday lives by simple brave actions. A hero has many noble qualities such as courage, humility, patience, being selfless and caring. They will put other people before themselves and make sure others are content. Heros are also intelligent and like to think ahead to plan on a good result. Although Victor very well fits the role of a tragic hero with a fatal flaw, he also fits the role of a hero.

He fights to the best of his abilities against many monsters such as Polyphemus, Circe, and the sea monster Scylla. There has been many claims that Odysseus isn’t hero because he lets his crew die. Just because his crew didn’t survive, it certainly does not mean he isn’t a hero. He tries his very best and even test his limits in order to get him and his crew back home. An example of this is in Homer’s ‘The Odyssey” where Odysseus tries to persuade his crew to bypass Thrinacia, the island of the sun god Helios, but they were too stubborn and insisted on landing.

Another quality that supports Odysseus being a hero is that he is blessed by a god, meaning they notice something great or godlike in him. Lastly the most important aspect of his heroism is that he isn’t a textbook hero, unlike Hercules, Odysseus embraces his flaws and mortality which makes him stronger. One key thing that aids his journey is, Odysseus does not escape his struggle and immerse himself in feasting and partying, he experiences only what he is supposed to in addition to nothing that isn’t relevant. Odysseus is able to improve himself, ultimately

Despite the seemingly contradictory nature of this statement, both can be true considering that the times when he needs a god’s help are when another god created the problem in the first place. On the other hand, Odysseus is capable of saving himself when higher powers are not involved in creating the problem. Odysseus is constantly praised by others in the story, yet rarely seems to live up to these expectations. Odysseus is praised by Zeus, the single most powerful god, calling him “Great Odysseus, who excels all men in wisdom” (1.78-9). Odysseus is also praised by mortals, such as Menelaus, a king.

A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. There might be a lot of people admired, but there's not a lot that are idealized. To be idealized, you must be a person that has more characteristics than the one given in the definition. An example of all these characteristics is a man named Odysseus from The Odyssey, an epic poem by Homer. Odysseus is a perfect hero and has all of the characteristics it takes to be one.

“ 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.

Those examples were only a few of the multiple other locations that Odysseus travels to. Odysseus is also recognized as a great hero as well. This is because of his great victories during the Trojan war. One time during the story where a king realizes that it is Odysseus was on Phaeacia when King Alcinous recognizes him and offers him help. Odysseus is also a humble man.

People today do not take the risk like he did and it fascinates me to think that even in death he was honored. His nephew did everything he asked and more. Beowulf is not like other heroes. He is not in it for others to look at him and say he is a hero mostly he just wanted to help. He was loved, committed, and fearless.

All of these qualities are characteristics of a great leader. In conclusion, having a hero does not necessarily mean that they should wear capes. Qualities that a hero has is to be a good leader, wise, and one that has strength. Odysseus had all of these characteristics this is why i choose him as my epic hero. I hope that with this essay you choose Odysseus as your hero or something similar.

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost.” -Arthur Ashe. What makes someone a hero? A question often addressed in literature, media, and art, as well as by people themselves. The typical idea of “heroism” tends to bring to mind an image of a superhero or someone who saves many lives, but does being heroic always involve having superpowers or putting yourself in danger to save others?