Epic Hero Characteristics

From Greek mythology, Odysseus is considered to be an epic hero. This means, that in comparison to other humans, he possesses superhuman strength, craftiness, and confidence, more so than the average person. An epic hero embodies ideals and values that culture deems as admirable. Another characteristic an epic hero must have is the capability to be helped, and harmed by the interfering gods, a trait that Odysseus certainly has. Odysseus seems to emerge victorious from perilous situations, and that is what makes him such a notable figure in Greek mythology. Odysseus shows his intelligence and craftiness when he is on the Land of the Cyclops and is faced against Polyphemus, the cyclops. It seems like an unfeasible task to escape Polyphemus’ cave, after all Odysseus is less than a fourth of the giant’s size. He then decides the best way to end up victorious is to outwit the giant. With this in mind, Odysseus gets

Odysseus shows a surplus amount of strength that no mortal besides himself demonstrates. Completing the horrendously impossible task of stringing the bow shows his superhuman abilities, and shooting the arrow through all twelve axe handles truly shows the fact that he is indeed an epic hero. I am able to conclude, that by the Greek standards, Odysseus can indeed be considered to be an epic hero. If the Odyssey were to take place in our day and age Odysseus would be thought to be selfish and careless, but back then they had a different criteria to meet. On the Land of the Cyclops, he is able to prove his cleverness and his ingenuity by defeating Polyphemus. His various encounters with Athena and Poseidon truly show that he is no ordinary human and that he possesses a grand ability. While the bow test is able to depict his great force, and his ability to overcome seemingly impossible