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Examples Of Odysseus Being A Hero

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Odysseus; The Terrible Hero If you have ever been in a high school english class than you will know one name, Odysseus. Odysseus is the great hero in Homer’s epic the odyssey. Though his title is “hero”, this is not justified. During his journey he has angered the gods and had many encounters with beast, that resulting in the death of his men. The topics I will be covering in this essay are: Odysseus’ recklessness, the death of his men, and the slaughter of the suitors. The turning point of Odysseus’ journey is his recklessness and disrespect towards the gods. This is not a decision that should brand him as a “hero”. He knows that taunting the gods can get him and his men killed in seconds, but yet his ego couldn't take not boasting about his victories. During their fight with polyphemus Odysseus uses the smart technique of not telling polyphemus his name, but his egotistical ways catch up to him and he yells his name to the cyclops. As stated in the epic, “If ever a mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded , tell him Odysseus raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes’ son whose home is Ithaca!” (Hom. Od 9.416-419). This quote shows his blatant disregard for his men's life. As Odysseus screams these words polyphemus prays to his father, Poseidon. As a result of his prayer Odysseus is cursed to be lost at sea. Another quote …show more content…

Most of this innocent crew were slaughtered because of Odysseus’ idiotic actions. One example of this is in Scylla’s cave. “That was all, and it brought them round to action. But as I sent them on toward Scylla, I told them nothing, as they could do anything. They would have dropped their oars in panic to roll over for cover under the decking.” This quote shows how selfish Odysseus is. He is willing for his men to die without any knowledge than to find another way around this situation. This demonstrates his lack of heroism and sacrifice for

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