American actor and activist Christopher Reeve defines a hero as “an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles” (brainyquote.com). In the epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus fits this explanation of what Christopher Reeve believes to be a hero. Although Odysseus matches what Christopher Reeve believes to be a hero, he is actually not. Having stated that, Odysseus may be a leader but is not a hero. A hero is someone who cares for everyone putting his personal welfare last. Odysseus did the exact opposite by leading his men into danger and practically killing them himself. He is not open minded, very stubborn, and goes against his subordinates. Odysseus is very clever, however he is not very open minded with his subordinates as well as the gods. He won …show more content…
He put his men in danger at the Cyclops's island for personal gain. His men wanted to leave because they were scared and terrified of what was going to happen. Although his men were practically begging him to leave, Odysseus wanted to stay for personal gain. He was curious who lived on this island therefore he wanted to stay and find out. This lead to his men being massacred. That was not the only time that Odysseus put his men at danger or in harms way. Such as when they went past Scylla because of this his men were devoured. He even got most of his men killed from laestrygonians. He felt something bad was going to happen yet did not warn his men or even try to protect them. He chose to watch them die from afar. When he told his men on his ship to start rowing away, they were so shocked and in dismay that they lost most of their comrades because of that, they had no words. This shows that Odysseus is not a hero. A hero is someone who puts the safety of others first yet Odysseus failed to do this countless times and did not try to save even a single of his soldiers from the
I believe Odysseus is not a hero because he let many people die. He also didn't save his men from the Cyclops “He couldn't save his people.” I personally think that he didn’t try to save them at all. Odysseus did not save his people in time. According to Homer, “ While he fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home.
Odysseus the Hero Superman may be the first person who comes to mind when thinking of the word hero, but not all superheroes wear capes. This is proven in Homer’s book, The Odyssey with the main character, Odysseus, who showed many heroic acts throughout the book. He was clever, brave, and, loyal, proving he's worthy of being a hero. The definition of a hero, doesn’t depend on how strong someone is, or if they can fly, it’s about courage, and noble qualities.
Brains over brawns is Odysseus’ motto. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is a hero because he stabbed the cyclops in the eye, he was a great leader, and he defeated all of penelope's suitors. He was arrogant at times and that's why you might say he is not a hero. But every time he made a mistake he backed it up.
In Homer’s epic, The Odyssey, the protagonist, Odysseus, portrays himself as formidable for guile in peace and war. His statement accurately portrays himself due to him often deceiving his enemies through his intelligent strategies in both times of calm, and conflict. Not only that but Odysseus is also seen as an epic hero. He displays strength, strategy, and fierce intelligence.
Odysseus is a hero because he is a bold and clever person, who uses these skills to do noble things. Odysseus was a brave soldier who fought in the Trojan War, helping the Greeks into the city of Troy, allowing them to win the war, showing that he is brilliant and brave. Also in The Odyssey, Odysseus keeps his group in order and saves his men multiple times, while they are trying to return home to Ithaca. He keeps them from doing nonsensical actions, to prevent them from danger. This evidence shows that Odysseus has much
I took my shipmates along with me” (10.62,64). This shows Odysseus is full of strength because he was so close to reaching Ithaca, Odysseus’s hometown. When his ignorant crew mates opened the sack, they went all the way back to where they started their journey. However, Odysseus still looks out for his men throughout the rest of the journey. This proves Odysseus as a hero because he stays patient and doesn’t abandon his men, even after they betrayed him.
There is no excuse for his behavior, except his own selfish pride and hubris. So no, Odysseus is not a Hero.
Odysseus being a leader makes him a hero because he makes bold decisions and he protects himself and his
Some think Odysseus is a hero for many reasons, mainly because he helps many people including his family and his crew. Even when terrible things happen to him and his crew he perseveres and continues on his journey home. Even though Odysseus and his men do bad things like eating the sun god’s cattle there still are many reasons why he is a hero. One reason to support my claim is that he saves his crew many times. One example is when they sailed by the Sirens.
“ A person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” Is the definition of a hero. In modern society, Odysseus is not a hero. Odysseus should not be considered a hero in modern day because he is not a good leader,Odysseus also does not have a good heart like heros should, and he was disloyal to his wife. One of the reasons Odysseus is not a hero is because he is selfish and does not care about other people's lives.
“She ate them as they shrieked there, in her den, in the due die grapple reaching still for me- and deathly pity ran me through at that sight- far the worst I ever suffered, questioning the passes of the strange sea” (1136, 199-203). At first Odysseus was only going to lose 6 men going through Scylla. But since he wanting to fight Scylla and do it his way, Scylla ate another 6 of Odysseus men. So instead of losing 6 of his men he lost 12 of his men. Only a true hero tries to have less of him men killed.
Odysseus portrays those three heroic traits throughout his voyage home to Ithaca, which is why he is a hero. Odysseus is highly dedicated to his reputation and ego for the whole of his rocky and treacherous journey. From going up against a cyclops that is five times the size of him, to placing wax upon his crewmates’ ears to mute the singing of the Sirens, Odysseus is brave when he faces his fears and intelligent when he creates lifesaving tools from ship materials. A modern hero can be someone who saves a life or even sacrifices his or her own for someone else. Odysseus can be compared to a modern hero because he risks his own life to protect his crewmates.
At various times throughout the story, mainly through the trials, Odysseus made many decisions and forced his crew to go through many potentially lethal situations without preparing his own crew, or situations that were just a waste of time. This then leads to not only all of his crew being killed but the creation of many bad relationships. The first example of Odysseus mistreating his crew is when he and his crew went through the trails, “No more. Come, / let me tell you about the voyage fraught with hardship / Zeus inflicted on me, homeward bound from Troy...” 9.42-44.
“A hero is an ordinary person who has found the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming difficulties”-Christopher Reeve. For that very reason, Odysseus is a hero. He is neither immortal nor god, but merely a mortal like everyone else. His determination to return home with his family once again is what motivated him to complete the treacherous journey. To be a hero like Odysseus is to be talented, brave, caring.
He tries to trick his men into bringing the boat in to stay, but one of his men figure out the trick and tell the rest. This is a great example because it showcases how Odysseus isn’t always wise about his decisions. He wasn’t thinking about getting home or the long terms effects, he only thought about himself. His actions reveal his unwillingness to think of people around him. He is selfish and irresponsible in this section and that is what leads most people to believe that he isn’t a good person, specifically a villain.