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Harry Potter As An Epic Hero In Homer's Odyssey

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Epic Hero Essay

The Odyssey by Homer tells the story of Odysseus’ travels after the Trojan war. Along with the journey he took to get back home on Ithaca and the troubles he fought along the way. Odysseus is and example for an epic hero and the model for the modern-day epic hero, Harry Potter. An epic hero is someone who suffers from many things during their journey, but also gain other things that will help them, or end their suffering some how. Harry Potter, who, like Odysseus, travels to a supernatural world to fight supernatural beings, both are better than the average man in their own ways, and the people around Odysseus and Harry admire them for their accomplishments.

Like Odysseus, Harry also travels to a supernatural world. For example, when Odysseus tells Circe that it is time for him to leave and return home, Circe tells him, “Odysseus, master mariner, and soldier ... to the cold homes of Death and pale Persephone.” (Homer.10.925) Circe is telling Odysseus that he must go to the underworld before he can go anywhere else. According to many of the Ancient Greek beliefs, the Underworld was a place of the dead and was a far distant land that no mortal man could go to and return. In Harry’s case however, the supernatural world he goes to is Hogwarts and …show more content…

An epic hero is someone who suffers from many things during their journey, but also gain other things that will help them, or end their suffering some how. Odysseus suffered from being away from his home for 20 years, and when he finally gets home, he has to kill all of the suitors who tried to marry Penelope, his wife. Harry gains knowledge of more magic and new spells to use, along with new friends such as Ron and Hermione. Three things that both Odysseus and Harry both share, are that they travel to supernatural lands, people around them admire them both, and they are better than the average

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