How Is Odysseus A Modern Day Hero

In the epic poem, “The Odyssey” by Homer, the protagonist, Odysseus, is an epic hero. The definition of an epic hero is a “Larger-than-life figure that undertakes great journeys and performs deeds requiring remarkable strength and cunning. An epic hero is put into situations that test their skills and bravery, along with their character. Also, a hero in an epic is vastly portrayed with good leadership qualities and a strong work ethic. However, does Odysseus really fit into this criteria?

Odysseus of Ithaka. Some historians have argued for years that he is a noble hero, and others say he is just a man trying to get home from many hardship and challenges, however Odysseus is the definition of a hero. During Odysseus’s journey it becomes evident that Odysseus is a hero like the legends say, he meets all the criterias of being a hero such as being brave, smart, fighting against evil, and protecting others from danger. For generations people have been correct to honor the great Odysseus, for his actions along his adventures. Although there has been some evidence that points to Odysseus not being a hero, this essay will give three reasons why Odysseus should be respected as a hero. The first reasons why Odysseus is a hero is because he risks his life for crew multiple times throughout the story.

In conclusion, Odysseus is not a hero because of his impulsive decisions, his hubris, and terrible leadership. He does not plan ahead, he is not humble and a sore loser, and he strays away from telling important things to his men. Though in Greek society Odysseus is seen as a hero, he can not be called one now. There is a clear difference from Homer’s society to modern day. It shows home people’s aspirations change over a period of

The concept of hero has been interpreted in many ways throughout the ages. Hero have gone from knights slaying dragons and rescuing the princess, to heroes who save the world with their supernatural-like powers, to a modern day hero who is someone who has noble qualities and is regarded as a role model. In the epic, The Odyssey, by Robert Fagles, the heroic Odysseus is a well known in Greek mythology. However, although Odysseus is the most respected, honorable hero of Greek mythology he is not a modern hero. A modern day hero is someone who puts their life on the line to save the lives of other innocent people. In The Odyssey, Odysseus’ characteristics do not fit in the definition of a modern hero, he illustrates a naive and a arrogant epic hero.

Odysseus is heroic, courageous, outrageous, bold, fearless, manful, and valiant. Odysseus is heroic because he tricked the cyclops thinking that nobody was his name. Odysseus told his men to make a sharp spear and drop the spear in the cyclops eye so he can remove the giant rock and escape. Odysseus is fearless because him and his son killed the men that tried to take over his kingdom and marry his wife. Another thing is that Odysseus is bold because he made his son believe he was the father after the son did not believe him.

Odysseus is a hero because he is smart. For example, when Odysseus and his men approach the giant he offers him ¨liquor to wash down your scraps of men¨ (Homer 991). Odysseus is clever by doing this because he can predict that the liquor will make him fall asleep. He knows that the boulder that is blocking the entrance is heavy so he doesn 't kill Polyphemus. Instead, Odysseus only hurts him. In addition, when the cyclops asks Odysseus for his name he responds

So is Odysseus really a hero? There is a lot of reasonings to both sides, he could be a hero because he was loyal to his homeland and men. He was also clever and dedicated to all his plans and ideas to conquer creatures and return home. On the other hand, he does not seem much like a hero because he was unloyal by having affairs on Penelope. And he was also cocky and arrogant with his overconfidence which caused tension between him, the Cyclops, and

I think Odysseus is not a hero. Most people would say he is but I think this because he is a selfish man and kills people. At first he sounds like an okay person who is a nice man. Wait till you find out what he has done.

The reader can already see Odysseus being considered a hero in his culture when Telemachus tells his different hosts who his father is and the hosts reply with great pride and admiration for Odysseus. Similarly, Menelaus displays Odysseus’ heroism when he tells Telemachus the tale of how Odysseus helped the Achaeans win the battle of Troy. Throughout these stories of Odysseus’ accomplishments, the listener can identify how strong Odysseus would have to be to fulfill these achievements. Thus, for being strong, winning a battle, and providing epic stories of his triumphs, Odysseus has proven himself to be a hero within his culture. Another element in this culture that correlates someone with being a hero is their connection with the gods. Although Athena’s infatuation with Odysseus is not known to the human characters at this point in the epic, it could potentially become known which would amplify Odysseus’ heroism. Therefore, at this point in the novel, Odysseus is already considered a hero in his culture for his strength and victories, but his heroism could hypothetically be increased by new situations later in the

The poem, The Odyssey, has held up as a monument of literature throughout the ages, and for reason. It is an exciting story about the adventures of Odysseus, an intelligent, cunning, at times manipulative, sailor who defeats the city of Troy. After some decade long twists and turns, he returns home, disguised, kills a few dozen people who have been eating his food and drinking his wine. After it seems like the cycle of violence will never stop, Athena comes down and restores peace.

Odysseus, he’s known as a war hero on his way back to his homeland, who ends up going on a ten year long journey due to unforeseen circumstances. On this journey, he encounters many monsters, many ladies, and we see his good side and his bad side. Due to the fact that he’s very noble and brave (and in an epic poem), that makes him an epic hero. He’s also a very famous archetype for The Hero. Odysseus has some good traits, some bad flaws, and has been in some ugly situations, but overall he is a true hero.

It is true that Odysseus is a hero because he is brave, powerful and smart, but he does these things in a selfish way. To begin, Odysseus is brave. According to the text, “There was a loud hiss as the burning wood pierced the watery membrane” (Homer 27). Some people believe that this shows that he acts brave

A hero takes many forms, such as an allegorical hero, a tragic hero, or an epic hero. In the age of postmodernism, there are instances where a person can be both a hero and a villain. Odysseus is difficult to identify as a hero because of his many vices. However, he has many traits that explain his clouded judgement. Odysseus may be leaderful, but he can be too curious. He is brave, but also conceited. He is intelligent, yet boastful. Odysseus is hard to classify because of his contradicting traits. No person is perfect, and challenging the ideas of who a hero is reveals the illusion of perfection. Humans make mistakes, and seeing Odysseus’ failures humanizes him and makes him more realistic.

However, some people may argue that Odysseus is a hero, due to his bravery and intelligence. An example of this is when Odysseus wins the battle of Troy. He faced death and overcame it, therefore becoming a war hero. For many people today, being a war hero is very honorable. However, Odysseus’s actions were careless and he shed blood for fun. Therefore while some may think Odysseus is a modern hero, it is pertinent to recognize Odysseus’s flaws that don’t make him a modern hero. Although Odysseus was seen as a hero in ancient times, heroes are not cross cultural. His heroics do not transcend time and aren’t applicable to today's society. With his flaws, Odysseus should not be thought of as a modern hero when compared to Michelle Obama because of the different impacts they made and make on their