Is Odysseus A Hero

Just like in the story of the cyclops, he put his men first to put them to safety. He isn't greedy and looks out for others. He did everything he could to ensure that they would all get off the island safely. Even if some of Odysseus's men were unlucky enough to get eaten, Odysseus still felt sorrow for them. A hero is one to care for others and not himself.

The first offense Odysseus had on his loyalty to Penelope was when he slept and flirted with different women on three different occasions. The first being when Odysseus slept with the Cicones women, the second being when he slept with Circe for a year, and the third being when he slept with Calypso during his imprisonment on her

He did not only lie to Penelope, his wife, but he also lied to and about other women and I'm going to be showing you some examples of why Odysseus is not an epic hero. My number one example of Odysseus being untruthful is him cheating on his wife aka Penelope. Odysseus cheats on his wife (Penelope) with Circe and Calypso. Odysseus cheats on her while he left Ithaca for the Trojan war, meanwhile Penelope was hoping he was alive and returning home soon.

One of the reasons Odysseus is not a hero is that he is untrustworthy. This characteristic is shown when he reveals that had romantic involvement with two woman on his journey, even though he has a wife. “I shall not see on earth a place more dear, though I have been detained long by Calypso, loveliest among goddesses, who held me in her smooth caves, to be her heart’s delight, as Circe of Aeaea, the enchantress, desired me, and detained me in her hall.” (pg. 599, lines 11-16) Some people may try to defend Odysseus’s actions by saying it was normal at the time to cheat on your wife. Newsflash!

Odysseus doesn’t deserve the title of a hero because he made bad decisions that affected his crew poorly, Athena did almost all of the work in getting him home, and he cheated on his wife multiple times throughout his journey home. My first reason why Odysseus does not deserve the title of a hero is because he made

Little does she know Odysseus has cheated on her. If Penelope would have cheated on him she probably would be killed. Odysseus is not a hero

This moment of so-called heroism suggests that Odysseus has still not learned the consequences of his impulsive actions he makes for his personal gain. Although Odysseus puts his people in danger, he has always remained loyal to his wife Penelope and the country of Ithaka. During the Trojan War era, it was a common occasion to have people go to war and risk their lives without ever even debating it. With this in mind, Odysseus’s people look to him as a hero because he is both a great warrior and a loyal leader to their country. Odysseus killing the suitors back in Ithaka may seem cruel, but you can see the admiration people have for him when Telemachos says, “You must look to this yourself, dear father; for they say you have the best mind among

There are people who think Odysseus is a hero then there are those who hate him and think he’s a bad guy. One of their strongest claims may be that he cheats on his wife with Circe. But back then it was very common for a man to sleep with someone other than his wife,even though the women weren’t allowed to do it. That may be their biggest claim but they should know that it wasn’t uncommon back then. So they shouldn’t say Odysseus is a bad guy just for doing that one thing, they should consider all the good things he did before they say he’s a bad

Even though he was often unfaithful, most of the Greek gods and goddesses still wanted to help Odysseus return to Ithaca . “Athena began, recalling Odysseus to their thoughts,... Think: not one of the people whom he ruled remembers Odysseus now, that godlike man,” (The Odyssey, Book 5, pg 314,lines 5 and 12-13.) Athena was the goddess who advocated for Odysseus and the other divine beings agreed with her. It is important to note that Athena describes him as “godlike,” but she never mentions his lack of sexual fidelity.

Odysseus is not a hero because he stabs Polyphemus in the eye and blinds him. Odysseus is still a hero because he is a leader. Moreover, after Odysseus and his men fight the Cicones, he orders ¨Back and Quickly! Out to sea again!” (Homer 984).

A hero is a person who is recognized or idealized for his or her outstanding achievements and noble qualities. The deaths of his men are the result of Odysseus’ weaknesses. The possession of the character trait, arrogance, does not help him in escaping, but rather puts him closer to danger. Another trait that ends up killing a number of his men is his lack of leadership skills, or rather the lack of respect and trust from his men. In some parts of this epic poem, Odysseus also displays the characteristic, foolishness, in which that also results in the deaths of a number of his men.

Fourth reason, in the beginning of the book, Homer wrote, “he fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home” (Homer 5). But what good is Odysseus saving himself for when in the end he couldn't even control his members in the end. That's why he shouldn't have recklessly sacrificed so many of his members and had a big ego. When Odysseus went back home, he saw that his son and his wife were not safe, so he killed the man’s who were trying to win Penelope heart to gain power. Penelope was so happy that he was back, but really, if Odysseus never left, Penelope and his son would've never be in danger in the first place, that's why he is not a hero.

Odysseus slept with two women that are not his wife because her could. Odysseus also always took the long route to everything and never took the shortest option. Odysseus killing the suitors really wasn’t because he was loyal to Penelope, it was because he did not want them using his stuff and eating his food anymore. Loyalty in a relationship is very important because they have to know that they can trust their partner, and in the Odyssey, Penelope does that but Odysseus does

The main character Odysseus in the Odyssey written by Homer is generally thought to be a great hero; however, he shows more traits of a quite flawed character on closer inspection. Around the beginning of Odysseus’ journey home after the war, Odysseus decides to take a detour to the home of a cyclops deciding to not listen to his men’s suggestions to leave while they still could; consequently, it does not end well: “Ah, how sound that was, Yet I refused. I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer no pretty sight it turned out, for my friend” (9.130-132). This thought by Odysseus shows that he realized his decision to go to the mysterious island wasn’t the most rational one and that his men’s pleas to leave were the better option, but he decides to be stubborn and place his curiosity before his men’s safety resulting in a non-heroic

No matter what is thrown at him he never stops trying to get home, getting past a Cyclopes, the Lady Circe, and sirens. He even gets through the Underworld and lives. Despite this, Odysseus does have faults about him, though not as many as there are qualities. He is a worldwide symbol, an archetype, of both nobility and bravery. Odysseus, the epic hero of the Odyssey, a great leader with many attributes as well as flaws, is no ordinary man.