Odysseus: A Modern Day Hero

The Odyssey is about an epic journey that Odysseus takes to get home. It takes place in Greek times after the Trojan war. Odysseus took ten years to get home because Poseidon was against Odysseus. Homer is the author of the book and it is a fiction. Odysseus might have been a hero in the Greek age but is not a hero in the modern age.

A modern day hero would not sacrifice people they would instead find a different way. In the text below Odysseus sends three men to go see who lived on the island. “Then I sent out two hand picked men and a runner to learn what race of men that land sustained (202-203).” Odysseus is smart to send men to go see who lived there but a real hero would have went himself. He is risking his men’s life pretty much to go see who lives there. In the quote below Odysseus choices to lose six men rather than all of them. “Better to mourn six men than lose them all, and the ship too (705-706).” Odysseus makes a smart choice to lose six men instead of all of them. But a modern day hero would have found a way not to lose anyone. Odysseus is a good man but he does sacrifice people for the

In the quote below Odysseus kills a person because he was trying to marry his wife. “ Odysseus’ arrow hit him under the chin and punched up to the feathers through his throat (1234-1235.).” Odysseus shots one of them with an arrow just because he felt like it. Heroes do not just kill people cause they want too but Odysseus does and that is why he is not a modern day hero. In the quote below Odysseus says that they will all die even if they try to run. “ Fight your way out, or run for it if you think you’ll escape death (1285-1286).” Odysseus is saying that they will all die. This quote supports that he is not a hero because heroes do not kill people unless absolutely necessary. Odysseus kills people because he wants to and that is not hero