To be a hero, you must show helpful and important qualities, but that does not mean all heroes are perfect and do not make mistakes. Odysseus is an example of a hero who is perfect in no way, but in the end, he completes his tasks and heroically leads the hero’s journey. Odysseus led his crew through difficult journeys which caused conflict and hardship, but it only helped them grow and become closer to their final destination. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the challenges brought by the hero’s journey reveal the positive and negative traits of a hero projected by Odysseus.
During the journey with the Cyclops in book nine Odysseus shows traits of intelligence and arrogance. When Odysseus and his crew were in trouble with the Cyclops, Odysseus used his intelligence to keep them safe. Odysseus said “My name is Noman” referring to no man tricking the Cyclops and saving them from revealing their true identity (Homer, 251). While Odysseus may have been intelligent in book nine, he also showed traits of being
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Odysseus had been instructed by Circes to travel past the Sirens which is a very dangerous task. Odysseus did not back down and showed bravery and leadership when he fearlessly said “We must avoid the voices of the otherworldly sirens” and directed his crew to keep him “upright at the mast, wound round with rope” in order for them to safely pass (Homer, 306). On the other hand, Odysseus showed selfishness toward his crew, burdening them with too much work than they could handle. Odysseus' crew told him “You are unfair to us, Odysseus. You may be strong; you never seem to tire; you must be made of iron. But we men have had no rest or sleep; we are exhausted” which highlights how Odysseus’s crew felt about his selfishness (Homer, 310). Odysseus’s bravery and selfishness led his crew to success on their journey past the sirens, even if it hurt his
Furthermore, he does not seem to consider the potential consequences of his actions, such as the possibility that Circe could turn on him or that his crew might become restless and mutinous. Finally, Odysseus's pride is perhaps best exemplified in his encounter with the Sirens. Despite being warned of the danger of their song, Odysseus insists on hearing it for himself. He orders his crew to tie him to the mast of the ship so that he can listen without being lured to his death. While this may seem like a clever solution to the problem, it is important to remember that Odysseus's prideful desire to experience everything for himself almost cost him
The description of a hero can be different among many people. Some may say a hero has to be courageous, smart, and strong, but they don’t talk about the flaws a hero may possess. Odysseus portrays very obvious flaws in the epic The Odyssey. When I look more into Odysseus’ flaws as a character, I do not see Odysseus as admirable. When reading The Odyssey, the many obstacles that Odysseus faces and defeats shows him to be courageous and clever.
When Odysseus was stuck in the Cyclops cave with his men, he tricked the Cyclops into thinking his ship was destroyed. By saying “‘My ship? Poseidon Lord, who sets the earth atremble, broke it up on the rocks at your land’s end” (9. 273-274), he prevented the Cyclops from thinking about attacking the ship. This statement shows he was thinking ahead and using his intelligence and cleverness to keep them safe. When the Cyclops asks who he was, he said his name was “Nohbdy” (9. 360-361).
This is shown when he is faced with a problem. He must find a way to escape a Cyclops without him finding out his real name. Therefore, Oddyesus tells the Cyclops his name is, “Nohbody'' (Homer, 380, lines 274-275). This demonstrates how Odysseus uses his cleverness to get out of difficult situations. By telling the Cyclops his name is nobody, he used his cleverness to avoid the Cyclops from knowing his real name.
Odysseus is a hero. He is a hero because he is brave, loyal to his family, and he is also a great leader. A hero should be someone that is a leader in wherever they go, and whatever they do. People look up to heros. We’ve all been that one kid, dressing up as spiderman, or superman.
Circe warns Odysseus, “If any one unwarily draws in too close and hears the singing of the Sirens, his wife and children will never welcome him home again, for they sit in a green field and warble him to death with the sweetness of their song” (Butler Book 12). Circe gives a warning about the Sirens and Odysseus overcomes them. Through his extreme courage Odysseus is able to fight them. Another way Odysseus shows courage is through the fighting of the Cyclops. Using his intelligence he outsmarts the cyclops by riding the underbelly of the sheep.
Odysseus sets ship home to Ithaca which then he encounters many challenges like the Sirens, which then he finds enough strength to overcome the odds and continue on the journey home. Odysseus is passing the sirens when his men
Odysseus showed his cleverness through his entire venture, for example when he had to face the cyclops and didn’t mention his real name but used a fake on, which was nobody. Odysseus clearly outsmarted the cyclops in this situation. It was important for odysseus to do this because he was a very known person and many wanted him dead, including the cyclopes father Poseidon. So keeping his name a secret helped him stay alive, again showing his true cleverness. This justifies why the greeks thought that being clever was one of the key characteristics of a hero.
he thundered out, 'now who are you? Where did you sail from, over the running sea-lanes? Out on a trading spree or roving the waves like pirates, sea-wolves raiding at will, who risk their lives to plunder other men?'” Odysseus and his crew become frightened, but despite this, Odysseus shows the heroic trait of bravery by answering back confidently, “The hearts inside us shook, terrified by his rumbling voice and monstrous hulk.
In the epic story the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan war, and on his way home he finds many obstacles ahead of him. Odysseus is the ruler of Ithaca and he is trying to return home to his land. Many creatures try and stop him from achieving his goal of returning home, but he and his crew have to push through and get home. Odysseus portrays bravery and courage leading his crew through these tough challenges. Odysseus heroically leads his crew and himself through dangerous obstacles, but also foolishly endangers them during the journey home.
Given the leader he is, when Odysseus and his men encountered the sirens, his men were quick to follow his instructions with diligence. Homer writes, “Sirens weakening a haunting song over the sea we are to shun”(690-691). The sirens sing a songs to lure sailors to their death. Homer writes, “I alone should listen to their song”(693-694). Odysseus knowing what the sirens purpose and having prior knowledge of the things the sirens would say to him.
While Odysseus and his men are trapped with the cyclops the cyclops asks what Odysseus's name is. Odysseus states “ My name is nohbdy; mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me nohbdy.” This is important to the main idea because Odysseus is using his cleverness and wits to trick the Cyclops. When the cyclops called for help he would tell them “Nohbdy tricked me!” This shows that Odysseus can think ahead and act wisely in different situations.
In the odyssey, the king of ithica aka odysseus is on his way home, but on his way home he faces many challenges, some include the cyclops, and many different monsters. Eventually after a long hard fight, odysseus makes his way home. The odyssey gives a perfect example of what a hero is, and how easily it is for a person to change. At first, Odysseus may seem like a hero due to his courage and strength, but later on in the story things take a turn for the worse for him and his reputation,
In The Odyssey by Homer, Homer makes Odysseus look like a hero, but his actions show that he is not. I do not believe that Odysseus deserves the title of a hero because his flaws kill his men, he cheats on Penelope, and he lies and spies on Penelope. When Odysseus and his men meet the cyclops, Odysseus decides to stay at the cyclops’ cave and see what he has to offer, even though his men think they should just steal all the cyclops’ food and run away. Since Odysseus made his decision to stay, his men were eaten by the cyclops.
Heroes are, “People who take risks despite fear”(Source 2). In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus faces many challenges that make him a hero. He battles monsters, goddesses, and enchantresses. Odysseus is a hero in the way that he uses his brain to think about and approach dilemmas. When he and his men are on the Cyclops’ island, Odysseus tells the cyclops that his name was Nobody.