Armando Lopez
Williams
English I
24 February 2023
Odysseus A True Epic Hero
Odysseus is a true epic hero showing his heroic qualities in the book The Odyssey. Trying to get back home Odyssues had to travel for 20 years going on adventures to get pushed back constantly. Odysseus is a hero because he shows Strength, Intelligence and patience while dealing with difficult situations.
Firstly, Odysseus’ intelligence is one of his strongest strengths going to war. In the book The Odyssey this quote clearly states “Nobody that's my name nobody so my mother and father call me, all my friends”(Homer 340). This shows that During a frightening time in the Book The Odysseus is a quick thinker. Furthermore the text states “They lumbered off,but laughter filled my heart to think how nobody”s name my great cunning stroked had duped them” (Homer 460). This quote indicates how Odysseus manages to outwit the bigger opponent with his quick but smart tactics.
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While getting stuck in a cave with a cannibal he had to kill or get killed. This quote shows “Hoisting high that olive stake with its stabbing point straight into the monster's eye they renamed it hard, I drove my weight on it from above and bored it home”(Homer 440). Showing this quote proves my point of Odysseus’ strength during nerve racking time. Odysseus also shows metal strength while encountering Sirens. As the text states, “The lovely voices in ardor appealing over the water made me crave to listen , and I tried to say “Untie me!” to the crew, jerking my brows; but they bent steady to the oars. Then Perimedes got to his feet, he and Eurylochus and passed more lines about to hold me still. So all rowed on, until the sirens dropped under the sea rim, and their singing dwindled away” (Homer 123-131). Sirens being a powerful enemy to weak minded people Odysseus held his voice from calling out and passed through the
The Odyssey, a Greek epic written by Homer has many characters that could be considered heroes, but none as greatly debated on whether he should be called a hero as Odysseus. Odysseus is a hero due to the fact that he wants to protect the ones he loves, shows courage through his actions and words, and as a leader is able to inspire others to have courage. Odysseus’s family
While recounting the war, he says, “No one, no Achaean labored hard as Odysseus labored or achieved so much” (4.119-20). Similarly he also gushes about Odysseus’ plan with the Trojan horse, saying, “What a heart that fearless Odysseus had inside him! What a piece of work the hero dared and carried off in the wooden horse” (4.303-5). All of this praise implies that Odysseus is a strong and intelligent man, capable of coming up
What makes a hero? The novel Things Fall Apart follows the story of a man named Okonkwo, who grew up with a father who was kind, and generous, but was a so dependent on other people and did not pay back any of his debts as well. It was because of Okonkwo’s father that he became the man that he was, Okonkwo felt that since his father was kind and generous he had to be the exact opposite, so he became a hard working young man, but also became violent and aggressive, he lived in fear that he would be buried with shame as his father was, even though he had taken on many titles. Odysseus was quite the opposite though, from the story The Odyssey, was extremely different, he was clever, and kind. Odysseus was ripped away from his son, Telemachus, and his wife, Penelope, and spent twenty years trying to find
What do you think a hero is? A brave person? Or someone who is willing to risk everything to protect the people they love? The definition of a hero is quote on quote “ a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities”. In The Odyssey by Homer, it talks about a so called hero named Odysseus.
Only upon reaching safety does Odysseus announce his identity. We can see the clear preeminence of mental strength in this event, as Odysseus would not have gotten away with blinding the Cyclops without being killed had he not used his trickery skills. The encounter with the Cyclops is just one of the many life threatening experiences Odysseus is able to survive thanks to his ‘teeming’
He constantly faced life-threatening challenges, but in the end, he still managed to get out of them successfully. This is shown by the time when he encountered the sirens, he bravely resists by having his crew tie him to the pole of the ship. Additionally, during his battle against the suitors, as he returns to Ithaca, Odysseus bravely handles the unloyal men. Being unable to have strong problem-solving skills would make things much harder and have many different outcomes. This displays his strong leadership and courage throughout dangerous
Odysseus, of course is brave and courageous as he doesn’t seem to crumble with fear when facing an enemy. He is also confident in his abilities as he never falters under pressure or when in a dire situation. Perhaps, Odysseus’s most important quality is his intelligence. As opposed to his enemy’s brute strength or mystical power, Odysseus is still able to defeat his enemy with his wit and intelligence such as telling Polyphemus that his “name is Nohbdy.” Odysseus major flaw is his pride which is seen when he continues to taunt Polyphemus by saying “…if mortal man ever inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him that Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye…” despite his crew warning “Why bait the beast again.
Odysseus and his men encounter the sirens while sailing past their island, and despite being warned of the danger by Circe, Odysseus insists on hearing the sirens' song. The epic recites, “I alone should hear their singing,” (Homer 12. 163). He orders his men to tie him to the mast and plug their ears with wax so that he can hear the song without risking their lives. However, by doing so, Odysseus not only endangers himself but also his crew. The fact that Odysseus knowingly puts his crew in danger for his own selfish desires is a clear indication that he is not a hero.
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.
His first trait is being exceptionally skilled continued with cleverness and bravery. Despite Odysseus’s challenges he proves himself a hero because of the actions that show him as skilled, clever and brave. Odysseus is exceptionally skilled in many ways aiding him from each challenge to the next. When Odysseus is trapped in the cave with the Cyclops he decides to us his skills to make a stake to blind the monster, “[He] hewed [the stake] again to make a stake with a point at the end.” (Homer.
116-117)This quote represents Odysseus and shows how he is not going to give up his crew to the sirens. Lugging it near the Cyclops as more than natural force nerved them; Straight forward they sprinted, lifted it, and rammed it deep in his crater eye. (Homer 9. 289-292) When they were stuck on cyclops island with no hope Odysseus found a way to fight back and save his men from the island. Odysseus displays good
but he never caught me, no, wise to the world/ I shot back in my crafty way” (9.316-318). Although he is being exceedingly prideful, Odysseus used his wit and cunning narrowly escape a deadly situation. When accomplishing a feat like this, one should be proud. Through this, he was able to be more confident and brave with the purpose that he could defeat the Cyclops. Odysseus’ pride and confidence assist him in journey as he makes new allies and boosts
Odysseus’s traits help him achieve his goal of returning to his home. Odysseus and his men have a lot of willpower to continue traveling after some dangerous and life risking experiences with cannibals, lotus-eaters, cyclops and many more creatures that could of killed Odysseus and his whole crew. Odysseus's confidence and epic hero traits only increase as the story goes on, his confidence in his men increase as he starts noticing how strong and powerful his men can be, and also shows confidence in
Odysseus was a man of great stature and strength; however, Odysseus was not only physically strong, but mentally strong as well (Olson). We can see Odysseus’ mental strength, or cunning, and bravery when he is in the den of Polyphemus and devises the plan to save him and his crew by calling himself nobody and stabbing out the cyclops’ eye. He also recognizes that he
The Epic Hero of The Odyssey The Odyssey is a tale of a great hero trying to get home. An epic hero. An epic hero is a courageous and honorable person. Homer’s character Odysseus exemplifies this in many ways.