The Odyssey: What Defines A Hero?

What Defines a Hero? Throughout history many different definitions of heroes have been present. Whether you look at how our culture defines a hero, how the epic poem, “The Odyssey,” defines a hero, how the Bible defines a hero, or how you define a hero. The word hero may mean something to one person but for another person it may mean something else. Our culture has defined the word hero in many different ways one way defines it as a mythological or legendary figure, later expanded to include principal male characters in dramatic works (Boyd). There are many of different heroes in myth that have this definition apply to them. One such example of this type of hero is Hercules who is very famous for his twelve labors (Cartwright). Another way our culture has defined the word hero is one admired for his great courage or noble qualities (Boyd). This definition mostly applies to heroes of today an example of one of these heroes is Chelsey B. “Sully” Sullenberger (Boyd). Sully is recognized as a hero because of his courageous act of successfully landing a commercial flight in the Hudson River saving many people (Boyd). An additional way that our culture defines the term hero is an object of extreme admiration and devotion (Boyd). This definition of the term hero applies to people today and one example of this kind of hero is J.K. Rowling (Boyd). She is considered a hero because of how she inspired a generation of children to read (Boyd). In the epic poem, “The Odyssey,”