The Role Of Heroes In Homer's Odyssey

“E kūlia i ka nu’u.” – Hawaiian Proverb

In English, this phrase translates to “Strive to reach the highest”. Every hero, whether in a book, a movie, a television show, or a theatre production, is striving for the best version of themselves. Many heroes you’ve read about obey this phrase. For example, in Disney’s Moana (2016), the main character Moana endures many trials and tribulations before changing her village’s tradition for the better. Similarly, in The Odyssey by Greek Poet Homer, Odysseus undergoes many painful ordeals before returning home to his family as a changed man. These heroes share three traits; they engage monsters and demons in combat, they exhibit problem solving skills, and they have supernatural assistance.

Moana and Odysseus’

Instead of simply stealing the food and drink they discover, Odysseus lingers in the cave a while longer. However, the cave’s sole resident soon returns – it is the Cyclops Polyphemus. He consumes two of Odysseus’ men and imprisons the rest for later meals. Odysseus decides not to kill Polyphemus; the Cyclops is the only one who can move the stone blocking the exit to the cave. The next day, Odysseus creates a weapon while Polyphemus is pasturing his sheep. When the Cyclops return, the hero gets him drunk on the wine from his ship. When Polyphemus falls unconscious as a result of intoxication, Odysseus and his crew blind him, and escape. Similarly, Moana and her sidekick, Maui, encounter a colossal decapod, called Tamatoa, who insists on accumulating shiny and glittery objects. While Tamatoa regales Maui with his entire life story, Moana comes up with a way to defeat the monster. She paints a regular barnacle with bioluminescent algae. The young protagonist convinces Tamatoa that the entirely ordinary

Evidently, Moana and Odysseus exhibit this idea by being brave and compassionate, as heroes should be. They also display this by standing their ground in the face of monsters and beasts, solving daunting problems efficiently, and by receiving and accepting help from supernatural beings. Although these two characters seem to have nothing in common at face value, it quickly becomes clear that they are truly quite similar in that they are both inspiring, especially to people who don’t have the means to be epic, but do have opportunities to be everyday