Odysseus As A Hero In The Odyssey By Homer

What do you think a hero is? Do you expect a robust man, flying around in a cape? Despite the fact that many may think that a hero is a man with the power to fly, or super strength; a hero is a wise leader, and is selfless, loyal, and generous in spirit. A hero is someone who would willingly put themselves in danger to save a fellow human being in need of help. They do so with the full knowledge of the risks that they may be taking, but they do so anyway, without question. The main character of the classic novel "The Odyssey" by Homer, Odysseus is a hero due to his undying loyalty to family and crew mates. Odysseus was faced with many challenges, his heroic actions during the Trojan war and his journey back to his family helped slowly structure …show more content…
Athena dresses Odysseus up as an old man, so he can enter the house safely, without having to worry about the suitors putting him to death. "First I will transform you- no one must know you. I will shrivel the supple skin on your lithe limbs, strip the russet curls from your head and deck you out in rags you'd hate to see some other mortal wear; I'll dim the fire in your eyes, so shining once- until you seem appalling to all those suitors, even your wife and son you left behind at home." (Pg 229, 454). This shows Odysseus' undying loyalty to returning to Penelope, his wide, and Telemachus, his son. Odysseus is willing to do anything to reclaim himself as king of Ithaca and live with him family once again. Once Odysseus is inside of the house, he doesn't reveal himself quite yet, he is patient and waits for the right time. "Now stripping back his rags Odysseus master of craft and battle vaulted onto the great threshold, gripping his bow and quiver bristling arrows, and poured his flashing shafts before him, loose at his feet, and thundered out to all the suitors: "Look- your crucial test is finished, now, at last! But another target's left that no one's hit before- we'll see if I can hit it- Apollo give me glory!"" (439,1)After winning the archery contest, Odysseus reveals himself to the suitors, he then eventually kills them all. Odysseus is patient which is also a very important characteristic that a hero should …show more content…
During the Trojan war him and his men were stumped and had no idea how to face the Trojans, but thanks to Odysseus' cunning ways, the Greeks gloriously fought the Trojans and claimed the city of Troy. After the victory in Troy, Odysseus was faced with a one eyed man-eating monster named Polyphemus. Odysseus and his men were in a life and death situation, and Odysseus couldn't risk having all of his men and himself being eaten by this one-eyed monster; Odysseus put his fear aside and put his crewmates lives as priority instead. Odysseus courageously fooled the cyclops and him and his men fled from their possible death. Odysseus' heroism doesn't stop once he reaches home, he continues to show intrepidity when he dresses up as an old man and enters his home in Ithaca and patiently waits to kill the suitors, after he fiercely kills the suitors that put Penelope and Telemachus in pain while he was away, he is reunited with his family and can finally reclaim Ithaca. Odysseus has the complete traits of a true hero and will always be recognized as a man filled with knowledge, wisdom and courage, as he was long ago. Without Odysseus people wouldn't have someone to compare their own heroes to, Odysseus connects and redefines the meaning of journey in the world, for he has traveled many miles through many obstacles which is the definition of what a

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Odysseus As An Epic Hero In The Odyssey By Homer