Well, the definition of a hero is : a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In my opinion, I believe Odysseus is considered a hero. Odysseus had all these traits, and appears numerous times throughout his journey.
Odysseus is a hero because he is loyal, brave, and clever. He is a loyal man in…. Is Odysseus, the man that survived 20 years away from home and at sea, battling many monsters along the way, a hero?
Is the man that displeased some gods, and killed others, a hero? According to the Greeks, he certainly is. According to the Highly Gifted Magnet, probably not. While to the Greeks he possessed all of the heroic qualities, such as cunningness, loyalty, hospitality and physical strength, to the Highly Gifted Magnet community, he meets all most all of our standards, which include intelligence….
Odyssey, Odysseus, the central character of the epic, applies his strengths, leadership skills and his determination to reach his abode escaping from flesh eating one-eyed mammoths, arrogant betrayers, and violent whirlpool and sea monsters. Approaching Scylla and Charybdis, a violent storm and sea monster, the crew trembles in fear, doubting their ability.
Odysseus, never…. What is a Hero? However, the characteristics that Homer equates with Odysseus are not always required for someone to be considered a hero.
The act of being audacious is the willingness to take surprisingly bold risks, which Odysseus demonstrates in his adventures. Odysseus is taking on a big risk because from what Homer tells us, the Cyclopes are uncivilized giants and can be very unpredictable.
Entering into the cave without permission might have been a risk that got Odysseys into trouble later because the Cyclopes starting feasting on his crew. Eurylokhos tells Odysseus that it is too dangerous to save his crew, but Odysseus takes the risk to stop Circe from prevailing.
With the help of Hermes, and the root that he supplies Odysseus with, Odysseus was able to defeat Circe and save his crew from being turned into swine. These examples of audacious behaviors prove that Odysseus is heroic because he does not hesitate to take a risk, no matter the consequences or struggle that he may endure. The willingness to take risks is consistent among all heroes, not only Odysseus because risk taking is what helps express their other qualities such as savior and sly.
Homer introduces the idea of Odysseus being a savior, which supports his heroism. In the adventure of the Lotos Eaters, Odysseus saves the three men that he selected to learn about the people on the island, from staying on the island of the Lotos Eaters and not going home.
Odysseus expresses himself as being a savior when he guides them back to the ship and ties them down under their rowing benches. A savior, being a person who saves someone from danger, clearly depicts what Odysseus did in this adventure. This was an ingenious idea since the Cyclopes did not even consider that Odysseus and his crew were hidden underneath his own sheep. Being a savior is a quality that all heroes, including Odysseus, express and allow them to bring benefit to those in need of it.
Odysseus knew that his crew, including himself were in trouble, so he used his cleverness to save them from being indulged by the Cyclopes. All good heroes try to save people and are judged on their actions of saving and therefore it is a quality that is required for heroes to be helpful. Telemakhos does not know that he is talking to his father, because he has not seen Odysseus since he was child and has no memory of a father.
Odysseus decides to remain silent and from this point on he is disguised as a beggar versus the King of Ithaca. To be sly is to be misleading and Odysseus demonstrates this by convincing everybody that he is a beggar man and dodges from telling Telemakhos that he is his father.
Homer suggests that being sly makes Odysseus heroic because he is trying to hide his identity from the Cyclopes so he can not curse him, but because of his hubris, he later uncovers his true identity. He is also a hero because he is undercover from his friends and family and therefore shows that he can think rapidly and thoroughly at any given situation like most heroes do when they help someone, for example, escape from a train track after falling in.
However, sly is not the first thing somebody thinks about when they see a hero. A hero can be sly, but it is not required because someone can be purely truthful and not hide anything and still be a hero. Odysseus being sly, is just an addition to his heroism that is not found it all heroes.
Homer has influenced my understanding of a hero and what it means to be heroic in The Odyssey by exposing me to a heroic figure that demonstrates slyness and is considered a hero.
Odysseus shows the traits of a hero by accomplishing his goals, and overcoming any obstacles he happens to face. For example, in the section of the book where Odysseus and his crew are about to pass the island of the sirens, that also pose a great deal of danger to them all.
This is a heroic act, because Odysseus is doing something that can save the lives of his crew. By deafening his crew, Odysseus is saving them from the Sirens. The Sirens kill people by drawing anyone passing their island with their songs.
After the person is drawn in, the only way to reach the island is by boat, their ship would hit the rocky perimeter of the island, destroying their ship, and leaving the crew to drown. This impacts Odysseus journey by making his crew survive one of the obstacles they all had to face.
This is a characteristic of a heroic act by saving lives, and by accomplishing his goals, because after doing this, Odysseus and his crew are able to pass the island without being drawn towards the Sirens, resulting in nobody dying. Overall, Odysseus is heroic by saving lives, and overcoming obstacles. However, even though Odysseus shows heroism, and accomplishes his goals, he does have flaws that can compromise his actions.
For example, during the encounter with the Sirens, Odysseus had previously heard that no man had ever passed the Sirens and survived. And if I plead, commanding you to set me free, and then lash me faster, rope on pressing rope. This is a showing of hubris a showing of excessive pride, leading to a negative result , because by allowing himself to hear the Sirens, Odysseus is endangering his crew, and himself.
Sign in. Essay Sample Check Writing Quality. Show More. Read More. Words: - Pages: 6. Epic Hero Characteristics Of Achilles Strong warriors work hard so that they can be remembered as a legend and their name can be told for centuries to come.
Words: - Pages: 3. Words: - Pages: 5. Words: - Pages: 4. Words: - Pages: 2. Characteristics Of Odysseus Being An Epic Hero He faced a lot of obstacles along the way mainly for fact that Poseidom, God of the ocean did not exactly make it easy for the men to go home. Pride In Oedipus The King Oedipus tried to escape his fate by running away and killing the man who told him about the curse. Related Topics. Ready To Get Started? Create Flashcards.
0コメント