herody Essay on Homer's Odyssey: A Hero Defined:


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A Hero Defined in Homer's Odyssey

 

What makes a hero? To be known as a hero takes a lot, but what is a true hero? Well, it depends on whom you ask. To some, a hero might just be a person who is courageous and brave, to others a hero might be a person that is a strong warrior and leader who wins battles; however, to some to others, a hero might be a person who uses his brain just as much as a warrior uses his sword.  Odysseus, in Homer's epic, "The Odyssey", embodies the ideal human qualities that Homer's Greek society mostly admired. Odysseus' courage, nobility, and his most distinguishing attribute, his sharp intellect are what make him an eminent hero. Odysseus' great intellectual capacity gets him out of even the most life threatening situations. In addition, his courage is what drives him to get himself in those situations to begin with. Tested with even the toughest obstacles, Odysseus still led a heroic victory. Living a life with immortals and Gods around you, it was not ordinary to be a mortal and carry the strength of a God. In conclusion, Odysseus was not famous for his great strength, but rather for his ability to deceive and trick. To his friends and family, Odysseus was a brilliant strategist, however, to his enemies, Odysseus was a deceiver and a manipulator of the worst kind. In the epic poem "The Odyssey", the courageous and assiduous Odysseus displayed many admirable traits, even though at times his actions brought pain and suffering to others.

 

Odysseus' quick thinking and high intellectual capacity help him get out of even the toughest situations, as when he escapes from the cave of the returns home only to find his palace taken over by numerous suitors, as well as the temptation of eating the lotus-flowers. Odysseus forewarned his men not to eat the lotus flowers and resisted himself. "... no one taste the Lotus, or you will loose your home of home." (1.104-105). Threatening his men not to eat the lotus-flowers, Odysseus' orders were disregarded, concluding him having to drag his three men back to the boat and tie them to the benches, "I drove them all three wailing, to the ships..." (1.101). When finally returned home, Odysseus, disguised as a beggar, does not immediately react to the abuse he receives from the suitors. Instead, he endures it until the traps he has set and the loyalties he has secured put him in a position from which he can strike back efficiently.

 

Another characteristic that plays a great role in Odysseus's heroic encounters is his courage. This specific attribute shows up numerous times in the epic, and is the cause of his many life-threatening encounters. Along the way home, Odysseus's courage and cleverness saved him and his men from such monsters as the Cyclops Polyphemus, the Sirens, and Scylla and Charybdis. Throughout his journey, Odysseus displayed much cunning and acts of bravery. Odysseus fought bravely throughout the entire Trojan War, and even after the Trojan War was over, Odysseus had to go through twenty years of turmoil before he could get home to his beloved Penelope and son, Telemachus.  Odysseus endured all of this with the hope that someday he would again be with his family. Being only human, Odysseus' bravery was tested to the extreme when Odysseus, a mortal, stood up to the Cyclops, a one-eyed, immortal giant.



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