The True Hero : Odysseus Is Not A Hero

Merriam-Webster defines a hero as, “A person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.” For Odysseus to be a hero this definition is supposed to fit and describe him and his character, but why does this definition not describe or fit him and his character? This is because Odysseus is not a hero. Odysseus has done unethical things on his journey that makes him a person that should go unadmired. For example, when Odysseus ignored the death of his man in order to make more progress on his journey since he claims a task was pressing and waited for the Cyclops in order to be offered more gifts (his men die as a result), these examples prove he is a person who does unethical things. Odysseus is not a hero because he is disloyal, selfish, and greedy.

Odysseus is not a hero because he lets his pride make most of his decisions, which gets him into difficult situations. Throughout The Odyssey, Odysseus makes mistakes that causes his men to be killed. Most of these mistakes could have been fixed by Odysseus making better decisions throughout his journey.

Odysseus portrays himself as anything but a hero throughout Homer’s The Odyssey. Odysseus goes through his life believing he is the best. He has no regard for anyone’s feelings but his own, and he believes nothing and no one can harm him, not even the gods. Odysseus feels he is always the leader and no one can tell him otherwise. Odysseus should not be considered a hero because he portrays himself as a selfish man that failed his crew, and is controlled by his hubris.

The majority of those who read The Odyssey consider the protagonist of the story, Odysseus, a hero. On many occasions, however, Odysseus makes decisions beneficial to himself alone. For example, when Odysseus and his men find themselves on Polyphemus's island, Odysseus's actions are self-centered and at the expense of his men. This can be said for most of Odysseus's actions in the story, as his main objective is to reach his home. Having his men by his side when he returns seems a trivial thing to him. Odysseus could be considered a hero, but many of his actions say otherwise. Due to the many unfaithful and self-centered decisions he makes in the story, Odysseus is not a hero.

Odysseus proves to be an epic hero in The Odyssey by showing bravery,intelligence and respect for the gods.Odysseus shows his intelligence by having his men tie him up to the mast as they sail past the sirens,so odysseus dont lose his will to get home.Odysseus use his bravery by going past scylla,so that he does not risk losing everything.Odysseus shows respect for the gods by not taking part in the killing of helio’s cattle.The definition of a hero today is very different since Odysseus but the purpose is the same,helping people.A hero does not need superpower or high tech gadgets to help

In the Greek literature of mythology, we have examined Odysseus. Students and scholars alike debate whether Odysseus was a true hero, as read in The Odyssey. There is much supporting evidence to prove all sides of the debate and opinions held of Odysseus. It is of my opinion that Odysseus is a hero in his homeland, his family, the Greek people, and for us to learn from to this day. Odysseus had encompassed three many qualities that I believe made him a hero. He embodied, mental strength, physical strength, and spiritual strength. I would like to advocate for why Odysseus was a hero.

Again, Odysseus' darker and 'immoral' acts could be viewed could viewed as metaphors for and/or accurate reflections of the imperfection of the human race. Characteristics that show that heroes too are flawed. A hero who has some shortcomings is a more believable character, they may be godly in the sense that they do what no one else can, but that they are still only human. Drawing on this, Odysseus can be considered a hero for modern times. He possesses admiral skills, such as commitment and knowledge, which are still considered heroic today. He uses these traits to protect himself and his crew as they make the long journey home. Although Odysseus is renowned for his expertise in fighting, he is

More specifically, the results leading to the announcement that Odysseus was not an epic hero was mostly due to his personality. Odysseus did not value the opinions of his men, or lives of his men, as the reader was lead first to believe. “Why not take these cheese, get them stowed, come back, throw open all the pens, and make a run for it? We’ll drive the kids and lambs abroad” (Homer 8). While in the land of cyclopes, Odysseus’ men told him to leave the cave and take all of the cyclops’ belongings. However, Odysseus did not listen, he wanted to see what else the cyclops had to offer, so he risked the lives of his men for his personal needs. Time and time again Odysseus, the “epic hero” and “brilliant leader,” risked his men’s lives for little or no reward. This is shown again later in story, as where his impulsiveness, arrogance, and greed lead to another reason why he is not suited with the description of an epic hero. In the Odyssey, Homer wrote Odysseus’ words, “Cyclops if ever a mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye; Laertes’ son, whose home is Ithaca!” This quote shows Odysseus’ arrogance after he blinded the cyclops. Believing he had defeated the cyclops Odysseus decided to stroke his ego and reveal his name and put his men at risk. With this not well thought out idea, it caused the rest of Odysseus’ journey to be cursed by Poseidon. Without his men’s best thoughts in mind, Odysseus decided getting recognition was better than safety. Not to mention, after these events, Odysseus was shown as a more of an unlike leader and hero when his men soon realized what kind of man Odysseus is. “Remember

What makes a hero? In “The Odyssey”, an epic by Homer, we were asked whether Odysseus was a hero or not. But what makes a hero? In movies, heroes are depicted as someone with superhuman strength or the ability to fly, but is this what a hero truly is? Odysseus fought through many hard battles against unimaginable monsters, and without him many would have died. Odysseus is a hero because he was both clever and brave.

Fictional heroes are in shows, movies and books. No matter what we watch or read at the end, we realize that these heroes became heroes by improving themselves emotionally and helping others out of the goodness in their hearts. Many people argue that Odysseus is not hero but considering the things he does through his journey his characteristics began to show a little of his heroic side. In The Wanderings of Odysseus from the Odyssey a epic poem by Homer, Odysseus is on his way back to Ithaca his home island after winning the ten year old Trojan War to come see his wife, Penelope and his son, Telemachus. The journey to home takes a very unexpected turn for Odysseus and his men. Odysseus is challenged with many obstacles that show his good and bad characteristics. He faces monsters like Scylla, Charybdis and Cyclopes. He also deals with gods and goddess like Poseidon and Circe.

After establishing ways Odysseus is not a hero, let us discuss ways he is. Odysseus was a hero in some ways, one including how he outsmarted the Cyclops. When Odysseus stabbed his eye, he had previously told Polyphemus that his name was “Nobody”. When Polyphemus cried out for help, he screamed “Nobody, Nobody’s tricked me. Nobody’s ruined me!” Making it sound like nobody has has hurt him.

Heroes are often thought of as great figures that conquer evil, kill the monster, and save the day. Odysseus is often referred to as a hero. He is a strong individual striving to complete his goal, return to his wife and son and remove suitors that have taken his home. Although he is seen as a hero by definition and he appears to be one as well there are decisions he made that may not be truly heroic. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus decisions to value his crew's life, and completing and being victorious through hard challenges makes him an epic hero. Odysseus saving his crew and competing his goal makes him a hero.

Although it may seem debatable, Odysseus is a hero mainly due to his commitment to his country and the bravery he tends to show. The commitment alon is shown when when Odysseus goes out to fight for the war however, his bravery is shown throughout many parts. Odysseus first shows his bravery (and curiosity) when he decides to explore the land of the Cyclops: “I’ll go across with my own ship and probe the natives living over there”(Book 9). This makes Odysseus a hero simply because the bravery, he is risking his life to travel through undiscovered land without much safety. The second act of that make Odysseus heroic is his ability to be an effective leader. This is shown when Odysseus is worried about being fair with his soldiers therefore,

The Greeks believe a hero is someone who's experienced life and death but in modern society we simply don't believe in heroes unless it may be someone in our own lives. A hero must be someone smart who knows what they're enemies are thinking and uses their surroundings to adapt to any situation. Anyone can fit the qualities of being a good human being but not all of them can be like Odysseus. In “The Odyssey” by Homer, Odysseus is a intelligent, loyal and strong hero, exactly like the type of heroes we have in modern times since no one is abnormal and/or is trying to save the world.

Some people think of a hero as someone with courage, determination, or someone that have risked their lives for others. Others think of a hero as someone who has outstanding strength and is clever. A hero, not only has physical strength, but also has mental strength as well. Odysseus, ruler of Ithaca, proves he is a hero by having all of these traits. Odysseus fights through hard times and overcomes obstacles, he kept his men together for most of the story, and he avenges himself when returning to his home, Ithaca. All of those are very heroic.