Odysseus has a multitude of traits for him to be qualified as a true hero. In the classic novel The Odyssey written by Homer, translated by Robert Fitzgerald, the reader experiences Odysseus’s journey back to his home after the Trojan War. Odysseus experiences many obstacles and encounters many mythical creatures and Greek gods and goddesses who help and hinder his journey home. Odysseus is considered a hero because he exhibits many characteristic of the “Archetype of a Hero”. The main two that are shown multiple times throughout the course of the book are that he comes face to face with death/ accomplishes many heroic feats and defends and protects civilization/ helps the weak and helpless (The Archetype of a Hero).
Odysseus comes face …show more content…
Odysseus is angered because while he was away the suitors “took [his] house to plunder” and “dared/ [to] bid for his wife” without knowing he was dead for certain (Homer 22. 38-40). The use of “plunder” for diction exhibits that the suitors have destroyed Odysseus reputation as a ruler and his palace and would have continued to do so. Odysseus knows that he needs to defeat the suitors to protect his family and his kingdom. In addition, when Homer uses “ dared” and “bid” it shows that Odysseus is appalled with the situation and with the way his wife has been treated as if she is an inadiment object, not a person. Before Odysseus protects and defends civilization by defeating the suitors, Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar and assists a helpless beggar named Iros who challenged him to a fight. After Odysseus won, instead of killing him he “stuck his beggin staff” in his hand and helped him “take [his ] post / “so he could “ keep the dogs and pigs away” (Homer 18.127-130). The use of “struck” shows that Odysseus had to give effort to help Iros. It was a choice, not an obligation to go out of his way to help defend Iros from the animals. Odysseus making, the decision to help a weak, helpless, pathetic beggar and to defeat the suitors to protect his family and his kingdom shows two other reason why Odysseus is considered a
Odysseus comes face …show more content…
Odysseus is angered because while he was away the suitors “took [his] house to plunder” and “dared/ [to] bid for his wife” without knowing he was dead for certain (Homer 22. 38-40). The use of “plunder” for diction exhibits that the suitors have destroyed Odysseus reputation as a ruler and his palace and would have continued to do so. Odysseus knows that he needs to defeat the suitors to protect his family and his kingdom. In addition, when Homer uses “ dared” and “bid” it shows that Odysseus is appalled with the situation and with the way his wife has been treated as if she is an inadiment object, not a person. Before Odysseus protects and defends civilization by defeating the suitors, Odysseus disguises himself as a beggar and assists a helpless beggar named Iros who challenged him to a fight. After Odysseus won, instead of killing him he “stuck his beggin staff” in his hand and helped him “take [his ] post / “so he could “ keep the dogs and pigs away” (Homer 18.127-130). The use of “struck” shows that Odysseus had to give effort to help Iros. It was a choice, not an obligation to go out of his way to help defend Iros from the animals. Odysseus making, the decision to help a weak, helpless, pathetic beggar and to defeat the suitors to protect his family and his kingdom shows two other reason why Odysseus is considered a