Bob Dylan, an American musician, formerly said, “A hero is someone who understands the responsibility that comes with his freedom”. Dylan’s words remain intact in Homer’s The Odyssey. In this epic, Odysseus, the main character, is leaving to fight in the Trojan War. The war itself takes ten years. The journey back home takes another ten years. Throughout his journey back home, Odysseus is put to the test with his actions in physical and mental ways. The actions Odysseus takes during his journey home in The Odyssey make him a hero.
To begin, the actions Odysseus takes in The Odyssey make him a hero because he illustrates a character of good decision making. First, Odysseus shows his decision making when he is within a cave at the Cyclops’s …show more content…
Once Polyphemus is asleep, Odysseus has the opportunity to kill the Cyclops, but Odysseus is wise and does not do so. Odysseus, knowing there is no way out if he were to stab Polyphemus, considers, "There at a stroke we 'd finish off ourselves as well-/ how could we with our bare hands heave back/ that slab he set to block his cavern gaping maw?" (Homer 9.340-2). This shows that Odysseus made a good decision, in knowing that only Polyphemus can move the boulder, not to kill Polyphemus. This also shows that Odysseus is a hero because of the fact that he has the courage to fight against an almighty Cyclops, yet he realized it would not help him in the long run. Secondly, still at Polyphemus 's cave, Odysseus alludes making a good decision on the occasion of answering to the cyclops’s question. Polyphemus asks Odysseus what his name is after getting himself drunk on three bowls of wine. Odysseus responds with a strategic answer, "...Nobody-that 's my name. Nobody-/ so my mother and father call me, all my friends" (9.410-1). This proves that Odysseus 's clever decision making is helping him and his crew stay safe from …show more content…
First and foremost, Odysseus exposes taking help from King Aeolus, the master of the winds. Odysseus has landed on the Aeolian island, where King Aeolus rules. Odysseus reports, “To this city of theirs we came, their splendid palace,/ and Aeolus hosted me one entire month...” (9.16-7) This verifies that Odysseus is taking advantage of help given by taking hospitality accustomed from King Aeolus. This also verifies that Odysseus is a hero because he doesn’t put his needs of getting home as soon as possible get over his crews needs to rest. Moreover, Odysseus informs taking help from Circe. Odysseus has just returned from the underworld and landed on Circe’s island. Odysseus and his men have a proper funeral-like event for Elpenor, one of Odysseus’s men who died after slipping of the roof of Circe’s palace. Once the event is over, Circe insists, “Come, take some food and drink some wine,/ rest here the livelong day/ and then tomorrow at daybreak you must sail./ But I will set you a course and chart each seamark” (12.25-8). This emphasizes that Odysseus is taking the help and offerings from Circe rather than just setting sail for his next destination. This also emphasizes that Odysseus’s unselfishness makes him a hero in so that he takes Circe 's orders for the course instead of taking his own course in a route that is filled
To begin, the actions Odysseus takes in The Odyssey make him a hero because he illustrates a character of good decision making. First, Odysseus shows his decision making when he is within a cave at the Cyclops’s …show more content…
Once Polyphemus is asleep, Odysseus has the opportunity to kill the Cyclops, but Odysseus is wise and does not do so. Odysseus, knowing there is no way out if he were to stab Polyphemus, considers, "There at a stroke we 'd finish off ourselves as well-/ how could we with our bare hands heave back/ that slab he set to block his cavern gaping maw?" (Homer 9.340-2). This shows that Odysseus made a good decision, in knowing that only Polyphemus can move the boulder, not to kill Polyphemus. This also shows that Odysseus is a hero because of the fact that he has the courage to fight against an almighty Cyclops, yet he realized it would not help him in the long run. Secondly, still at Polyphemus 's cave, Odysseus alludes making a good decision on the occasion of answering to the cyclops’s question. Polyphemus asks Odysseus what his name is after getting himself drunk on three bowls of wine. Odysseus responds with a strategic answer, "...Nobody-that 's my name. Nobody-/ so my mother and father call me, all my friends" (9.410-1). This proves that Odysseus 's clever decision making is helping him and his crew stay safe from …show more content…
First and foremost, Odysseus exposes taking help from King Aeolus, the master of the winds. Odysseus has landed on the Aeolian island, where King Aeolus rules. Odysseus reports, “To this city of theirs we came, their splendid palace,/ and Aeolus hosted me one entire month...” (9.16-7) This verifies that Odysseus is taking advantage of help given by taking hospitality accustomed from King Aeolus. This also verifies that Odysseus is a hero because he doesn’t put his needs of getting home as soon as possible get over his crews needs to rest. Moreover, Odysseus informs taking help from Circe. Odysseus has just returned from the underworld and landed on Circe’s island. Odysseus and his men have a proper funeral-like event for Elpenor, one of Odysseus’s men who died after slipping of the roof of Circe’s palace. Once the event is over, Circe insists, “Come, take some food and drink some wine,/ rest here the livelong day/ and then tomorrow at daybreak you must sail./ But I will set you a course and chart each seamark” (12.25-8). This emphasizes that Odysseus is taking the help and offerings from Circe rather than just setting sail for his next destination. This also emphasizes that Odysseus’s unselfishness makes him a hero in so that he takes Circe 's orders for the course instead of taking his own course in a route that is filled