Odysseus: A True Hero In Homer's Odyssey

Ashure Ashe says that, “True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge surpass all other at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost” (1).Heroes today are not people who can defeat cyclops, or survive three headed monsters, or try to fight off giants like the protagonist of the Odyssey, Odysseus. Heroes today are people do good deeds not for their own personal gain, but for the good of others. The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus and adventures his to different places, his many battles, and his many choices and the Greeks see him as a great hero. But the reasons why he fought many battles, went to the different places and made the choices he made, makes him by today’s definition of a hero, not a hero. …show more content…
Which is typically who the hero of a story is. But his motives and what he does after his heroic deeds makes it seems like he’s not the hero he’s hyped up to be. My first piece of evidence is after defeating the cyclops he boasted and mocked the cyclops revealing his true name and gets him and all of his crew cursed. This shows his arrogance and selfishness by getting his whole crew in more danger. In the text, it says “Puny, am I, in a Caveman’s hands? How do you like the beating that we gave you, you damned cannibal? Eater of guest under your roof”. Pg 668 “if ever a mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye…..” Pg 669 “O hear me, lord, blue girdiler of the islands, if I am thine indeed, and thou art father: grant that Odysseus, raider of cities never see his home…” Pg