Odysseus As A Tragic Hero

The Odyssey was originally written by Homer and published into paper form circa 700 b.c.e. Robert Fagles adopted and translated the story. Fagles’ version was published in 1908 by the Oxford University Press. The story follows the grand adventures of the great King Odysseus and his quest to return to his kingdom from foreign lands. Along the way, Odysseus meets with great trials and tribulations. Not only is Odysseus a great and loyal king, he is also a courageous and strong soldier. Due to the qualities that Odysseus possesses, he can be categorized as a true Greek hero. Odysseus is favored by the goddess Athena during his journeys away from home and returning home. Athena stays with Odysseus, aids him in his times of need, and ensures that …show more content…
As Odysseus is journeying home, he forgets to honor the gods for his good fortune and for essentially protecting him during the war. He even goes as far as to mock the son of Poseidon, when Odysseus should know that the gods could be anywhere at any time. Essentially, Odysseus’s fatal flaw is his pride. He loves to brag about his accomplishments and he does not honor the gods as much as he should. Had he respected the gods and remembered that he was just a mortal man, he would have most likely not had to face the problems he …show more content…
Odysseus seeks glory and wants to be remembered for years to come. As a result of this desire, Odysseus has no problems recounting the story of his journeys to any person that will listen to it. When he begins to travel home, he stays in many different kingdoms. In each kingdom, he retells his story in hopes that it will be passed down and retold for generations to come. Odysseus exudes and exemplifies courage and strength on more than one occasions. One of the most notable instances in which Odysseus exhibits strength and courage is when he is fighting off the suitors that have invaded his home. One man should not be able to take on over a hundred men and come out alive, but Odysseus uses his courage to motivate him and his strength to carry through with the execution of the disrespectful men that have been harassing his wife and son for years. There is no doubt that Odysseus possesses great strength and courage. Heros are sometimes hard to define. They are often even harder to find. When a person steps into the world of Odysseus and takes a look at everything that Odysseus endures and conquers, it becomes obvious that Odysseus is absolutely a true Greek hero. He overcomes many obstacles, and is still able to come home to his family and reclaim his kingdom. With the help of the goddess Athena, Odysseus goes down in history as a strong and powerful