Odysseus Heroic Qualities

In The Odyssey, written by Homer in the late eighth century B.C., the main character is Odysseus. He is king of the island Ithaca and has been gone from his country for ten years at war and spends an additional ten years on his journey home. During his return, he leads his men across the ocean, facing many obstacles. He encounters The Cyclops, Poseidon, Sirens, and many other mystical creatures. All of his men perish during the journey; some by their own fault, others by Odysseus’s mistakes. Although some readers think his actions are reckless, I believe Odysseus is a clever, heroic leader.
In my opinion, someone is heroic if they put something at risk to complete a task, and are courageous in doing so. To be a good leader, one should inspire people and work alongside them to accomplish a goal. A leader should be compassionate and diplomatic. Former New York mayor, Rudy Giuliani, led the city during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. He worked alongside and organized the efforts of the fire department, police, and other government agencies to redress the crisis in his community. Odysseus exhibits these same heroic qualities by leading his men out of the many tragedies they face on their journey. Neil Armstrong is another hero who stayed calm and helped his crew out of a life-threatening …show more content…
All of the qualities that a heroic individual has are all qualities that Odysseus possesses. The qualities of a good leader can also be found in Odysseus. He is caring and compassionate to others. This is shown when he comforts Achilles at the House of the Dead. He is diplomatic and good at making compromises. He makes a compromise when Eurylochus urges him to dock at the Island of the Sun, but he knows that they shouldn’t. Even though I believe Odysseus has been proven to be a good leader, he came home with no crew. So, did he really lead that crew