Odysseus Is Not A Hero Analysis

Would you think someone who constantly keep you in the dark and puts you in danger all the time is a hero? A hero is someone who is always looking out for others and is not prideful. Odysseus is the opposite of this, he is not a hero. Odysseus seems to have a lot of pride for himself and sometimes seem to speak or take action before he thinks. For example as Odysseus and his men are fleeing from the cyclops he yells, “ Cyclops if ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye; Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca.” (Book 9, 1222, 416-419).Odysseus and what is left of his men have already been trapped on the Cyclops’s island and when they finally get their chance to escape the cyclops, Odysseus puts all of them in danger. The cyclops could have very easily hit the ship they were fleeing away in with a bolder and killed all of them right then. Although the cyclops missed, it was all Odysseus’s fault that they were put in that life threatening situation, just because he felt the need to brag about himself and not look out for others.In the end, a hero is someone who will always look out for those who are helpless and Odysseus is just too conceited to be …show more content…
Such as the instance when, “ Aeolus gives Odysseus two parting gifts: a fair west wind that will blow the fleet of ships toward Ithaca, and a great bag holding all the unfavorable, stormy winds. Within sight of home, and while Odysseus is sleeping, the men open the bag, thinking it contains gold and silver.” (Book 10, 1224, Italics). Imagine almost being home from a very long journey and you’re practically there, all of a sudden you’re stripped away and back to where you started. This wouldn't have happened if Odysseus would have just been honest with his men and told them the truth about what was really in the bag.