Hari Senthilkumar
Literature Period 6 3/4/15
Is Odysseus a hero? Epic heroes, as portrayed in modern literary works, almost always embark on the most dangerous and overwhelming quests and journeys. True Heroes risk their life through every step of their journey to take back both spoils of war and great wisdom for both himself and for their society. In the epic The Odyssey by Homer, a valiant yet intelligent king, Odysseus unwillingly leaves his home, Ithaca, behind when he is called for battle. He returns back home after enduring many physical and intellectual trials while learning important lessons which eventually help him to transform into a modern-day hero. Odysseus accomplishes his goals and turns into a greater man, not …show more content…
The claim that Odysseus caused the death of his crew is rather preposterous as the crew do not heed his words or think of him as a true hero. One has to acknowledge at the same time that it was the crew who ultimately caused upon their downfall by eating the sacred cattle of the Sun God Helios. Odysseus’s crew have reached their first trial to see if they will be able to get with their lives. They must resist the Cattle of the Sun, which ultimately represents “The Apple of Eden”. Even Odysseus warns them “both forbade me the island of the world’s delight, the Sun… Because they are dying of starvation, Odysseus’s men disobey his orders, and shortly after they land, they eat the sacred cattle of the sun god, Helios. When they set sail again, they are punished by death-a thunderbolt from Zeus destroys their boat and all the men drown. Only Odysseus survives.”(Lines 1365 to end of summary). The crew’s inability to resist desires and temptation finally causes their death. Odysseus has valiantly escaped due to the lesson of resisting temptation he has learnt during his trials. Odysseus has proved himself to be a hero by being extraordinary as stated in “Heroes, Metanarratives and the Paradox of Masculinity in Contemporary Western Culture”, “Because the hero exceeds in a striking way the standards required of ordinary group members, as has been said, he is a supernormal deviant, his courage, self-abnegation, devotion, and prowess, being regarded as amazing and “beyond the call of duty.”(Pg 2). Although the crew could not pass their first trial, Odysseus has once again shown heroic qualities of refusing temptations so strong while his life is at stake. Odysseus “exceeds in a striking way the standards required of ordinary group members” while defying mortal hunger rather than losing his life. The crew demonstrate the “ordinary group members” who have no knowledge or wisdom to
Literature Period 6 3/4/15
Is Odysseus a hero? Epic heroes, as portrayed in modern literary works, almost always embark on the most dangerous and overwhelming quests and journeys. True Heroes risk their life through every step of their journey to take back both spoils of war and great wisdom for both himself and for their society. In the epic The Odyssey by Homer, a valiant yet intelligent king, Odysseus unwillingly leaves his home, Ithaca, behind when he is called for battle. He returns back home after enduring many physical and intellectual trials while learning important lessons which eventually help him to transform into a modern-day hero. Odysseus accomplishes his goals and turns into a greater man, not …show more content…
The claim that Odysseus caused the death of his crew is rather preposterous as the crew do not heed his words or think of him as a true hero. One has to acknowledge at the same time that it was the crew who ultimately caused upon their downfall by eating the sacred cattle of the Sun God Helios. Odysseus’s crew have reached their first trial to see if they will be able to get with their lives. They must resist the Cattle of the Sun, which ultimately represents “The Apple of Eden”. Even Odysseus warns them “both forbade me the island of the world’s delight, the Sun… Because they are dying of starvation, Odysseus’s men disobey his orders, and shortly after they land, they eat the sacred cattle of the sun god, Helios. When they set sail again, they are punished by death-a thunderbolt from Zeus destroys their boat and all the men drown. Only Odysseus survives.”(Lines 1365 to end of summary). The crew’s inability to resist desires and temptation finally causes their death. Odysseus has valiantly escaped due to the lesson of resisting temptation he has learnt during his trials. Odysseus has proved himself to be a hero by being extraordinary as stated in “Heroes, Metanarratives and the Paradox of Masculinity in Contemporary Western Culture”, “Because the hero exceeds in a striking way the standards required of ordinary group members, as has been said, he is a supernormal deviant, his courage, self-abnegation, devotion, and prowess, being regarded as amazing and “beyond the call of duty.”(Pg 2). Although the crew could not pass their first trial, Odysseus has once again shown heroic qualities of refusing temptations so strong while his life is at stake. Odysseus “exceeds in a striking way the standards required of ordinary group members” while defying mortal hunger rather than losing his life. The crew demonstrate the “ordinary group members” who have no knowledge or wisdom to