Odysseus Is Not A Hero

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In Homer’s The Odyssey, Homer shows how Odysseus is / is not a hero in many ways with some cancelling out the other. In the beginning of the story he fights in the the Trojan war half heartedly and sparring some of the civilians. He however boasts about his victory claiming he won the war without the help of the Gods angered Poseidon. This causes Odysseus and his crew unable to return to Ithaca for year thanks to Poseidon's monsters blocking the way. He loses some men on the way. While sailing the wash up on a seemingly deserted island, the wander in a cave to find wine and cheese. They quickly help themselves to this food to later discover that this cave was home to a cyclops. The cyclops traps the men in the cave with him and wait …show more content…
The men are left starving with the loss of supplies after some encounters along the way. The men decide to scout the island for food. After some time, Odysseus and the remainder of his crew find a pig and try to capture it. When they do they are interrupted after one of the men from the scouting groups tells them that the pig is one of their own. The crew decide not to believe him except Odysseus who decides to rescue the men. Along the way he is met by Hermes who tells him the dangers of Crice, he tells Odysseus how not to succumb to the potion and how to get his men back. When he finally arrives he successfully avoids being turned into an animal and tries to make a deal with Circe. However she only agrees to set his men free if he sleeps with her, he decides whether or not to cheat on his wife. He chooses the only option he has and agrees to sleep with Circe. However after the deal he and his crew decide to stay on the island instead of leaving. This has a negative consequence which that the time on the island goes faster and that the crew have stayed on the island for five years instead of five days. After realizing this, the men set off once again for Ithaca. However, while they are away Odysseus's mother commits suicide believing that her son has died for she could join him. Before the men leave, Circe does tell Odysseus how he can return home. However, to do this he must head to the

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