Why Odysseus is a Hero Essay

the society. The epic heroes Beowulf and Odysseus display the unique impact that culture plays in a society and more importantly on the individual. In Beowulf and The Odyssey share many similarities within their own cultures like how men are more powerful than women and how important religion is in their society. Another important part of their culture is the importance of Selfishness and Selflessness and the role they play for each hero. Beowulf and Odysseus mirror the impact of their…

characters play the most significant roles in this poem, but without the support of the females in The Odyssey, Odysseus, the main hero to this epic, would not have made it through his journey. Keeping that in mind, women in the epic were seen as strong individuals. Most women in this poem were resilient, strong-willed and were given the respect they deserved. The women formed important roles in Odysseus’ epic, within his story there are three main types of women: the goddess, the seductress,…

an equally as epic hero. This is shown in all of the classical stories: Achilles in The Iliad, Odysseus in The Odyssey, and Aeneas in Virgil’s Aeneid. Since John Milton wanted to make an English epic poem in his masterpiece of Paradise Lost, there of course had to be an epic hero. Despite this, it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the protagonist of the work. Knowing Milton’s piousness and love of his Protestant religion, most readers would agree that it is unlikely that the hero is the…

Although Odysseus is advertised as heroic, smart, and a decisive leader, do his decisions accurately show what a good leader is? In the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is returning from the Trojan War with a large crew of Greek fighters. Along the way home to Ithaca, Odysseus and his men encounter many monsters and difficulties. Their journey ends up taking 20 years. During his trip, Odysseus's bad leadership places him and his men in imminent danger. His stubbornness, big ego, and a lack of ability…

of loyalty can be seen throughout both story lines. In ancient Greek Loyalty could be seen as establishing or having a lifetime friendship. Based on these story lines it can be argued that loyalty is epic, and a loyal person should be considered the hero. Loyalty is a strong feeling of support or allegiance. In the odyssey book 4 Prince Telemachus showed loyalty to his father even at the hands of danger, while in To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus showed loyalty to Tom Robinson even though all odds…

Odysseus was an utterly prideful man that wanted more than kudos, fame, and glory in his name. His sin of pride continued to consume him to the point he insulted the gods and goddesses that he didn’t need them to win or did he ever have any aid during the war from them. These foolish acts lead the gods to establish punishments to show Odysseus how to be modest and have humility. Three significant events that resulted in Odysseus becoming humble was plundering the Land of the Cicones, going up…

through the Ithacans, the gods, and Odysseus’ crew. The loyalty of Ithacans to is vital to Odysseus when defeating the suitors and restoring his home. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus says, “And you replied, Eumaeus, loyal swineherd, ‘...My master...would have repaid me well...so deeply he loved me, cared for me, so deeply. Worlds away as he is, I call him Master, Brother!’” (Homer 306). The Odyssey is mostly told through a third person omniscient narrator but here Odysseus is referring to…

cunning and wity ways, but it also portrays her intelligence as a character in the Odyssey. Through Penelope's schemes against the suitors and her maintenance of her social status, or stature, Penelope has proven that she is equally as important as Odysseus in Homer's Odyssey. Penelope's well-formed tricks on the suitors further…

In Homer’s The Odyssey, the ability of Odysseus to improvise and mix truth and lies to deliver some of the most believable stories is what trademarks our hero in this epic. With the use of his quick wit, Odysseus controls first impressions and is able to craft a favorable image with each new encounter. In particular, when Odysseus is disguised as an old beggar he crafts a story for his wife that is part truth and part lie. By telling the story, Odysseus hopes to gauge his wife’s remaining…

also a part of many stories. In The Odyssey, by Homer, there are multiple scenes of violence shown. The story of Odysseus tells the tale of an Ithacan king named Odysseus who is out at sea on a wild 20 year journey before being able to return home. During his struggle home, Odysseus faces many obstacles of violence. The scene of Polyphemus though, has always been a well known hurdle Odysseus faced and the ending scene with the slaughter of the suitors is the climax of the book. In The Odyssey,…