Why Odysseus is a Hero Essay

What is a hero? The modern definition is “a person or character who, in the face of danger and adversity or from a position of weakness, displays courage, bravery or self-sacrifice—that is, heroism—for some greater good.”() A definition similar to this has existed for as long as stories have been told. In particular, the Ancient Greeks had very specific ideas about what defined a hero. In their eyes, a hero was a person who was a person highly renowned ad prosperous, but not eminently good or…

the greatest of epic heroes, Odysseus, the practical man” (3). Lane insinuates that Huck 's practicality serves as an example of a trait of maturity. Although Huck has not lived for many years and displays innocent child-like behaviors, his practicality and ability to make rational decisions gives rise to make him comparable to Odysseus. The comparison of Huckleberry and Odysseus allows readers to draw conclusions about other personality traits based on the epic hero archetype. Although both…

Many people look at Virgil’s Aeneid as a complementary story to the Odyssey, the epic yarn spun by Homer. These tales follow two parallel chains of effect starting from the Trojan War. The Odyssey tells of the titular hero Odysseus’ long and tumultuous journey home after his victory on the fields of Ilium while the Aeneid gives us the story of Aeneas as he attempts to find a land on which to settle his fleeing people after the blazing destruction of his homeland. The differences between these…

Futile Essay Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Even the most awe inspiring people and events are forgotten with time. But the inevitability of legacy does not stop every great hero from searching for it, from Odysseus and Achilles from Ancient Greece to Augustus from The Fault in Our Stars. Like every quest for immortality, Gilgamesh’s journey, motivated by pride and fear, is fruitless. Gilgamesh’s lifelong journey for immortality and kleos is undeniably futile, yet he is never able to accept…

Transferring Power from Hero to Heroine Throughout literature and film, women are often portrayed in a distinct manner; subservient to men, naive, and powerless against the forces of evil. Childhood fairytales reinforce the idea that a woman’s duties are to take care of the home and children, and follow the rule of the husband. Women are portrayed as naive, fragile, and very innocent. Often times when that distinct line between innocence and adulthood is crossed, also known in fairytales as,…

“the face that launched a thousand ships” and brother to Agamemnon, leader of the Achaean forces. He demonstrated his abilities and heroic qualities throughout the book with his actions. In Homer’s Iliad, Menelaus is a classic example of a Homeric hero through his prowess in battle, unrelenting attempts to retrieve his wife, and his loyalty to his fellow soldiers. Menelaus was a very prominent and devastating fighter, which seems obvious when his crown is revealed, the Spartans were known for…

Homeric heroism is savage and unforgiving. That is why the hero often finds himself in a pressure- filled kill or be- killed situation. Success means survival and greater honor; failure means death and elimination from the competition for honor. But victory in battle is not enough in itself; it is momentarily…

Achilles is a valuable Greek hero in Greek mythology. In the book The Iliad of Homer, Achilles is a selfish warrior. Many characteristics of selfishness are shown throughout the book. During arguments and persuasions, Achilles had shown several of the characteristics. Others are shown through how he had acted towards many other heroes and leaders. One way Achilles' selfishness was discovered was by having him not show a weakness. In other words, he did not want to show failure towards his…

Oedipus the King and Beowulf. Though it is up to the entire committee’s vote, they should strongly consider the contents of this essay in making their decision. Outlined here is the reasoning given for the removal of The Odyssey and an explanation as to why we should keep Oedipus the King and Beowulf. Hopefully after reading the points made in this essay, they will choose to keep Beowulf and Oedipus the King while making the hard decision to remove The Odyssey. Each of these stories has…

Homer expresses his thoughts about the war and what might have taken place, even though the reality of the war was that the Greeks lost to the Trojans. In the Iliad the main character has honor and a heroic code he lives by. In the end however the real hero is Achilles because he holds the true heroic code. The Iliad sums up numerous wars, even some that are going on…