...constituent attributes of a Greek Epic Hero? Explicate with reference to Odysseus and Achilles. The definition of an epic hero is very wide and varied. It includes a lot of attributes and criterions, but for a particular hero to reach the epic stature, it isn’t really necessary to fulfill all the demands and to come up to all the standards. In a very conventional sense, an epic hero is supposed to possess these qualities or is supposed to come up to these standards: 1. Is an important figure from history or legend. 2. Is usually favored by Gods or even partially descended from Gods i.e. semi-divine nature. 3. Takes part in a cyclical journey or quest, faces adversaries and returns home with significant transformation. 4. Illustrates traits, performs deeds and exemplifies certain morals that are valued and held dear by the society/ culture from which the hero comes. 5. Usually embodies cultural and religious beliefs of the people. 6. Has no superpowers, but is smart, brave and has fears too; which he must overcome to protect his friends, family and / or nation. 7. Can also be a warrior of some sort who performs extra-ordinary tasks that most find difficult. 8. Is also a polished speaker who can address councils of chieftains or elders with eloquence and confidence. Literature is replete with examples of epic heroes. Classical Greek literature in particular has produced some of the most famous epic heroes. The epic hero in Greek literature is best...
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...What is a hero? Is a hero someone with superpowers? Not exactly, a hero is a man or a woman of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his or her brave deeds and noble qualities. The stories of “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Odyssey” are tales of two different heroes from two different periods. Gilgamesh and Odysseus are both considered heroes, but they have different abilities and accomplishments. Gilgamesh was the king of Uruk in Babylonia, on the river Euphrates in what we know today as Iraq. He lived about 2700B.C. Gilgamesh was considered a hero because of his amazing physical strength and fighting ability. The author describes Gilgamesh as “superior to other kings, a warrior lord of great stature…” (The Epic of Gilgamesh Page 32 Tablet 1 Line 27). Gilgamesh used his strength and stature to defeat powerful beings. One example would be his victory over Humbaba, the monster who guards the Cedar Forest. He fought this beast to build a reputation on his quest for immortality. Another example is his triumph over the Bull of Heaven that Ishtar sends to destroy the city after being mocked by Gilgamesh. He was also considered a hero by the way he protected his men. The author compares Gilgamesh to a “strong net, the protection of his men” (The Epic of Gilgamesh Page 32 Tablet 1 Line 31). He took care...
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...what is known as a hero, and just as society puts standards, so do authors. Homer did such a thing when writing the epic poem The Odyssey, where he exhibits through the main character Odysseus’ certain actions that portray what current society believed a hero is meant to be. However time goes on and ideals change, and so does society. In current day society, Odysseus would not be a worthy example of an epic hero in the twenty-first century. This unworthiness can be witnessed by his destructive, blood-thirsty, and dishonest behavior portrayed throughout the story. Blood and chaos is the result of Odysseus’ destructive behavior, and being so, he is not a worthy example of a hero today....
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...“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end” (Ernest Hemingway). In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is shown to be a clever and brave hero, but he wouldn’t be as great of a hero without the very long journey he went through. His journey is the main theme of the book, especially knowing the goal and the destination he is trying to reach is really important to him. Yes, many could argue the goal is more important than the journey, but without a journey, no goal is possible to be achieved. The journey is more important than the goal because it builds the hero’s character, makes him realize how important family really is, and contributes to the theme of the epic. Although Odysseus comes into the journey already a leader, the journey...
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...Gilgamesh and Odysseus were two heroes from two completely different time periods that were both in search of the meaning of life, or what could be done in a lifetime. Gilgamesh and the Odyssey are both categorized as hero myths. This is because both hero's go through growth and change throughout out their conquests. The epics that the two characters are featured in Gilgamesh, was developed from early Mesopotamia and the Odyssey in early Greece. Gilgamesh was a very popular and it was very valuable to the historian of Mesopotamian culture because it reveals much about the religious world, such as their attitudes toward the gods, how a hero was defined and regarded, views about death and friendship. The Odyssey was also very popular in its era. It was set in ancient Greece where in its culture; mythology was the heart of everyday life. Gilgamesh, the hero from the epic Gilgamesh, was the historical king of Uruk in Babylonia, on the river Euphrates. He lived about 2700B.C. Odysseus, the hero from the epic the Odysseus, was the ruler of the island kingdom of Ithaca. He was one of the most prominent Greek leaders of the Trojan War. Both of these men were granted certain strengths, Gilgamesh had physical, while Odysseus had mental strengths. The journeys of Gilgamesh and Odysseus are two incredible stories written long ago; these two heroes have many similarities, but also many differences. The differences are between these two great heroes are slim, but significant. Gilgamesh was...
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...Heroes come in many ways, shapes, and forms. The character Odysseus is indeed one of them. The story “The Odyssey” is an epic poem written by the author Homer. The main character in the story is named Odysseus, King of Ithaca. In the story, King Odysseus leaves from the land of Ithaca, to far lands across the ocean. On his twenty- five -year journey, he encounters many monsters, frightening creatures, gods, goddesses, and more. This story tells many life lessons that can be learned and followed. Odysseus is definitely a heroic figure in this epic poem. Throughout the story, Odysseus faces many troubles, hardships, failures, and worries throughout the story. Because of the many brave actions and characteristics Odysseus shows throughout the...
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...A Tragic Hero vs. an Epic Hero A tragic hero is a character that makes a wrongful decision and at the end pays for it. His choice will cause tragic circumstances. On the other hand, an epic hero is a character that goes through difficulties along his journey, all of which end up making him stronger. Example of a tragic hero is seen in Oedipus de King by Sophocles and an epic hero is seen in the Odyssey by Homer. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is the epic hero who goes through so much in order to return home. It takes him 10 years to finally return home and in his adventure he encounters a nymph named Calypso who kidnaps him in her island and doesn’t let him go until she is ordered to do so by Zeus. He is almost killed by the Cyclops’ Polyphemus, but survives by using his cunningness. The greatest attribute of Odysseus is being smart because that is how he survives all the challenges presented and how he gets home safe while many of his men get killed in the act. “Yea, and if some god shall wreck me in the wine-dark deep, even so I will endure…For already I have suffered full much, and much have I toiled in perils of waves and wars. Let this be added to the tale of those.” (Homer V 18) Epic heroes are differentiated by other kind of heroes because they survive their journey by being smarter, stronger and braver than any other person. Oedipus the King in the other hand is a tragic hero because even when he is smart and strong his story still ends tragically. One of his greatest...
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...Is Odysseus a Hero? The definition of a hero is: a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In the epic poem Odyssey by Homer, the main character Odysseus has both positive and negative qualities. Two of Odysseus’s negative qualities are that he is arrogant and reckless. However, he is a tactician and he is also patient. Therefore, in the epic poem the Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus is a hero. His notable weaknesses are him being arrogant and reckless. He is arrogant because he thinks he's great because the “gods know his name.” This is arrogant because he thinks he is better than average people because his name is known by the gods. Another reason he is arrogant is because he tells the cyclops...
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...In The Odyssey, an epic poem; the main character is Odysseus. In his adventures he shows that he is an astute, warm hearted and an agog hero. He has to make decisions that trouble him and his crew ,but the outcome is greater that losing all of his crue. Therefore he is a hero in trouble. Which means someone who has to make hard decisions and work very hard to save himself and the people and things around him. Odysseus proves he is an astute hero by a traitorous challenge of escaping the cyclops cave. Or being proving that he is agog by getting while passing thru the Sirens. Or warm hearted when he loses his men to Scylla. While Odysseus is on his voyage home he encounters the cyclops. One of the things that the gods expected from the people was that people should show courtesy to their visitors ; thus Odysseus and his crew except that the cyclops show them manners and great them. But the cyclops had another plan. He began by eating some of his men. Afterwards Odysseus offers the cyclops some wine to get on the good side of the cyclops, which was pretty ingenious. So the cyclops asked for Odysseus’s name and he said his name was Nobody so the cyclops he said he was going to save him for last. The he plotted a plan while the cyclops was drunk asleep and sheard his eye with a hot spear they made. They could not completely kill...
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...Whittaker, Helene. (1995) Renowned professor of classical Archeology and Ancient History at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden. Helene whittaker is known for mainly being concerned with the Greek Bronze age. She wrote about the Gender role in The Odyssey, specifically focusing on the women's role and how women's treatment by men can be indicated as sexist. They are usually identified by their looks and treated based on how their physical appearance is, and whether they have power over any men. She makes it clear that throughout Odysseus’ journey to the underworld, he spots and gets a glimpse of different variety of women. She says that throughout the Odyssey, they do not state anything about the women’s accomplishments in their lifetime, but only about their important son's, good looks and pleasingness, and their affairs with gods. She also talks about how women are known for their action and activity towards their sons and husbands, but never for the action and deeds of their own, or how they are, nor what accomplishments they did for themselves. Helene states that it seems in the book Odyssey, the only achievements women could achieve was being pretty and attractive to they eyes of the men. She proves throughout her paper that even Homer made it sound as...
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...A hero is someone who shows quantities of courage or outstanding achievements and is recognized for their positive impact on society. A heroic person is someone who can help in the time of need and comfort others in times of distress. A current day example of a hero is 19 year old, Christian Gunter. Christian was a manager at the home for disabled vets in Arkansas. He saved all 10 vets from a tornado that tore right through the home 20 min after Christian saved all the vets. For someone to be a hero, there is no physical limitations that makes it necessary to be strong and wear a cape with tights because heroes are judged by their actions and nothing more. Qualities that I associate with a hero are vigilant, selfless, and the willingness to take risks. Homer from the Odyssey suggests that Odysseus is made a hero by exemplifying qualities of being bold, savior, and sly. However, the characteristics that Homer equates with Odysseus are not always required for someone to be considered a hero. In Homer’s epic poem, the Odyssey, bold is a quality that makes Odysseus heroic. The act of being bold is the willingness to take surprisingly brave risks, which Odysseus demonstrates in his adventures. In the Adventure of the Cyclopes, Odysseus states that “we climbed, then, briskly to the cave. But Cyclops had gone afield, to pasture his fat sheep, so we looked round at everything inside.” This is an example of being bold because Odysseus and his crew are unaware of the contents inside...
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...evident in determining the outcome of every adventure and obstacle that the hero, Odysseus, faces during his lengthy, perilous journey home following the events of the Trojan War. Man’s free will is overshadowed throughout this epic poem by the use of prophecy or the direct influence of the gods to ultimately foretell and decide the outcome. The choices Odysseus makes may have direct consequences and influence on his life, gaining or denying him favor with the gods. He cannot; however, change his fate or escape their will. The influence of the gods is shown early on in The Odyssey during a meeting of the gods where they decide amongst themselves that the time for Odysseus to return to his home in Ithaca has come. At the time of the meeting, Odysseus is trapped in a suspended state of inactivity on the island Ogygia with the goddess Calypso. No matter the remarkable wit and cunning the hero is shown to possess, it is the decision of the gods at this meeting to send Hermes to pave the way for his release from the island. Zeus to Hermes: “Hermes, you’ve been our messenger before. / go tell that ringlet nymph it is my will / To let that patient man Odysseus go home. / Not with an escort, mind you, human or divine, / But on a rickety raft-tribulation at sea- / Until on the twentieth day he comes to Scheria / In the land of the Phaeacians, our distant relatives, / Who will treat Odysseus as if he were a god / Who will take him on a ship to his own native land / With gifts of bronze...
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...mythology, and has been a common theme in modern-day media. Man’s inner struggle is as common today as it was in the past. In the Greek epic, “The Odyssey” by Homer, the movie “Rocky” starring and written by Sylvester Stallone, and “Just Kids” by Patti Smith, each main character pursues an improbable goal with pitfalls along the way. However, he or she who overcomes so many obstacles becomes the person they want to be. “The Odyssey,” tells the story of the Greek hero Odysseus and his 20-year journey home after the fall of Troy. The epic poem begins with Odysseus trapped on the island of Ogygia by the nymph Calypso. After escaping he attempts his journey home, telling people along the way of his adventures. After ten years of fighting in the Trojan War, it takes him another ten years to get home to his kingdom of Ithaca. Since it takes Odysseus so long to get home, his family believes he is dead. This ancient narrative poem and its theme, Man vs. Self, is one of the oldest known written narratives. Odysseus struggles physically and mentally and overcomes obstacles he faces day after day. Life is uncertain, the future is an unknown, do we keep going despite the massive amounts of crap and negativity, literally and figuratively, that gets in our way? Do we give up? Why does one person keep going and another give up? What is Man seeking? This epic poem is filled with mythical...
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...In the words of Christopher Reeve, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” A hero doesn’t have to save the world from a world wide mass destruction like superman. They also don’t have to be male. In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus and real life modern day hero Razia Jan model what a good hero really is. Odysseus and Razia Jan reveal how a good hero is someone who can overcome obstacles because it exhibits determination, inner courage, and selflessness. A good hero has the determination to keep moving even when there are hardships along the way. Through his entire journey Odysseus is being thrown into danger and terrifying situations nonstop....
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...take during the journey that help shape and define who we are as people. In Homer's The Odyssey, the theme of the epic is about how war can change a person. It is evident that the journey is more important than the goal to the development of Odysseus's character and the theme of the epic when Odysseus learns the importance of humility, the value...
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