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The Odysseus: An Epic Hero

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Throughout human history, society has put standards for 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. …show more content…
In the epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus is given a prophecy which says, “I see destruction for ship and crew. Though you survive alone, bereft of all companions, lost for years” (Homer 1229). This prophecy is given to Odysseus, warning him that if he continues his voyage to Ithaca, his home; his crew mates will be killed along the way and their ship will also be destroyed, and being so, lost for many years. Odysseus not only ignores the prophecy, but does not tell his crew about it, and so sealing their fate, dooming them to certain death. A good leader and hero should always be honest and loyal to his fellow man, which as mentioned before, Odysseus is not, making him not a hero, but a self-centered and false man. However many people may believe that this action was for the better of his crew; believing that if they were ignorant of the situation, turmoil could be avoided. Nonetheless, if this decision were thoroughly reasoned, the outcome would still be that Odysseus is not a true hero or a good leader. Like Oliver Stone says in the article Where I Find My Heroes, “The meaning of heroism has a lot to do with evolving into a higher human being […so therefore] heroism is tied to an evolution of consciousness” (Stone). Oliver Stone tries to thoroughly explain what he believes, and what many believe, what it truly means to be a hero; as well as that true heroes are who help others in any possible way, and so evolving into a better person. Therefore it can be said that Odysseus isn’t truly a hero in the eyes of modern society, for he, along with being dishonest, only truly cares about himself , and in that selfishness, he destroys the life of other without a second

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