...The epic poem, the Odyssey, by Homer tells the adventures of the epic hero Odysseus. Though they have human frailties, an epic hero possesses superhuman strength, craftiness, and confidence and also overcomes perilous situations. In book 9 of the Odyssey, Odysseus demonstrates several of these characters as he escapes from the Cyclops Polyphemus. The epic hero Odysseus demonstrates intelligence, bravery, and cleverness. One quality of an epic hero that Odysseus possesses is that he is intelligent. The Cyclops asks Odysseus where he left his ship, inquiring it was around the point or by the shore. Odysseus sees through the question and responds, “it broke up on the rocks at your lands end” (189). Odysseus does not want the Cyclops to find...
Words: 574 - Pages: 3
...In Homer’s the Odyssey, a man named Odysseus spends years and years trying to get home to his family. On his long journey, he encounters a number of different situations that test his true character. The reader finds out who Odysseus really is based on the situations he is put in and how he chooses to handle these situations. From being stuck on an Island with Calypso, a nymph goddess, to almost being eaten by a vicious cyclops, to seeing his wife for the first time in 20 years, Odysseus stays true to his character. Throughout the epic, Odysseus shows constant signs of bravery, leadership, intelligence, cleverness, and wholehearted faithfulness, and these things are what makes him such an admirable character. Bravery and leadership go hand in hand because bravery is a trait that all good leaders have. Odysseus showed amazing bravery and leadership skills throughout the Odyssey. One place where Odysseus’s bravery and leadership are revealed the most is when Odysseus and his men encounter Poseidon’s Cyclops son, Polyphemus. Odysseus used his leadership skills and bravery to help his men escape the wrath of Polyphemus while...
Words: 807 - Pages: 4
...In Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, Odysseus demonstrates many heroic traits, and he shares some of those traits with heroes in the modern real world. Odysseus is the main protagonist in The Odyssey. He faces many obstacles on his journey back to his home island of Ithaca, a place he holds dear to his heart. The aforementioned obstacles include beasts, monsters, temptation, an insatiable whirlpool, and betrayal. Of the many sour encounters, by far the most grueling was the one of the Cyclops. Odysseus’s actions in ‘The Cyclops” demonstrate that he is clever, which is a trait he has in common with Harriet Tubman. Odysseus and his American counterpart both share the trait of cleverness. In the episode of The Cyclops, Odysseus’s wit beyond measure...
Words: 520 - Pages: 3
...Odysseus from Homer's The Odyssey is not a good role model. At times, Odysseus' curiosity can lead to some extreme situations and endanger the lives of his crew. Odysseus can also be very prideful of his clever work or achievements, causing unnecessary trouble later on. Furthermore, although Odysseus says that he misses his kingdom, wife, and son, and wishes to return to them dearly, he doesn't stay faithful to his wife. Book IX of The Odyssey provides an example of Odysseus' bad curiosity as it trapped him and his crew in the cyclops' cave. When Odysseus and his crew reach the island of the cyclops, they discover the cyclops, Polyphemus' cave. Odysseus, curious to see what the beast looks like, waits with his crew in the cave. When...
Words: 705 - Pages: 3
...A portion of The Odyssey that creates a train of thought for me is Odysseus’ journey into and the escape from Polyphemus’ cave. In this cave, the reader can see many of the elements that make Odysseus into the nuanced protagonist that he is. When Odysseus first enters the cave of Polyphemus, he expects that he and his men will be treated to xenia, the Greek custom of hospitality to guests. However, his men had encouraged him to “let them help themselves to the cheeses and be off” (104). His men were afraid of whatever kind of creature lives alone in a cave in the wilderness. This showed how Odysseus was prideful, to the point where many of his men were eaten by Polyphemus because Odysseus insisted on meeting the owner of the cave. However,...
Words: 349 - Pages: 2
...Ian Warren Mrs. Barber English 10 14 November, 2016 Odysseus As An Epic Hero To most people, a hero is a strong, brave person with an amazing costume. Heroes usually have super-powers and are constantly saving people. However in the novel The Odyssey by Homer an epic hero is a character with great bravery and courage to do the tasks that might not be very easy. Odysseus definitely defines these requirements. He is on a long quest to get back home and faces many monsters and deadly situations. Throughout the Odyssey, while facing many obstacles and distractions, Odysseus must be brave and make courageous choices to make it home. A example of a great monster Odysseus comes upon was the Cyclops Polyphemus. Odysseus was trapped in the...
Words: 1275 - Pages: 6
...Louie has to overcome the most impossible challenges given to him. The book the Odyssey is very similar to Unbroken in a lot of ways. Both the main characters must face extremely difficult challenges in order to survive, but they will still have to live with the most treacherous memories. Louie’s experiences are in many ways similar to that of Odysseus’s. For example: Louie is a great war hero and soon finds himself lost and in extreme danger just like Odysseus. Louie then feels responsible for his surviving men and must guide them to safety just like Odysseus when he was in charge of his crew. Odysseus was stranded at sea for a long time just like Louie when he was on his raft. Louie also came very close to being rescued just like Odysseus when he saw his home island but was never able to reach it. Odysseus was kept prisoner on an island for a long time like Louie was at a POW camp but Odysseus did not get beaten or starved while he was prisoner. Louie used his great intelligence and cleverness to outsmart guards like Odysseus when he outsmarted the Cyclopes. Both men lost their fellow crewmen and had to fend for themselves and survive without any help. The guards at Louie’s POW camps would tease and trick him like the gods that tricked Odysseus. Ultimately both Louie and Odysseus survived their long and treacherous journeys to get back home alive. The NY Times compared Unbroken to The Odyssey and it is safe to say they are very similar to each other. Both the main characters...
Words: 405 - Pages: 2
...Homer’s The Odyssey is important to the history of literature, but there is one part of Odysseus's adventures that have interested readers since the book was released, the part where Odysseus encountered the sirens. These interested readers often make different versions of this excerpt, from books to short stories to movies. In this essay, though, the focus is going to be purely on a single poem by Margaret Atwood, “Siren Song”, and how this poem and the original text comparably convey the sirens. The tones expressed to the reader from Odysseus’s poem is desperation. Odysseus’s heart “throbbed to listen longer” (20) to the siren’s “ravishing voices” (19). Odysseus was desperate to be released for the ropes that bound him to the boat so that he could go to the sirens. The tone used in “Siren Song” is misery. The siren notes how she doesn’t...
Words: 556 - Pages: 3
...Throughout the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer translated by Robert Fitzgerald, Odysseus reveals his identity as king and hero, demonstrates his leadership on behalf of his crew, and shows hubris. During his journey home to Ithaka, Odysseus and his crew face and overcome many kinds of obstacles. One of the obstacles is the Kyklopes, a one-eyed beast who lives on an island. Because of the threat of the Kyklopes, Odysseus must use his leadership to help his men escape so they can go back to Ithaka. Although Odysseus’ leadership is substantial, his hubris and his identity make the Kyklopes more of an obstacle than he needs it to be. Odysseus demonstrates his leadership by providing a course of plan to escape the island of Kyklopes. During Odysseus’...
Words: 952 - Pages: 4
...A hero “is a typical man, who is admired or idealized for his courage, exceptional achievements, or noble qualities” according to the dictionary, and most people would probably agree too that a hero is “someone who does something extraordinary for other people or a country. Odysseus, the main character of the Odyssey written by Homer, would probably fit the definition of a hero for some people. However, when going deeper on what a hero is or supposed to be, Odysseus is not even close to own that title. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is revealed as an authentic hero. After analyzing the three major characteristics of a hero which are selflessness, compassion, and intelligent it is seen that Odysseus has only one of them and should not be viewed as...
Words: 1095 - Pages: 5
...virtue”). In Homer’s “The Odyssey”, Odysseus is the king of Ithaca, father of one son, and husband of a noble wife. After leaving Ithaca to fight in the Trojan War, Odysseus faces a short journey home, in which he makes bad decisions that cause him to take much longer to arrive back in Ithaca than he should have. Odysseus’s selfishness, disloyalty, and mercilessness eliminated any chances he had of being a hero. Some may argue that Odysseus was a hero because of his extreme cleverness or cunning ways. Yes, Odysseus was clever and cunning, but in most situations he did not apply those skills correctly. Therefore, Odysseus was most definitely not a hero. To begin with, Odysseus’s selfishness is made obvious during his encounter with Polyphemus. Everything he does is for the good of himself. Every action he takes is only taken to build onto his ego. If Odysseus had not decided to provide the Cyclops with all his information, his journey...
Words: 825 - Pages: 4
...Macbeth vs Odyssues Often in literature, the view we have on the strengths of a character is frequently stereotyped, some characteristics being seen as a strong leader who can defeat anyone with a single punch. However, this isn’t the case, there is more to strengths, including, intelligence, charisma, and cleverness, which allow individuals to be strong and overcome challenges without issues. In the epic of the Odyssey, written by Greek author Homer, the main character Odysseus follows this core example of showing intellect over strength. These characteristics allow Odyssey to overcome near death experiences and return to his home island of Ithica. As for the gullible king, Macbeth, he doesn’t follow any case of Odysseus. The Tragedy of Macbeth,...
Words: 976 - Pages: 4
...hero has been interpreted in many ways throughout the ages an Odysseus is one literary hero that stands the test of time. There are many heroic traits that makes Odysseus in The Odyssey a hero even in today's world. The first trait that makes him a hero is Odysseus is hubristic which is one of his flaws. The next trait is he is stro In the Odyssey Odysseus portrays many traits that make him a hero such as his flaws. In multiple books he shows how hubristic or pride he is especially in book nine at the cyclops island. When Odysseus and his crew first arrived on the island Odysseus picks out a dozen of his best fighters to scope out the island. They find one of the cyclops caves and de themselves at home and “built a fire, set...
Words: 663 - Pages: 3
...tributes for their courage and great deeds performed during their combat. In other light, the cowards of ancient Greece and the middle ages were considered a burden and were affronted. Throughout many books authors have explained different aspects of what it means to be a hero. Homer, author of the Odyssey, and Miguel de Cervantes’ Don Quixote, convey this characteristic frequently. In the Odyssey, Odysseus was a skillful fighter, but it was yet the proof Homer’s readers needed of his heroism. Odysseus also transpired characteristics of restraint and mercy. On the other hand, Cervantes’ character was not born a hero. He was fooled by chivalric ideas of heroism and sets out to reform the world along with his witty companion. Odysseus and Don Quixote are from two totally different eras, but both of them tried to conquer the world with their heroic acts. Not only their heroic acts made them well known, it’s also their imagination that makes them stand out. In comparison, imagination is what makes Quixote the hero, and imagination just adds a dimension to Odysseus’ character that rules him along. Don Quixote is the hero with the ability to change reality with the force of an idea. For example, Quixote tries to convince his companion that harmless windmills may be threatening giants. Is he a madman or an idealist? Instead of seeing two prostitutes, he sees ladies of quality. These ladies responded kindly to...
Words: 676 - Pages: 3
...Penelope, Epic Heroine During Ancient Greece, when women were seen as property, Penelope, Odysseus’ wife in The Odyssey, stands out as a woman beyond that claim. In Odysseus’ 20 year absence, she reigns over Ithaca, creatively staves off suitors, and raises a son, Telemachus, all while being faithful and devoted to him. Many of these obligations are not unlike what modern women grapple with. However, what sets Penelope apart is that she is accomplishing them at a time when women were seen as property and unable to have reigning duties. "The hero is the man or woman who has been able to battle past his personal and local historical limitations” (Campbell). Because of Penelope’s success in the face of adversity, she is a true heroine. Although inundated with suitors, she maintains her heroic loyalty to Odysseus in his absence. Contrastingly, her cousin, Clytemnestra, is unfaithful to her husband, Agamemnon, while he is fighting the Trojan War alongside Odysseus. Penelope knows that it is not conventional or acceptable to remain unmarried if one’s husband is considered dead, but her deep love and devotion to Odysseus keeps her inventing new means to avoid marrying any of the suitors. Because she is born to a prince and holds the royalty title, and anyone she marries will become King of Ithaca. For that reason, Penelope does not have to fear the same fate as Andromache, Hector’s wife in The Iliad. Hector was of royal blood, but Andromache was not; therefore, upon his...
Words: 705 - Pages: 3
