...Heroism can be seen through the eyes of different people. People, who have read The Odyssey by Homer, can see that it is filled with heroism. Odysseus has been on a 20 year journey, trying to get himself and his crew home safely. He went through many obstacles, like facing monsters, while protecting the people he had brought with him, and himself. Through the character Odysseus, Homer shows that to be a true hero one must have loyalty, courage, and eloquence. Loyalty plays a big part in being a hero. Odysseus makes sure that no man is left behind. He knows when he and his crew get to Kirke’s house, that it is a trap. Even though his crew members don’t believe him, he still goes back to help them “Here in this house you turned my men...
Words: 533 - Pages: 3
...As it is said by Homer author of The Odyssey.” A small rock, can hold back a big wave”. When someone with powers or no powers faces a problem bigger than them, there will always be this fear in the back of your head, this little piece of worry inside of you . You have the choice to stand up and fight or turn your back and run. Heroes will always look at the problem and face it head on. Standing up to a big obstacle when the odds are against someone is what can make them a hero. A hero in what we believe will not avoid the odds, they are not like the person who has run away from what is menacing . A hero is a person who will always stand up against what is wrong and aim for what is right. They are not aiming to hurt you, they are not selfish,...
Words: 528 - Pages: 3
...Odysseus has everything he needs in order to take on the role of hero throughout his journey. In Odysseus’s personality, he possesses the ability to strategize. The protection and care that Odysseus gives to his men help in portraying him as a hero. Odysseus has a goal-oriented mindset, the work and effort he puts into achieving his goal shows the heroic side of him. The character traits worn by Odysseus’s personality make it easy to see the hero inside of him. Odysseus possesses character traits amongst a wide variety that make him a hero in Homer’s, The Odyssey. Having the ability to strategize in all aspects of life aids in the characterization of Odysseus as a hero; Odysseus clearly displays his abilities through his decisions over the...
Words: 1237 - Pages: 5
...The Greeks are ambivalent about Heracles because he performed many heroic acts and good deeds, but he would also commit evil deeds without justification. The Greeks are unclear in how they should perceive him, whether to appreciate him as a role model or to fear him as an unstable and irrational being. The information from Theogony, The Homeric Hymns, The Iliad, and The Odyssey often questions Heracles’ greatness because there are heroic stories as well as disturbing stories of Heracles. From birth, Heracles had to exhibit his courageousness and strength, while overcoming struggles and obstacles that would potentially hinder his success. He is expected to hold divine status among humans and gods. However, Hera who is not accepting of Zeus’ adultery, plots against the success of Heracles. She conspires Heracles to serve Eurystheus, almost acting entirely as a slave (Illiad 19.96-132). It is unusual to have a hero placed in an inferior position than other respected beings. Heracles receives his eventual hero role described in Hesiod’s Theogony. His acts of bravery and ability to overcome adversity while performing labours is rewarded. Heracles fearlessly battles monsters such as Nemean Lion, saving many men in the process (Th 328-31). Heracles also showed support for humanity when he freed Prometheus from Zeus’ punishment (Th 528-31). At the time Zeus did not think much of humanity, so Heracles’ backing was important. Although it does seem as if Eurystheus was the reason for...
Words: 492 - Pages: 2
...adventures are one of the oldest and most celebrated works of literature. These adventures paint pictures of larger-than-life heroes, terrifying battle scenes, and heroic triumphs. Most epics served the purpose of transmitting culture and history, as well as entertaining readers. Among classical epics are the well-known Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, and The Odyssey. However, is the epic adventure a dying breed of literature? Is it possible that epic stories have sustained the test of time and evolved over the centuries? The Lord of the Rings trilogy, including The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King, is one of the greatest examples of a modern day epic. What do The Iliad, The Odyssey, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and The Lord of the Rings all have in common? They all share typical characteristics of epic adventures in some form or another. Though the motives and reasons may differ, the theme of journeying is common to all epic adventures. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, King Gilgamesh sets out on a perilous adventure with his closest friend Enkidu in order to find enduring fame and glory. In The Odyssey, the main character Odysseus embarks on a 10 year-long journey through trials and tests to find his way back home to his wife and son. Epic hero Achilles, of The Iliad, sets out to fight in the legendary Trojan War. Similarly, Frodo Baggins, unassuming hero of The Lord of the Rings, sets out from his home and place of comfort to destroy the evil artifact, The...
Words: 2317 - Pages: 10
...Adva Asraf English 391-0500- Pamplin January 14th, 2016 Essay #1 Epic heroism usually denotes to an individual of highest social class such as great kings or leaders. Epic heroes are outstanding fighters, sometimes carrying some divine powers. To show his heroic elements, the hero must confront some supernatural enemies, quests, war, or adversity. The Epic of Gilgamesh depicts most of these characteristics of epic heroism. The description about his birth to the journey and adventures in his life meets the characteristics of an epic hero. Although, at some points, Gilgamesh engages in acts of selfishness and arrogance, I believe he achieves the characteristics of an epic hero and portrays those characteristics throughout the epic. Gilgamesh is described as a son of a mortal man and a goddess, which makes him a one-third man and a two-thirds god. During his birth, Gilgamesh is marked out as a unique type of a person who has connections with both the mortal world and the divine world. The divine birth is very central and important to the various adventures and achievements to come into his life. “When the gods created Gilgamesh they gave him a perfect body…..Two-thirds they made him a god and one-third man (Mitchell, 13). Like most epic heroes, Gilgamesh embarks on heroic quests where he fights with the guardian Humbaba, which was a monster of the holy forest in order to achieve immortal status. Gilgamesh reveals his courageous nature by defying his advisers, including...
Words: 692 - Pages: 3
...What is the definition of a true hero to you? Each hero has a different meaning and role to play in order to accomplish a task. A hero doesn’t have to a be a buff person like many people think today. Famous or not, big or small, anybody in this world can be a hero. They just have to sacrifice themselves for what is right and say what they know is righteous. In the epic The Odyssey, I consider Odysseus a hero. An example of a situation Oddyseus was an actual hero was when he helped his men escape the Cyclops. According to The Odyssey, Oddyseus “tied then silently together, twinning cords of willow from the ogre’s bed; then slung a man under each middle one.” Oddyseus tied each of his men together under a sheep and tried his best to make sure...
Words: 1181 - Pages: 5
...Odyssey The Iliad and the Odyssey are two of the world masterpieces that have survived the times . Admired through the ages as the ultimate epics Homer 's Iliad and the Odyssey , was venerated by the ancient Greeks themselves as the cornerstone of their civilization (Nagy , Online . The two epics are the portrayal of early Greek civilization with the spotlight focused on heroism and the heroes ' struggles and triumph Early Greece likewise was depicted in the two epics as a people who believed in the power of the immortals which was clearly shown in how br the gods and goddesses ran the lives of the characters The Iliad and Odyssey are both colorful and dramatic . Not only was Homer able to use vivid s of the different war episodes but he was also successful in portraying supernatural beings that Odysseus met during his journey back home . These styles of Homer likewise characterized the people during the time that the epics were written A very diverse Greek culture was shown in the Iliad and the Odyssey Just like what was previously mentioned , people in ancient Greece revered their heroes . The people then consider men or women who were endowed with superhuman abilities which were believed to have come from the gods and the goddess as their heroes . These heroes likewise embodied the character of the Greek people as a whole . Homer used the different characters in the two epic to give a picture of how society and the people was during the earlier times Achilles was regarded...
Words: 1411 - Pages: 6
...Folktale Motifs of the Nausikaa Episode in The Odyssey In Book VI of The Odyssey, the tale of princess Nausikaa exhibits the folklore motifs of struggle, lust, persuasion, marriage, determinedness, and gender roles that are historically valued in Western culture. People perceive the episode of Nausikaa and the Phaiakians in different ways. Book VI is a wonderful representation of a "fairy-tale" encounter that simply allows those who are involved to experience hope and change. In the Nausikaa episode, innocence is almost lost, persuasion becomes a method for salvation, kindness is overabundant, and genuineness to the self is of great importance. Folktales have been used throughout history to pass along customs, beliefs, and ways of life. They have influenced society's structure and development, along with metaphorically reminding and teaching people about how things were in the past and should be in the future. In Book VI of The Odyssey, Odysseus is washed onto the shore of the island of the Phaiakians, is wakened by the princess Nausikaa and her maidens, and his encounters are filled with folktale motifs. These motifs are cliché elements that constitute the Nausikaa episode, are defined in nonfictional culture, and express the themes of persuasion, eroticism, forbidden beauty, social norms, and rebirth. John Arnott MacCulloch, a Scottish author whom wrote many works on mythology and folklore, describes folktales and relates their use in culture and The Odyssey's Book...
Words: 1624 - Pages: 7
...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
...recognized due to society’s fixed perspective of what can be called true Heroism. Therefore, it is the ignorance towards human nature present in Heroes and not faults in Heroes themselves that is largely responsible for the diminishing of such idealism. Society has come...
Words: 1531 - Pages: 7
...Heroes Death Patroclus is introduced to the Iliad as no more then a friend of Achilles but dies as one of the great Achaean heroes of the Trojan war. Like many Greek Heroes it is because he dies that he achieves his heroism in the eyes of the ancient Greeks. His death leads to him being immortalized within the pages of the Iliad along side the likes of Achilles, Hector and Ajax. Patroclus death comes in the 16th book of the Illiad and with his final moments being an exchange of words between him and his killer Hector of Troy (Iliad,16.870-897). The exchange between Hector and Patroclus is one where heroes mock each other explaining why the other one is the fool. Before death takes Patroclus from the world he is given a gift, he is able to see into the future and gaze at the death of Hector. This is a privilege not granted to many heroes even Hector the greatest of all the Trojans is not granted this when Achilles forces him to Hades. Patroclus achieved what all heroes want a glorious death. Death on the battlefield is what a great shoulder need in order to instill his name into history. Even Achilles the greatest of the Greeks was told that he would be forgotten if he did not fight and die in the Trojan war. Through his death Patrolclus was able to achieve his heroism, as he went into battle knowing that he could die, wearing Achilles armour and was even fool people into thinking that he was Achilles. In the end a great death is the only sure way to become a hero in ancient Greece...
Words: 1186 - Pages: 5
...0202 / مجلة ديالى العدد الرابع و االربعون The Bird as a Sacrificial Hero in Oscar Wilde’s “The Nightingale and the Rose” and “The Happy Prince” BY ASST. INST. Shaima’ Fadhil Hassan UNIVERSITY OF KOYA/ COLLEGE OF LANGUAGES/ DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH Heroism and sacrifice are not new concepts; they can be traced back to the early days of human life. These concepts developed throughout history as a result of the development of human thought. In literature, the idea of heroism appears on a large scale. It has been dealt with by different writers in different periods. As far as terminology is concerned, the terms of heroism and sacrifice are interchangeable. The hero must be a sacrificer and the one who sacrifices himself must be a hero, for this reason these two terms (hero and sacrificer) cannot be separated. Thus, both of them go hand in hand in so many works of literature. Heroism and sacrifice are not confined to human beings only. Some writers present their heroes as gods as in mythology, and some of them present animals as in fables. 809 0202 / مجلة ديالى العدد الرابع و االربعون The idea of having an animal as a sacrificial hero is shown in many of Oscar Wilde’s short stories. He developed this theme as a reaction towards his age which lacked, in his view, moral as well as human values. For this reason, he chooses a bird to be his tragic hero. He epitomizes this idea in such short stories like “The Nightingale and the Rose” and “The Happy Prince”....
Words: 4196 - Pages: 17
...parents, in the same community we all grow into unique individuals with directions of our own, independent from the aspirations of our parents and siblings. As I read the three pieces of literature The Glass Menagerie, Barn Burning, and Ulysses it got me thinking about some of the ways in which I feel about my own family situation. I know I could never leave them, but I do know so many people who have set off away from their families. I sometimes desperately envy those with that freedom. In all three works, there is a balance to be found towards responsibility and commitment to family, and freedom and choice to self. For the purpose of this essay I will compare the roles of Tom from The Glass Menagerie, Sarty in Barn Burning, and Ulysses in the poem Ulysses. Although they each served a different role in the family as a brother, father, and a son, they in the end all made a decision to leave their families in each literary piece. | In the play The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, the main character Tom Wingfield struggles with choosing between his own personal dreams versus accepting the reality of his Family’s situation. Tom and his family live in an alley apartment and survive mainly on Tom’s salary from a shoe factory. Tom often seems uninterested in self improvement tasks such as attending night school...
Words: 1451 - Pages: 6
...Under “Western Eyes”: The Personal Odyssey of Huang Fei-Hong in Once upon a Time in China by Tony Williams Rather than being read in exclusively postmodernist terms, Tsui Hark’s series Once upon a Time in China may be understood as a new version of a Hong Kong cinematic discourse involving historical “interflow.” It deals with dispersion, China’s relationship to the outside world, and strategic forms of reintegration designed to strengthen national identity. In Sammo Hung’s Wong Fei Hung Ji Saam (West Territory Mighty Lion/Once upon a Time in China and America, 1997), Master Huang Fei-hong (Jet Li Linjie) travels to the Wild West to visit an American branch of the Po Chi Lam Clinic set up by his student Sol. During the journey, he bangs his head against a rock in a turbulent stream and loses his memory. He is rescued by a friendly tribe of Indians. Moments before we see Huang again, an Indian emerges from a tepee proudly announcing the birth of a child. When Huang recovers, he stumbles around in the Indian camp wearing an Indian costume, and his loose unbraided hair is flowing like an Indian’s. After using his martial arts prowess to defeat a hostile Indian, who ironically mouths racist American platitudes against the outsider—”His clothing is different, his skin color is different, his speech is different”—Huang is adopted into the tribe and given the name “Yellow.” Before this, he attempts to remember events of the recent past. But his vague recollections...
Words: 11220 - Pages: 45
