Odysseus The Hero Of The Odyssey - 1912 Words

Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus experiences many ups and downs throughout his journey home. He is throw into peril and there often seems to be no hope for his return home. While he remains victorious in the end, returning to his wife, son, and father, the poem itself is filled with many darker moments filled with doubt and sadness. Odysseus is the hero of the Odyssey, and in order to exist as a hero he must be relatable. His story cannot be one entirely of triumph, it must include a more human perspective. Triumph cannot come without strife, and heroism cannot come without tribulation. Athena and Odysseus’ experiences as divine and human, respectively, and define whether or not they are heroes. By comparing Odysseus to Athena, it is apparent that what makes Odysseus a hero before anything else is his humanity. In Athena’s first appearance she is badgering Zeus about when Odysseus will be allowed to return home, â€Å"My heart breaks for Odysseus, / that seasoned veter an cursed by fate so long- / far from his loved ones still, he suffers torments / off on a wave-washed island rising at the center of the seas,† (1 57-60). After years of torments, she is still begging Zeus to have pity on Odysseus and to bring him home. She has not lost vigor or strength. Her demeanor is not one of desperation, rather it is persistent. She has not lost faith in Zeus or the fates in her ten years of advocacy for this man. She is an immortal, and time does not mean to her what it means to Odysseus.Show MoreRelatedOdysseus As A Hero In Homers The Odyssey1223 Words   |  5 Pages In the epic poem â€Å"The Odyssey† Odyssey, Homer gives Odysseus characteristics of a hero, but breaks the idea of this stereotype by giving Odysseus relatable characteristics making him more relatable. 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In The Odyssey we are introduced to our main character, Odysseus, the former king of Ithaca and a Trojan war hero who has been trapped on an Island by theRead MoreOdysseus, An Unconventional Hero Depicted in The Odyssey Essay1935 Words   |  8 PagesAn Unconventional Hero According to Greek mythology, a hero is one who values glory above life itself and honorably dies in the battle during his prime period of his life. After the gods and demi-god of Greece, heroes probably are the most admirable figures in society. However, Odysseus seems to defy the conventional definition of a hero. He is overwhelmed with tremendous obstacles and difficulty, often beyond that a normal man could endure but he determines to stay aliveRead MoreOdysseus was the Hero in the Epic, The Odyssey, by Homer827 Words   |  4 Pages Odysseus is the hero in the Epic â€Å"The Odyssey† by Homer. 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In Latin, he was known as Ulysses or Ulixes in Roman mythology hence there may originally have been two separate figures, one called something like Odysseus, the other something like Ulixes, who were combined into one complex personality.[1] Son of Laertes and Anticleia, Odysseus was renowned for being cunning and clever