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How Is Odysseus A Leader

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In the Odyssey, the hero Odysseus portrays characteristics of both a hero and a leader, but what is the difference between them? The Odyssey is an epic by Homer, comprising several stories from his period. This epic takes place after the battle of Troy, with the epic hero Odysseus trying to return to his homeland. During Odyssey's journey home, he encounters many monsters and supernatural entities. In the end, Odysseus survives and returns home, telling this epic tale to King Alcinous. There are many differences between being a hero and a leader, however, there are also similarities between them. Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus appears to portray the characteristics of a hero as he focuses more on himself and his survival trying to operate alone. …show more content…

This quote is important because Odysseus only thought about himself and got several of his men killed. When Odysseus's crew approaches the sirens, he tells the crew, “None of the rest should hear that song,” Odysseus has himself tied to the mast, only letting him hear it. This quote supports the characteristics of wanting to act alone and focus on himself, this is true he believed that only he should hear the song while the others should not. Overall, Odysseus portrays many hero-like traits as his team went on many adventures while facing many adversaries. Later in the epic, Odysseus becomes a leader as he starts to think about others while trying to keep them calm and inspire them. Early in the Odyssey, the muse proclaimed, “He fought only to save his life, to bring his shipmates home.” This tells how he fought for both himself and his comrades during the battle. This evidence is important because it shows that Odysseus is also a leader. After all, he cared for and led his crew back home after the

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