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Odysseus: A Hero

Decent Essays

“I am Laerte’s son, Odysseus./Men hold me/formidable for guile in peace and war” (Homer 488). It is evident that the author of the famous epic poem intended to portray the voyager, Odysseus, as a valiant and compassionate person. However, one may believe that he is a foolish man who delayed his own journey home. In the epic The Odyssey by Homer, the main character, Odysseus, is a hero because he always tries to keep his thoughts on home, he keeps his crew focused on the next task, and he is intelligent to win the gods’ favor. Odysseus is a hero because he never loses sight of his homeland during his tedious travels. This is evident by the statement, “Captain, shake off this trance, and think of home-... that made me feel a pang, and I agreed” (Homer 517). This clearly indicates that Odysseus is a hero, because even though he has not seen his home for 10 years of war, he still harbors a deep longing for it. Under the influence of Circe, a powerful goddess, Odysseus …show more content…

First, Odysseus spends eight years with other women that are not his wife. This is shown when, “And after she had sworn, and bound herself/I entered Circe’s flawless bed of love” (Homer 513). This clearly shows Odysseus’ infidelity. Even if he intends to save his crew, he loses a year’s worth of time with Circe, further delaying his trip. Another occurrence illustrating his irresponsibility is shown when, “Driven by hunger, they ignore Odysseus’ warning not to feast on Helio’s cattle” (Homer 529). On Thrinacia, the island of Helios, there is a herd of cattle owned by the sun god himself, along with obvious consequence if these cows are eaten. Nevertheless, the men kill and eat the cattle, angering the god and causing Zeus himself to throw a thunderbolt at the ship. Odysseus could be portrayed as a fool because of his unfaithfulness to his wife, and his inability to halt his crew when they do

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