Odysseus Epic Hero Traits

Odysseus was a leader who faced many challenges throughout his long journey and overcame them with the heroic attributes of intelligence, bravery and cleverness. When he completed his service fighting in the war, he could not have guessed the trials that would come his way. However, throughout the story, we have much evidence to show the strength and determination he showed, especially when facing the one-eyed cyclops, Polyphemus.

His bravery led him to complete a lot of things most people would probably think it impossible or be scared of and give up, but not Odysseus. He continued to try to find a solution and tried everything to keep himself and his men alive for as long as possible, even if it was too scary. that's what makes him such a strong person. Throughout book 12 of the Odyssey, He faces many dangers from mythical creatures to navigating through some dangerous waters and getting back home. One of the problems he had to face was Scylla, the six-head monster who would come out of her rock without anyone knowing and scoop up 6 men.

Odysseus shows his bravery during the odyssey by going to battle against many different adversaries. For example, Odysseus not only asked, but demanded the restoration of his crew from Circe. Even though Odysseus ate “moly”, which protected him from Circe’s drug, he still demonstrated bravery by standing up to Circe. Another example of Odysseus’s bravery was when he went up against the Cyclops. Odysseus had never seen anything like the Cyclops before, yet he still was brave enough to go up against them. Odysseus also demonstrated strength throughout the odyssey. Odysseus was not only physically strong, but he was also mentally strong.

His men wanted to leave but Odysseus wanted to appeal to the laws of hospitality. When the cyclops returns to his cave with his flock of sheep he captures Odysseus and his men, and blocks the entrance of the cave with a boulder”but he,behind,reset the stone as one would cap a quiver”(Book 9, line 218-219). They get trapped, and Polyphemus eats two of his men anytime he was hungry. Odysseus shows his intelligence and comes up with a plan to get out. He gives Polyphemus some strong wine and Polyphemus becomes extremely drunk.

In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus demonstrates traits of a hero through his intelligence and loyalty. In book nine, Odysseus realizes that if he kills Polyphemus now, the passage leading out of the cave will still be blocked by a slab of solid rock leading to his crew’s deaths as well. After a few days of being trapped in the cave, Odysseus comes up will an intelligent plan. He holds a feast and introduces himself as Nohbdy which works in favor for Odysseus. Odysseus gets Polyphemus drunk which allows him to drive a spike into Polyphemus’ eye, deep enough to blind the Cyclops. The Cyclops yells in pain and howls loud enough to the Cyclopes nearby to hear and rush to Polyphemus’ side. They ask Polyphemus what had happened to him to which Polyphemus

Many times Odysseus outsmarts his enemy or thinks his way through a predicament rather than resorting to the use of brute force. For it was not by overpowering the cyclops, Polyphemus, that they would make it out of the cave. He devised a plan in the night to blind the cyclops in the night and tie himself and the crew to Polyphemus’ herd of sheep. Finally, after blinding the cyclops in the night then waiting till morning, the cyclops carefully let out his herd to graze. At this the men had escaped! This plot was not long planned either. Odysseus only had one day prior to plan their escape or else they would all be eaten. Even though it’s not always shown, Odysseus was an extremely witty and knowledgeable

Odysseus decides to yell back his actual name, making sure his victim knows who has outsmarted him, “If ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye; Laertes’ son, whose home’s on Ithaca!,” (The Cyclops.502-505). The detriment of his life is now allowing Polyphemus to ask his father to punish Odysseus for what he has done, and if his pride did not get to the best of him and had he been satisfied with just knowing that he outwitted his opponent, he would have been able to sail home without trouble, but he had to taunt Polyphemus. After Odysseus and his men go to the Cyclop’s cave and find that the creature is not there, Odysseus’ men want to take some food and leave. However, Odysseus does not want to take his men’s

Throughout book nine of The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus’ encounter with Polyphemus is described, as well as the events leading up to the encounter. After taxing run-ins with the Circones and the lotus-eaters, Odysseus arrives at the island of the cyclopses, a rough and uncivilized land. Odysseus’ own greed leads him to put his men into a dangerous situation, and though he uses his metis to save himself and his crew, it is clear that his hubris is still quite intact and may lead to his downfall.

One characteristic that exemplifies Odysseus to be an epic hero is gaining knowledge. During Odysseus’s voyage heading to Ithaca, Odysseus sails to the island of the Cyclops. While there he encounters Polyphemus, a one-eyed giant, who traps Odysseus and his men in his deserted cave. After already devouring six of Odysseus’s men, Odysseus’ organizes a proposition to escape Polyphemus. According to Book 9 of The Odyssey, “The pike of olive, green through it had been, reddened and glowed as if about to catch.

The Odyssey is a great example of heroes and the traits they possess. One such hero in the book is named Odysseus. A man who has been away from his home in Ithaca for 20 years. Throughout his adventures, he has been through many dangerous obstacles in the way of him and his crew, which have even taken the lives of many of his men as well. The traits that make Odysseus a hero are courage, intelligence, and confidence.

The Characteristics of a Hero: The Odyssey, an epic poem of immense proportions retold and passed down from hundreds of years. In the Odyssey, some important themes and lessons can be learned from the epic journey of Odysseus. The Odyssey shows numerous examples of strengths like leadership and creativity impacting a journey; however, there are also weaknesses like arrogance impacting it as well. Odysseus is a man who has exemplified many characteristics of brilliance; however, even a man like him can fall into the deep dark pit that is arrogance. After Odysseus and his crew’s daring escape from the Cyclops, they begin to sail away to safety.

When Odysseus and his crew arrive at the island of the cyclops, their expectations of a warm welcome are crushed as they encounter an enraged Polyphemus who quickly devours six of

After Odysseus left Polyphemus’s cave, he shouted at Polyphemus “If ever mortal man inquire how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye” (669). Even if Odysseus was too prideful and provoked Polyphemus when they almost have escaped safely, Odysseus was a great warrior and he felt that blinding Polyphemus and being able to outsmart him was a great achievement and that it should be spread throughout the land, even if giving his name caused great danger to his men and himself. Odysseus is still a human and his mistakes can only be regarded as one trait of being

While he is trapped in the cave with the cyclops, he has to come up with a plan so he and his crew could escape. He tells his company,"/A man under each middle one to ride there safely, shielded left and right"(Homer 9.340). This takes an immense amount of bravery from Odysseus to tell his shipmates because he promised that they will all get out of the cave alive. Taking his huge risk might of have concluded in the death of his crew, but he and companions later on made it out harmless. When someone is audacious they are putting themselves at harm so they could protect others. When Odysseus and his crew are leaving the island, the cyclops is angered and yells. Odysseus loudly says,"/tell him Odysseus, raider of cities, took your eye: Laertes's son whose home's on Ithaca"(9.418-419). Odysseus was extremely daring to say this because he now has given Polyphemus his true identity. Odysseus wants to tell the monster who stabbed him in the eye and that anyone who messes with his crew are going to be put into a bad shape. Odysseus displays the characteristics of an epic hero because he protects his crew while putting himself in harms making him very

The protagonist of the epic poem The Odyssey by Homer is Odysseus, who is a man of many qualities. Odysseus's skills and intellect are honed through the hardships he experienced on his very long journey away from home. Through his adventures, Odysseus gained for himself the reputation of a hero who survived shipwrecks, battled monsters, faced the wrath of the mighty gods, and met many people of various foreign lands. On top of other classic epic hero traits, Odysseus proves to be the very definition of a Homeric hero through his portrayal as a character who is faithful, loyal, and mentally capable.