Odysseus - a Different Type of Hero

Odysseus tells Athena, whom he believes is a shepherd, a false account, of how he came to Ithaca, primarily since he needs to keep his identity a secret, familiarize himself with the situation on Ithaca and formulate a plan to execute the suitors. He perceives that he has arrived in a mist-shrouded and unknown land. And thus secondarily, he needs to present a feasible reason for being alone and stranded with copious amounts of treasure for safety reasons as well as to allay suspicion in relation to his identity. Athena affects how he tells his lie because he can see and listen to her. To manipulate her more effectively, Odysseus exploits these factors to produce a story specifically tailored to the information Athena provides.

Odysseus frequently displays hubris as a result of his tremendous courage and justifiable pride throughout books 9-12 of Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, although this flaw reveals that even heroes can have imperfections. For instance, concealing his identity is key to Odysseus defeating the Cyclops, however his arrogance leads him to reveal himself as a “raider of cities” (9.561), demonstrating his desire to be recognized for his destructive power. Furthermore, even though he only flatters himself, Odysseus successfully motivates his men in the face of yet another threat, by boasting that his “tactics saved [them] all” (12.230), as if his actions alone rescued the rest of his crewmates. Odysseus’ crew admires him for his fearlessness, and they

He defeats the Cyclops and faces the bewitching goddess, Circe. In both of these situations, Odysseus is forced to use his mental strength. He proves his determination as he urges his team to keep moving and stay alive while struggling to keep afloat in the rough seas. However,

Odysseus gets taken in by the king of the island of Phaeacia, but keeps his identity a secret while the king holds many different events in his honor. During one such event, a singer,

The 8 Greek evil thoughts were a moral code that the Greeks believed took humans away from their highest mentality and made humans imperfect. All humans were under restraint about these thoughts, but the Greek Gods and Goddesses were under no restraints. In the episode of, “The Cyclops”, in the epic, The Odyssey, the clever Greek leader, Odysseus, and his men become trapped by a vicious one-eyed monster, the Cyclops, who eats the men one by one. In order to escape, Odysseus devises and executes a plan by intoxicating the Cyclop and stabbing a red-hot staff into his eye to blind the monster, and escape with his men. The two out of eight evil thoughts Odysseus most demonstrates are Hyperephania, focused on narcissism or pride, and Kenodoxia, focused on boastfulness.

Athena assures Odysseus that her plans are successful and that Telémakhos will not meet the same fate. Odysseus shows no signs of hesitation at this point and Athena goes on with the transformation. In this instance, Odysseus overcomes his pride in an instance to gain an opportunity to finally be with his

This gives him the title as chosen one. His intention was to get home to Ithaca but he remarks with over prideful insults towards the gods. This low point results in punishment from the gods to face some of the worlds monsters. Through it all, he receives aid from those who think he can amount to more. He receives news of home from his grieving mother, and his prophecy from Tiresias. “For not to everyone will gods appear.” (pg.294) The only reason why Odysseus was able to survive through the quests was because Athena’s fondness for him. She covers him with a disguise when he finally returns home so that he may win his last battle. His restoration came with absence of pride and ego from all the horrors he has perceived. Although he had to fix his character, Odysseus is still known as a hero not only because of his cleverness but also how he fixed his

A Phaeacian crew assists Odysseus on his way home to Ithaca. When Poseidon sees the arrival of Odysseus in Ithaca he becomes outraged. Athena makes his home look different and meets him in a new disguise. She then instructs him to hide out in a shack until Telemacus returns home.

He is stricken with hunger and longs for nourishment, but he is able to triumph over this temptation by remaining mentally strong: “One day I withdrew to the interior / to pray the gods in solitude, for hope / that one might show me some way of salvation” (XII, 426 – 428). Instead of giving in to temptation, Odysseus heroically prays to the gods. In addition to physical and emotional challenges, Odysseus faces intellectual challenges, and is able to overcome these challenges with quick thinking. Odysseus must utilize his cunning wit when he devises a plan to surprise the suitors in an attack, and hide their weapons: “I / shall signal to you, nodding: at that point / round up all armor, lances, gear of war / left in our hall, and stow the lot away” (XVI, 335 – 338). This challenge tests Odysseus as a tactician, and he is able to succeed with intellectual valor. Odysseus encounters a mental challenge when he is on the Land of the Kyklopes. He quickly tells Polyphemos that his name is “Nohbdy”, and then once the Polyphemos is stabbed, the other Kyklopes think that “Nohbdy” hurt him. Then, Odysseus and his men are able to escape on the underside of sheep. Odysseus bravely risks the lives of his men and himself. Odysseus overcomes all these challenges, using his physical, emotional, and intellectual abilities. The courage he displays in each of these instances makes him more heroic.

Homer’s The Odyssey follows the Greek, prized fighter, Odysseus on his lengthy journey home to Ithika, from the battle fields of the Trojan War. On this journey he encounters ghouls, monsters, and challenges only the best can accomplish. Many people whom read The Odyssey consider the epic’s main character, Odysseus, a hero. However odysseus is a hubristic, unfaithful and dishonest man. A modern hero is defined as some one who is who is admired or “put on a pedestal” for courage, superior achievements, and/or noble qualities. But, unlike the modern hero, Odysseus makes unfaithful, hubristic and dishonest decisions on his venture home to Ithika.

Odysseus, King of Ithaca, and the main character in homer’s The Odyssey, was gone for twenty years before finally returning to his family and his homeland. He struggled through many hardships and lost many loyal companions. The King of Ithaca would not have made it home without the assistance of the Greek gods. Despite all of the help and advice that Odysseus receives from the gods, he is a very brave man because his courage and daring in the cave of the Cyclops, his inability to give up and abandon his men on Circe’s island, and his flawless following of the gods instructions are acts of bravery that is uncommon in most men.

The story Odysseus is about an greek hero who went away far away to Troyland to fight, It took him over 10 years to return home and a lot of the people believed that Odysseus was dead , they overran his palace , and they were courting his faithfulness through wakening his wife Penelope and going through his stock of food. With the permission from Zeus the goddess athena, Odysseus greatest enshrine appears disguising and urges Odysseus son Telemachus to seek news of his father at Pylos and Sparta, The suitors led by Antinous plan to ambush him upon return. As Telemachus tracks Odysseus trail through stories from his old friends, Athena arranges for the release of Odysseus from the island of the beautiful goddess Calypso. Calypso kept Odysseus

A Homeric epic hero is considered to be above a normal human being. The traits of a typical epic hero are strength, loyalty, courage, and intelligence. In fact, the Macmillan Dictionary for Students defines a hero as "one who is admired and looked up to for valor, achievements, and noble qualities" (483). Odysseus fulfills all of the requirements for an epic hero and more. He demonstrates his ability to be an articulate speaker, and his poise aids him on his journey. His endless curiosity has gotten him into dilemmas, while his superb displays of strength and cunningness have helped both him and his crew escape danger. His arrogance sets him back, but his loyalty is what drives him forward on his long and treacherous expedition. In the

During his journey Odysseus used what he has learned from is mistakes to return home and kill the suitors of his wife. On the island of Cicones,and with his encounter with Polyphemus, Odysseus learned that bragging can bring great misfortune. On Ithaca Odysseus never brags to the suitors and is able to enter his house with the Antinous and the other suitors knowing his real identity. He takes the punishment of Antinous and the other suitors without saying a word and is able to see those who have invaded his house. Odysseus is able to see who is loyal and who is not and take his revenge with the suitors never knowing who

After assisting Telemachus, Athena ventures to the Island where Calypso lives to free Odysseus. Odysseus is then given a boat by Calypso to return to home. On the way home, he lands on a strange place which is unknown to him. Athena, cognizant of Odysseus' arrival, travels to the palace of Alcinous disguised as one of Nausicaa's friends. Athena enters the palace and gives Nausicaa advice to venture to river so she would clean herself up to make her presentable to men. In doing this, Athena has sent Nausicaa to meet up with Odysseus at the river. It was then Odysseus' turn to be disguised.