Odysseus: An Epic Hero Or The Past's Scoundrel?

Odysseus: The Past’s Hero or Today’s Scoundrel? When one thinks of a hero, one thinks of a good hearted person. Someone who saves lives and is righteous. An epic hero like Odysseus is not the two dimensional character found in Grimm’s Fairy Tales. He exhibits both traits of a hero and a villain. While clever and determined, Odysseus is unfaithful and selfish. Although revered in the past, Odysseus is not so glorious today. Odysseus shows infidelity multiple times throughout the whole epic. First, he cheats on Penelope with the goddess/nymph Calypso. Hermes finds Odysseus “tormenting himself with tears and sighs and heartache” (Homer. 65) on Ogygia’s beach, so clearly Odysseus is miserable and misses Penelope. This still doesn't take away from the fact that Odysseus cheated on Penelope. Just because his heart truly belongs to Penelope doesn't make being unfaithful acceptable. A murder can’t say they cared about the person they killed and not be punished. Similarly, he cheats with Circe too. He stays on her island for a year before his crew members have to drag
He is favored by Athena the goddess of wisdom. When dealing with the cyclops Polyphemus, Odysseus manages to get the cyclops drunk, blinds him, uses the cyclops’ sheep to get out of the cave, and uses the clever name “Nobody” to disguise his identity(although in an irrational moment he reveals himself and is cursed by Poseidon). Inquires Journals claims “this act of sheer cunning depicts Odysseus as a shrewd character who actively outthinks his opponents in whatever challenge with which he is encumbered” (Tartell). Also, the choice of Scylla rather than Charybdis quickly reveals Odysseus's quick thinking skills. He manages to drag his crew away from the Lotus Eaters and goes to the Underworld to get advice from Tireaisa. Also, with the aid of Hermes, he resists Circe’s spell and convinces her to release his men. He gets him and his crew out of many peroulis