Odysseus As An Epic Hero In Homer's Odyssey

Odysseus, the main character of The Odyssey,by Homer, certainly qualifies as an epic hero. He has help from numerous characters, defeats a handful of supernatural enemies, and is known by many individuals from across the land.

Odysseus, the main character of The Odyssey, certainly qualifies as an epic hero. He has help from numerous characters, defeats a handful of supernatural enemies, and is known by many individuals from across the land. These three qualifications are what set apart a normal character in a story from a true epic hero.

Throughout Odysseus's long journey to his home in Ithaca, many minor characters help him in any way they can. For example, Hermes knew that Odysseus would not be able to withstand the magical powers of Circe, and so Hermes gave him the Moly plant. This plant allowed Odysseus to drink the potion that Circe had given him without turning into a pig, which in turn gave Odysseus the chance to retrieve his crew and eventually leave the island. Later on in thestory, Odysseus receives a life saving tip from Athena. She tells him that there are
One of the most obviously supernatural characters was the Cyclops Polyphemus. His enormous size was difficult to imagine, and the extent of his strength far surpassed any man. Another character of equal if not more supernatural ability was Circe. She was an immortal witch, and she used her magic against Odysseus's men. After defeating both the Cyclops and Circe, Odysseus goes further into his journey, and has to pass the path of yet another supernatural being, Scylla. Scylla was a monster, and her body's shape and size were unlike any natural beings'. It's not rare for a character to encounter a supernatural being on their journey; however, being able to take on as many as three opponents and only losing a few men is the mark of an epic