Odysseus: A Hero In Homer's Odyssey

What makes a hero? A hero is usually considered as someone who has great courage, does bold deeds, and is thought of as a model being. In the Odyssey, composed by Homer, Odysseus goes on a twenty year journey home from the Trojan War to Ithaca. Throughout this journey, Odysseus faces fearsome monsters, rough seas, and many other troubles and triumphs. Odysseus is a hero because he courageous, looks out for others, and is loyal to his quest. Odysseus is courageous because he protects his men and never backs down from a fight. When Odysseus and his men get captured by the Sirens, he wants to protect his men from the sirens enchanting voices. To do this he, “...carried wax along the line, and laid it thick on their ears”, effectively plugging
This caused the men not to be overpowered by the Sirens. Odysseus gave up his own safety to save his men's lives, showing a courageous act. Another example is, when odysseus and his men were trapped by the Cyclops, he devised a plan to free himself and the men. Odysseus put the plan into action because he, “... leaned on it [the spear] turning it as a shipwright turns a drill in planking,” blinding the Cyclops(316-318). Odysseus came up with this because he did not want to kill him, or his men would never escape. Therefore, his plan was to blind the cyclops by stabbing him in the eye. This effected the rest of the journey because again, he saved his men from death. Finally, he is courageous when he goes to kill the suitors for his wife. After he reveals himself to the suitors, Odysseus starts shooting arrows to kill them. Then he says to Telemachus, “when they are all gone if I’m alone, they can
On the island of Helios all of Odysseus’ men were killed. After, Odysseus set sail alone on the open sea. Then a terrible storm hit and the waves become treacherous. When his boat gets wrecked, he stays afloat by, “...lashing mast and keel together ,” riding the frightful storm(797-798). He works so hard by trying the parts of the boat together just to keep afloat. If he hadn't done this he would have died in the ocean and would have never made it home to his family. This is representing his will to survive and his loyalty to his journey. After all his hardships and sacrifices, he finally made it back to his home of Ithaca. When he sees his wife Penelope for the first time in twenty years, “...he wept at last..” knowing that his wife was “clear and faithful in his arms”(1408-1409). THis let him know that the hardships that he faced were worth it. He finally made it home to his family and his