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How Odysseus Is A Hero In The Odyssey By Homer

613 Words3 Pages

How Odysseus is a hero
By Connor Hummer

The Cyclops is lying down intoxicated as Odysseus takes the hot spear and stabs the eye of the Cyclops. Instantly, Odysseus sprints out of the cave as the Cyclops chases after him. It’s too late for the Cyclops though, as Odysseus and his crew are already at sea. The Odyssey is an epic poem written by Homer in the 7th or 8th century. In the book, Odysseus tries to get home with his crew after the Trojan War. This journey takes 10 years, so there are many points when Odysseus is, and is not a hero. In The Odyssey, Odysseus is a hero because he is courageous and he learns from his mistakes and builds off of them.

First of all, Odysseus is a hero in the epic poem The Odyssey because he is courageous and very brave. An example is when almost all of Odysseus’ crewmen are turned into pigs by Circe - “Eurylochus tells Odysseus what has happened and begs him to sail away from Circe’s island. Against this advice, however, Odysseus rushes to save his men from the enchantress” (Homer 387, lines 46-48). Odysseus, despite Eurylochus warning him to turn back home, rushes back to save his men from the wretched hands of Circe. …show more content…

Throughout the Odyssey, Odysseus often lets his pride blind him from making the right decisions - “I wished to see the caveman, what he had to offer” (Homer 376, lines 130-131). Showing how he wanted to see the Cyclops even when it was not necessary. In reality, the opposite is true, because with a great hero comes pride and bravery. An example is when Odysseus lies to the Cyclops - “My name is Nohbdy: Mother, father, and friends, everyone calls me Nohby” (Homer 380, Lines 274-275). This shows his bravery in lying about his name just to save himself and his men for a little while. This is not pride. This is bravery. All in all, Odysseus is a hero even when his pride gets in the way because he is very brave and

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