Odysseus as the Epic Hero in THE ODYSSEY

A detailed Summary of Odysseus as the Epic Hero in THE ODYSSEY


An epic hero is the central hero of an epic, a long, narrative poem about the deeds of gods or heroes. He possesses qualities superior to those of most men, yet remains recognizably human. These heroes have a tragic flaw. This is what makes them a hero instead of a god. Gods are perfect. Odysseus is the hero in The Odyssey, an epic attributed to Homer. His tragic flaw is hubris, occasional occurrences of excessive, overbearing pride. Odysseus is considered a hero because he is a skilled warrior, and a leader of outstanding wisdom, resourcefulness, courage, and endurance. Odysseus' actions during three events that take place in The Odyssey show his better traits. The encounters with the Lotus-Eaters, the Cyclops, and Scylla and Charybdis all demonstrate his heroism.

Odysseus' brilliance is shown upon his ships arrival on the coastline of the Lotus-Eaters. Instead of letting his entire crew off of the ship to explore this mysterious area, Odysseus only allowed two picked men and a runner to learn who lived on the land. After some time, none of the three cared to report, n


or to return to the boat. This was because they ate the Lotus plant, which was a drug that the Lotus-Eaters offered to the men. It caused them to lose all desire to reach home again. Singlehandedly, Odysseus forced all three men back, tied them down under the rowing benches, and ordered the crew to row away. In this incident, his strength and care for his men is shown.

Odysseus' encounter with the Cyclops demonstrated his resourcefulness and courage. After Odysseus and his twelve best men first talked to the Cyclops, two men were devoured by this beast just because he was hungry. This may have shaken up his remaining men, but Odysseus wouldn't let his crew turn and run. Instead, he devised a plan to get what they had wanted, the Cyclops' rams, which were fat with heavy fleeces. The plan included making the Cyclops drunk, blinding him by driving a pointed six foot pole through his lone eye, and hiding beneath the rams to avoid any confrontations with the Cyclopes. The encounter with the Cyclops was another test of Odysseus' heroism. Once again, he came out on top and

Some common words found in the essay are:
Scylla Charybdis, Singlehandedly Odysseus, , Lotus-Eaters Instead, Charybdis Odysseus', epic hero, scylla charybdis, tragic flaw, encounter cyclops, makes hero, closer scylla, resourcefulness courage,

Approximate Word count = 732
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

join now Save Paper

Related Essays

  • Odysseus as the Epic Hero ... The Odyssey is Odysseusamp39 story of his journey not only from Troy to Ithaka, but also from bloodthirsty warrior to epic hero. Odysseus ... 1133 words
  • The Odyssey: An Epic By Homer ... My hero is Odysseus. In The Odyssey by Homer, Odysseus proves to be a true epic hero through his intelligence, bravery, and loyalty. ... 514 words
  • Odysseus the Hero 2 ... clever. In The Odyssey, Homeramp39s character Odysseus was an epic hero because he possessed all four of the characteristics. One characteristic ... 784 words
  • Odyssey Homeramp39s The Odyssey is both a tale of a manamp39s journey home after long years at war and a tale of a manamp39s ... Odysseusamp39 role as an epic hero changed throughout ... 599 words
  • Oddyssey ... Finally, it can be derived by his numerous capabilities and actions, that Odysseus becomes a complete profound epic hero in ampquotThe Odysseyampquot. ... 1136 words

Professional Essays

  • The Epic Tradition In The Story of Samson ... it is entirely possible that several persons were involved in creating The Iliad and The Odyssey over a ... Odysseus. was also an epic hero of superhuman strength. ... 1542 words
  • Greek Heroes ampquotIn ... Yet, much of what Odysseus does shows his lack of ... An epic hero is supposed to be above pettiness, and is to ... The Odyssey serves as a sequel to The Iliad, and ... 2309 words
  • Greek Heroes: The Human versus the Humane In ... Yet, much of what Odysseus does shows his lack of ... An epic hero is supposed to be above pettiness, and is to ... The Odyssey serves as a sequel to The Iliad, and ... 2309 words
  • Odyssey ampamp Aeneid ... In the epic of Homer we see women as different ... For example, Odysseus brother Eumaios talks about how the ... They represent not only the hero and heroine as do ... 1359 words
  • The Epic of Gilgamesh ... The hero need not be perfect and often is not. ... Odysseus, or Ulysses, is another of the leaders who appears in this epic story, and he is the central ... 1548 words
  • Greek and Roman Views of a Hero ... Odysseus ampquotis a great fighter, a wily schemer, a ready ... we turn from, while the death of the hero, always tragic ... For one thing, the epic for the Roman was about ... 1861 words


Saved Paper

Save your papers so you can locate them quickly!

Newest Essays

Testimonials

  • "Thank You So Much!!! You have saved me once again!!!"
    Jack M.
  • "With so many papers to chose from, I was able to get ideas to help me with all of my classes. Thank You!"
    Brian P.
  • "I've used this site for the last 3 years to help me come up with ideas for my papers."
    Sara J.
  • "I use this site every week to help me write my own papers!"
    Rachel W.
  • "I love this site!!!"
    Marie N.
Home Join Now Support
Acceptable Use Policy About us FAQ
All papers are for research and reference purposes only!
© 2002-2009 DirectEssays.com. All Rights Reserved.