Odysseus As An Epic Hero In Homer's Harry Potter

778 Words4 Pages
The Odyssey by Homer tells the story of a king who travels home after a successful war against the Trojans. On the way, he encounters several dangers and obstacles. After twenty years, he finally reaches his home where chaos is abroad. Odysseus serves as the model for an epic hero. An epic hero is a brave and an admired character who is affected by numerous dangers. Though this idea comes from an ancient story, it is still relevant in modern popular culture. One example of a modern-day epic hero is Harry Potter. A hero created by J.K. Rowling for The Harry Potter series, Harry Potter clearly shares many characteristics with Odysseus. Odysseus is a the model for the modern-day epic hero and, Harry Potter, who, like Odysseus, travels to an unforeseen world, fights evil villains and monsters, and proves his worthiness to his final achievement.…show more content…
For instance, when Circe tells Odysseus where he needs to go in order to continue his journey, she tells him, “but home you may not go unless you take a strange way round and come to the cold homes of Death and Pale Persephone,” (10. 203-205). In this text, Circe is referring to the Underworld of Hades domain. As many know, the Underworld is a dangerous place, in which many cannot return due to the harsh circumstances - such as the three-headed dog Cerberus. However, Odysseus successfully seeks help from the prophet Tiresias, and safely returns. Similarly, when Harry receives a letter from Hogwarts, he departs from his Muggle world to enter the wizardry world. To travel to Hogwarts, Harry goes to a train station. Only those who know how to reach the station can get to Hogwarts. Since Harry was able to enter the platform with the help of his friend, he was able to adventure into a new world. In addition to traveling to another world, Odysseus and Harry also fight an extremely intimidating
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  • Odysseus As An Epic Hero In Homer's Harry Potter

    881 Words  | 4 Pages

    of Odysseus, the king of Ithaca, and his journey back home from the Trojan War. He faces multiple hardships throughout his decade long journey where his heroism shines. Odysseus serves as the model for an epic hero. An epic hero is “a larger-than-life figure, usually male, who embodies the ideals of a nation or race” (language of literature page 896). Even though this idea comes from ancient story, it is still relevant in modern popular culture. One example of a modern-day epic hero is Harry Potter

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