The True Hero Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

848 Words4 Pages
“Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not by the powers they are graced with.” -Brodi Ashton, Author. Odysseus is a character in the book The Odyssey by Homer. He is the king of Ithaca who is trying to make his way back home. Odysseus is a zero because he gets everything handed to him, he can't even begin to fathom thinking of anyone but himself, and he uses violence to solve his problems. Odysseus would've never made it back to Ithaca if it weren't for the immense amount of help from everyone around him. The amount of work he actually does is nothing compared to what everyone else does for him. He is like the most popular girl at school, no matter how rude or selfish he is everyone seems to flock to him and want to be his best friend.…show more content…
Well, it looks like Odysseus was just never paying attention because he obviously doesn't understand that saying. A true hero could find his way out of complex situations without killing or harming anyone involved. “That's the iron’s strength- so the eye of the cyclops sizzled around that steak!” (Homer 9:440-441) There were much better ways of getting out of that conflict but Odysseus’ unheroic qualities shined through and took over. Even worse, Odysseus gloated the cyclops afterward while sailing away (Homer 9:33-36). It's astonishing how he is considered to be a hero in anyone's eyes. He also uses violence when he returns home to Ithaca. “Odysseus scanned his house to see if any man still skulled alive, still hoped to avoid black death. But he found them one and all in blood and dust…” (Homer 22: 406-408). It's thoroughly understandable for Odysseus to be angry with the suitors for trying to take away everything he had, but he has to take into consideration that he was gone for 20 years. 20 years of Telemachus wondering about his dad. 20 years of Penelope undoing her tapestry. 20 years of his family being without him and stuck with tons of suitors. Also, being angry is not a valid excuse to murder every last one of them. His first response to nerve-racking situations is to be violent, and a true hero would never think in that

More about The True Hero Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

Open Document