Odysseus Essay, Research Paper

Odysseus

Odysseus is without a doubt an epic hero. He goes on a perilous journey even though not by his choice. He saves his comrades from great evils. He is considered to be a great military tactician and he is known around the world as a great man. All of those qualities and feats make Odysseus an epic hero!

An epic hero has to go on a long and dangerous journey. Odysseus has to do exactly that when he and his shipmates try to return to Ithaca after the Trojan War. They are thrown off-course and encounter many evil creatures on different islands that they land on. Their return is also slowed when Odysseus blinds Poseidon’s son causing the earth shaker to get mad at him. In the end, only Odysseus himself, manages to get back home alive after 10 years wondering on the wide sea.

An epic hero, and a hero in general has to save a life. Odysseus saves the lives of his shipmates a couple of times on their trip back home. One example is when his crew landed on Circe’s island. She turned his crew into swine, however, Odysseus still went to her house to try to do something about it. On the way there he got advice from Hermes on how to conquer the witch. He did exactly as he was told and was able to get Circe to turn back his men into humans. Another example of when Odysseus saved his men’s lives was in the Cyclops’ cave. Odysseus and his men went into a cave and where waiting to see who its owner was when the Cyclops came, closed the cave, and started eating Odysseus’ men. Odysseus was fast to think of getting the Cyclops drunk and then poking his eye out. With his daring plan a success, Odysseus was able to rescue his remaining men.

An epic hero has to be world renowned. It seems that everywhere Telemakhos goes, everyone knows who Odysseus was and what a great man he was. All Telemakhos has to do is mention his father’s name and people start telling of the many great memories they have of Odysseus during the Trojan War and what a great man he was. Everyone agrees that Odysseus was a great tactician and he is given the name of master mariner and soldier, and great tactician.

Odysseus is the ultimate epic hero. He is a great commander, tactician, and mariner. He saves the lives of his friends and shipmates during their long voyage home. He has to undergo an extremely long trip back to Ithaca after the Trojan War during which he undergoes many dangers and loses his entire crew. After all of that, Odysseus is an epic hero!