Odyssey Hero Essay Example

Capes, flying off of buildings and “KAPOW!”…the vision of a modern day superhero. The definition of a hero is very broad and can mean very different things to different people, different cultures and during different time periods.  Common threads when referring to a hero are bravery, courage and strength (physical and/or emotional).  A hero, to me, is someone who has significantly impacted another person in a positive way, big or small. While some people may not agree that the character Odysseus is a hero in the epic poem titled “The Odyssey” by Homer, there are many instances where he proves his ability to be brave and quick-witted. 

Odysseus demonstrated great bravery when he reclaimed his home and family  upon returning home. He was away from his wife, Penelope, and his son, Telemachus, for nearly 20 years. Ten of those years were fighting and ultimately winning the Trojan war single-handedly after his troops abandoned him mid-war. The remaining years were spent being held hostage by Calypso, who wanted him as her husband.  Odysseus maintained the will to live during all of this time and eventually returned to his home island of Ithaca. Upon return, Odysseus went into war mode in order to remove all of the “suitors” who were vying to be Penelope’s husband. An intense example of bravery occurred when,  “Antinous, ringleader of the suitors, is just lifting a drinking cup when Odysseus puts an arrow through his throat.” (Book 22).  Odysseus knew that he needed to kill the leader first and send all of his followers into a frenzy. His bravery was demonstrated when he likely knew that he had one opportunity to pull this off and kill Antinous. Otherwise, a complete rebellion would have occurred. In today’s world, doctors are often referred to as heroes.  An ER doctor might be in a similar situation with a trauma patient. The doctor must make time-sensitive decisions and precise movements in order to save this patient.  Odysseus and the ER doctor are demonstrating similar forms of bravery that depend on quick decisions and actions to meet each of their goals. 

In book 9, the journey home continues when Odysseus demonstrates a quick-witted plan to save himself and the lives of his remaining crew.  Their ship lands on the land of the cannibalistic Cyclops. Odysseus and his crew enter a cave full of sheep, milk and cheese and ultimately become held hostage by Cyclops Polyphemus. Polyphemus devoured two of Odysseus’ men with plans to likely eat them all.  Being backed into a corner with limited options, Odysseus came up with this ingenious plan, “But when the wine had knocked him out, I put my plan into effect. Heating the end of the pole until it was glowing red, we ran it toward the Cyclops like a battering ram, aiming it for his eye and driving it deep. The thing sizzled like hot metal dropped in water while I twisted it like an auger” (Book 9).  Odysseus saved his own life and that of his crew and made a swift escape. Our biggest modern day heroes are the men that were on the planes during the 911 attacks.  These men suddenly knew that their and the entire plane’s passengers' lives were at risk. Plans were immediately made to attempt to overtake the terrorists. Unfortunately, their plans were not successful. In both of these cases, plans were devised with the goals of saving a group of lives. 

Some may say that Odysseus’ adulterous behaviors void him of a hero title; however, his behaviors were strategic to protect himself and his crews.  Odysseus was married to Penelope throughout the poem and had the goal of returning to her, whatever it took.  While attempting to return home, Odysseus met a witch named Circe and was unfaithful with her.  His unfaithfulness was all a part of his plan to get Circe to reverse her spell on his men. She had turned many of his crew into pigs. His cleverness to play her game was evident, “You can only be Odysseus. Hermes warned me that this day would come. Let me be your friend and lover. First I made her swear an oath” (Book 10). By agreeing Circe’s requests, he was able to get the spell lifted and his men were returned to humans. Despite making decisions that sound unethical, when given the full details, Odysseus' goals are always for the betterment of his crew. 

Odysseus proves time and time again to be a hero through bravery and his ability to quickly come up with plans to get himself and his crew out of trouble. He ultimately was able to obtain his two goals: win the Trojan War and return home to his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus.  Although some of his decisions were questionable to some, when given all of the details, his decisions were all in the best interest of himself and his crew.