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Homer's Odysseus: An Admirable Hero

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How do you classify an admirable hero? Is it by his morals: selflessness, loyalty, and courage? Is it by his actions: putting others first, helping everyone, and standing up for their beliefs? The Odyssey, written by Homer, is about a man, named Odysseus, going on his many adventures while trying to travel home. Some believe he is an admirable hero for outsmarting his enemies and overcoming his trails. Though Odysseus may posses many heroic qualities, he is not a hero. To begin, Odysseus is very selfish; he puts his wants, such as his curiosity, over his crew members needs and even lives. When odysseus sees the cyclops's cave his men tell him to steal the valuables and go. However he, “wished to see the cavemen and what he had to offer,” …show more content…
After Odysseus tricks the cyclops he antagonises him further by says, “Cyclops if ever a mortal man inquires who put to shame and blinded you tell him Odysseus” (805-806) THis caused the cyclops to know his name and curse him and his men.Odysseus also refuses to admit is mistakes. For example he blames Zeus for “making him sleep away this day of mischief”while his men were rebelling, however it was not Zeus's fault.
Some argue that Odysseus is admirable because he always outsmarts his opponents. WHen facing the cyclops Odysseus ties his men to sheep to escape and, “side with pain from his head wound the master stroked his ram and let it pass.” Although he does outsmart the cyclopes, it is his fault that they were there in the first place and caused his men to die. Odysseus ordered his men to stay, so when the cyclops came to the cave, “[he] dismembered [the crew men] and made his meal. Gaping and crunching like mountain lion,”. If odysseus left the island after finding the cyclops lived there his men wouldn’t have died, and the cypops would not have cursed them.
All in all, Odysseus is not an admirable hero. He is very selfish and prideful causing pain to his colleagues; and doesn't think of comuniquese be fore he acts. No matter his motels, or actions, he is not someone to look up

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