...Waiting for grade I believe Odysseus is not a hero in modern day standards because heroes in modern day standards wouldn't make decisions such as Odysseus does in the odyssey. Odysseus makes some bad mistakes and confrontations most heroes today would prevent and avoid. Most heroes today have made mistakes but Odysseus has made many. Is Odysseus a hero using modern day standards? No, but in some ways he can be. I strongly believe that Odysseus is not a hero in today's standards because he was not very worthy to his men and/or team this is demonstrated when he encounters the cyclops, Polyphemus for example. This is shown when Odysseus basically watches a couple of his men get eaten by this gargantuan beast and doesn't try to slay it. Afterwards he does stab it's eye with a giant log but he didn't do anything directly after the dreadful murdering.they get away and even after he has blinded the cyclops, he is taunting it on his way off of the island and puts his men in even more danger because Polyphemus is hurling boulders at the ship and nearly hits it multiple times....
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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,”...
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...The Odyssey, Odysseus is the perfect example of an impure person, who people may mistake for a hero. He has selfish desires, questionable decisions and a cocky attitude that takes him farther from his goal. Selfish motives lead Odysseus and his crew on difficult journeys, which will impact their destination time. Odysseus has several opportunities to get what he needs, take off sailing again and set his sights for home. Instead, he takes advantage of what lay in front of him, like when he stayed with Circe on her island after Odysseus’ crew was reestablished as humans once again. After Odysseus’...
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...During both of their adventures, Krakuer and Odysseus both face hardships. Some of them are similar, but they aren’t the same. They have both face guilt, upset about their peers, and they are both feelings selfish for similar but different reasons. Odysseus set out with 6 ship full of men to fight a war, his plan was to come home to his wife and son to his village. Similarly, Krakauer set out to summit the highest mountain in the world, Everest. Both Krakauer and Odysseus have faced situations, whether it’s controlling gods or weather difficulties. Along their way, they both had some of their peers who had died. Odysseus had lost his men, and Krakuaer had lost his men and his guide. Both men felt guilty that they had survived; but their peers had not. They wanted their people there with them to celebrate their victory, but they were not there. Both men were grieving, but in different ways. They both cried. But Odysseus had kept moving forward because he wanted nothing more than to see his wife Penelope. But, Krakauer, had used drugs to cope with it, and had...
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...Veterans Relating to Odysseus Have you ever realized the similarity of Odysseus to a veteran? Well the Odyssey in how Homer describes it, is just a soldier’s extensive journey returning home from a war that lasted continues ten plus years. Just like a veteran, Odysseus experience back home does not always go according to his plans, Odysseus finds himself stranded in a place that he once called home. Returning to somewhere which you lived all your life, after not witnessing it for ten years can seem like you have never seen it before. Veterans have similar mindsets, their small town, their home, and even their families sometimes become unfamiliar after so many years away from everything. The minds of the veterans returning home were similar to Odysseus; kill everything in my path, protect what’s mine, and solve every problem with violence, therefore Odysseus did not discard the violence and brutality experienced during the war...
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...ancient greeks held as social law. These codes are a social construct created by its followers. In the epic The Cyclops, Odysseus the protagonist tries to resist the temptation of the eight evil greek thoughts. In doing so, Odysseus’s ability to overcome the sins is tested. Odysseus is unable to resist kenodoxia (boasting) and hyperphagia (pride). In the act of boasting (kenodoxia), one has denied praise from others and decided to make themselves appear superior to other for their own selfish reasons. In the epic Odysseus praises himself “‘the men I would have chosen won the toss-four strong men, and I made five as captain”’ (The Cyclops. 328). In Odysseus's plan of action to get out of the cave great courage can be found but associating himself with his four strong men and then proclaiming himself as the fifth man as a leader is extremely narcissistic and boastful....
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...challenges that possess enough power to make or break their relationship. Odysseus must stay faithful to Penelope while also doing what is necessary to ensure his arrival home. Meanwhile, Penelope is stuck living with persistent, selfish suitors who exploit their power over her. She has no choice but to allow their abhorrent behavior. In order to prove their loyalty and love, the two must make arduous sacrifices causing excruciating pain. Therefore, Homer highlights the value of loyalty in this epic through the painful sacrifices characters undertake...
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...In two different books, The Odyssey and Into Thin Air, the main characters, krakauer and Odysseus share three kinds of guilt, guilt about withholding information from their companions, guilt of surviving instead of their companions, and finally about maintaining their selfish ambitions to reach their goals even when their companions were dying off. Example one, guilt over withholding information. In Into Thin Air they withhold information about how many people made it back to camp from Rob Hall to try to keep him going. In the Odyssey Odysseus withholds information from his crew to keep them from running away from Scylla and Charybdis. Next example, both Odysseus and Krakauer experience survivor guilt when they lose their companions. ” It can't...
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...Ashley Holmes The Odyssey of Homer The Odyssey of Homer is a poem of many themes that changes the outcome of Odysseus long journey back home. Many times within the story, the actions of Odysseus are done with much thought but he doesn’t realize what the outcome may be. Yes the suitors often stayed in Odysseus place but they seemed a bit welcomed and wanted. The death they all faced was very tragic and uncalled for on many occasions. In the Homer society of shame and honor, I think Odysseus brought the most shame upon himself. The suitors often believed that Penelope would take their hand in marriage in many scenarios. She would tell them to flourish her with many gifts and she would then pick the one who gave the best gifts. With those sly actions she did get the gifts she wanted but she also got them to stay longer. She entertained their actions and thought what she was doing was indeed right. She at times made them feel special and enjoyed how they were always in a competition to win her over. The suitors had more hope than Penelope, she believed her husband was dead and long gone, so she told them that and they become more expectant. “And yet you have no cause to blame the Achaian suitors, but it’s your own mother, and she is greatly resourceful. And now it is the 3rd year, and will be the fourth year presently, since she has been denying the desire of the Achains. For she hold out hope to all, and makes promises to each man, sending us messages, but her mind...
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...Mandela faced the racism that took grip of Africa causing his rise to power to be a long and enduring journey. Even old heros of ancient times faced hardships making them the legends they are remembered as. In The Odyssey by Homer, the brave hero Odysseus, was loved by the people of ancient Greece. He goes through many hardships after winning the war at Troy....
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...name be Odysseus… the Son of Pain, a name he’ll earn in full.” We could tell that throughout the whole book, the ultimate purpose of Odysseus’s adventure and suffering was to return home. He endured so much pain which lived up to his name and matured through all that he overcame. So that through suffering, he became the hero the ancient Greek admired and advocated, but he still remained a flawed being. The principle thing Odysseus learned was that God can control fate and he was destined to go home. In book 12, Odysseus’s crewman ate the cattle which disobeyed his orders of not eating the cattle while he went off to pray. They later died of eating the Sungod’s finest cattle since the crewmen at the same time disobeyed god. (Page 281-282) And what was interesting was that God put Odysseus to sleep while the crewmen ate the cattle. So God gave the people free will to decide what to do, but at the same time let it happen while Odysseus could have saved them. So I may say that the God made the crewmen die. The end of the book was the most amazing part to me. When Odysseus and the avengers for suitors were fighting, they only stopped fighting because the Gods would be angry. They were not actually in peace but pretended to be in order not to enrage Gods. I think Odysseus learned well that God can control fate. Just all the oracles and prophecies along Odysseus’s trip home, it became clear to Odysseus that it was his fate to return. On page 153 “Odysseus journeys...
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...Trojan War, Odysseus travels the sea in hopes of returning to Ithaca, his homeland, and his wife and son, Penelope and Telemachus. Homer’s The Odyssey reveals the struggles and obstacles Odysseus and his men face traveling home. As prophesized, twenty years later, Odysseus returns to a devastated Ithaca, alone, penniless and unrecognizable. Odysseus has hubris, a flaw that costs him, as well his men, excessive troubles. Odysseus does not learn from his and others’ past mistakes, again leading him into traps that could have easily been avoided. Odysseus constantly puts his men in harm’s way for selfish purposes. For these reasons, Odysseus is an incompetent leader, and therefore should be criticized. Odysseus has hubris. This excessive pride and arrogance leads Odysseus and his men into difficult situations that would not have otherwise arisen. Towards the beginning of Homer’s epic, Odysseus narrowly escapes from a Cyclops’ cave. In triumphant victory, Odysseus taunts the Cyclops, Polyphemus. His men advise him against further agitating Polyphemus after the Cyclops starts throwing massive boulders at their ship; however, Odysseus displays hubris and does not listen. ‘Godsake, Captain! Why bait the beast again? Let him alone!’ ‘Aye He’ll smash our timbers and our heads together!’ / I would not heed them in my glorying spirit, / but let my anger flare and yelled: / Cyclops, if ever mortal man inquire / how you were put to shame and blinded, tell him / Odysseus, raider...
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...Odysseus: Hero or Not In Homer’s epic The Odyssey, Odysseus is a true thinking man’s hero. He faces many obstacles in his journey home from the Trojan War, with a curse from the sea god, Poseidon. Odysseus battles monsters, makes tough decisions, and fights with his integrity to get home, but through what some call “bad luck” and the size of his pride Odysseus finds himself in a pretty difficult predicament. However, like any other heroic tale, in the end he’s able to go home to his wife and son. The question is did he come back as a heroic legend or a selfish punk? Believe it or not, Odysseus is the demanding hero in this poem. Through tough decisions, sacrifices, and his humble attitude…at times; Odysseus shows the reader he is still a human...
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...Calypso’s Loneliness In the section “Calypso the Sweet Nymph” from Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, and Suzanne Vega’s poem “Calypso”, the authors reveal that loneliness can lead oneself to feel sadness and selfishness. Homer’s section of “Calypso the Sweet Nymph”, tells about a man named Odysseus journeying home from the Trojan War, who is held captive by the beautiful nymph Calypso on her lavish island. Even though Odysseus is not an entirely unwilling captive and enjoys his nights with Calypso, he misses his wife and wants to go back to his home land. Calypso, hears this adversity and shocked that anyone wants to leave her alone again on this beautiful island. Calypso tries to stop him from leaving in fear of being alone, by questioning Odysseus...
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...revealed. Odysseus’ journey presented him with a variety of challenging tasks and trials. From Scylla to Polyphemus, Odysseus and his crew face tribulations that have changed them. Odysseus ultimately learns that his crew, although loyal, possess human traits, like greed and selfishness. He also learns that trust must go both ways. These lessons change him in preparation of his return home because he will learn from his mistakes, act on these lessons, and improve his leadership in the future. Primarily, Odysseus learns that his crew possess greedy and selfish characteristics. Once the crew...
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