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The Tragic Hero Of Odysseus In Homer's Odyssey

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The concept of a hero has been interpreted in many ways throughout the ages an Odysseus is one literary hero that stands the test of time. There are many heroic traits that makes Odysseus in The Odyssey a hero even in today's world. The first trait that makes him a hero is Odysseus is hubristic which is one of his flaws. The next trait is he is stro
In the Odyssey Odysseus portrays many traits that make him a hero such as his flaws. In multiple books he shows how hubristic or pride he is especially in book nine at the cyclops island. When Odysseus and his crew first arrived on the island Odysseus picks out a dozen of his best fighters to scope out the island. They find one of the cyclops caves and de themselves at home and “built a fire, set …show more content…
Odysseus, using his cleverness he came up with a risky plan to try to escape. The plan worked and The Cyclops got a flaming olive stake to the eye and it blinded him. That cyclops wasn't just any cyclops, it was Polyphemus, Poseidon the God of the sea’s son. Before Odysseus got on the boat to the next island he yelled “If any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so-say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, Laertes’ who makes his home in Ithaca!” (Homer: 9:559-562) An Epic hero always has flaws and Odysseus’ is his pride. Another example of Odysseus’ hero-like qualities is when he gets over the hubris and it ends up coming to his benefit and he becomes the hero later. When Odysseus arrives at home he is walking the streets of Ithaca and comes upon Melanthius the goat herder. He started to make fun of Odysseus and Mendon and call them names. He even tried to kick Odysseus. But all throughout this verbal torture, Odysseus kept his cool. After Melanthius kicked him “Odysseus was torn... Should he wheel his staff and beat this scoundrel senseless?- or …show more content…
The first one is when Poseidon tries to get revenge on him because Odysseus blinded his cyclops son Polyphemus. With a little help from fellow Gods and Goddesses he makes it out alive. When Odysseus leaves Calypso’s island he goes on a raft and nears land but Poseidon sees him he is Infuriated so he makes a massive wave to try to kill him but despite all Poseiden make him go through he comes out alive. He was in the water fighting for his life for “two nights, and two days-quite lost again and again the man foresaw his death. Then... Glazed to a dead calm...looked up and saw it-landfall, just ahead.” (Homer: 5:

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