Odysseus: A Modern Day Hero

Words: 661

Pages: 3

Open Document

According to the article “What Really Is A Hero, Anyway”, Arhur Ashe stated, “Heroes are people who transform compassion into heroic actions”(Dilbeck 1). Heroes can be an ordinary person who help you throughout life and can lead you on the best path of life. They can also be a special person who is there for you at the time of need. Odysseus is king of Ithaca and a man of honor for the Ithaca people . Odysseus goes on a journey but on his journey he tries to get back home , but on his journey home, he cheated on his wife and didn’t care about any of his crew members that came with him. In result of the things Odysseus does, he is not a modern day hero.

On Odysseus’s journey home he didn’t care much of his men he was selfish or you can say he only cares for …show more content…
I can give you two reason of how Odysseus is not and never would be a modern day hero. When Odysseus went to The Cyclops He was very disrespectful and greedy stating the fact that he went into the Cyclops home uninvited and the first thing he says after he and his men ate The Cyclops cheese without his permission was that, “It was our luck to come here, here we stand beholden for your help, or any gifts you give to customs is to honor strangers” (Homer 661). What is really unordinary about Odysseus is that Circe Odysseus crush tells Odysseus that “He must perform to bring Tiresias up from the dead”,which means he went to a place where no modern day hero or anyone can go until after death , which was The Underworld (Homer 675). To meet Tiresias (a blind prophet), to know how to get home. Odysseus also communicated with the queen of the underworld Persephone and souls , like his mom and famous war fighting men while he was in the Hades. Which was once again impossible for an everyday hero to do

Odysseus: A Modern Day Hero

challenged with many obstacles. Now, the question is, is their leader a hero or an epic hero? The leader was Odysseus from the Odyssey by Homer and the ancient Greeks considered him a hero. According to Mike Dilbeck, “A hero is a person who transforms compassion into heroic action,takes on behalf of others.” Odysseus does not fit the definition of a hero because he is not compassionate to others. Odysseus is not a modern day hero because he sacrifices lots of his men for his own good and he also goes…

Words 427 - Pages 2

Odysseus As The Modern Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

Oftentimes, when the word “hero” is mentioned or thought of, the attributes of strength, bravery, and superhuman powers automatically come to mind. However, this concept of a hero is old. In modern days, the definition of a hero has changed from a superhuman figure, to a person who possesses the traits of selflessness and forgiveness. In Homer's well known epic, The Odyssey, he portrays the out of date idea of an epic hero as a figure who was helped or harmed by the gods and contains superhuman strength…

Words 589 - Pages 3

Essay on Odysseus

March 2013 When people think of a hero they think if Spiderman, Superman or Batman. A person can just be a hero by being brave, courages, and intelligent. And in the epic poem The Odyssey a man named odysseus shows that he can be a modern day hero. In the fifth book Odysseus gets captured by the goddes calypso, although he's being held captive, he was being treated more fairly, so he would be anticipated to stay on the island. "Son of laertres, versatile Odysseus, after these years with me, you…

Words 359 - Pages 2

How Is Odysseus A Hero

A hero is a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities. In greek times Odysseus was a hero, however, in modern times, Odysseus is not a hero. I say Odysseus was not a hero because his mission was to bring home all of his men home safe, but instead he got them all killed and made it home by himself. I say he was a hero because of his bravery, courage, and cunning abilities. I think Odysseus is not a hero in modern times because he got his whole crew…

Words 168 - Pages 1

Odysseus As An Epic Hero In Homer's The Odyssey

defines an epic hero. The main character of Homer's The Odyssey is a well-known example of this. Odysseus is a well-respected man and through his trials we see heroism shine through. Human characteristics depicted throughout the many trials Odysseus faced makes him an epic hero. Odysseus shows his cunningest the most throughout the book. The man of twists and turns tends to use his tricks and craftiness to get what he wants, however, that does not go as planned in the first trial. Odysseus becomes very…

Words 940 - Pages 4

Odyssey Comparative Essay

Honors English 1 March 10, 2014 The Making of a Hero “A hero, a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability,” (“Merriam-Webster”). There are two types of heroes, epic heroes and modern heroes. Odysseus and Mahatma Gandhi are both heroes who show courage, perseverance, and leadership, but differ in adventure. However, one thing is certain, modern heroes can be identical to epic heroes if they are larger than life, express the morals of their culture…

Words 516 - Pages 3

Odysseus Character Analysis Essay

Some traits that Odysseus displays are strength, courage, selflessness, and many more. In my analysis of this humble fellow, I will give two examples of Odysseus, a modern day hero that relates to Odysseus. In the Odyssey, Odysseus is the hero, he is the hero because he saves his crew many times along with defeating the suitors that dared to steal his wife from him. Odysseus’s actions in the Cyclopes and Thelotus eaters demonstrate that he his dedicated and brave which are traits he has in common…

Words 493 - Pages 2

cyclops teep paragraph revision Essays

indirectly characterizes Polyphemus and Odysseus in the scene of “The Cyclops,” he conveys Odysseus’s heroism in order to compare the ancient Greek values to modern day values. For example, since Polyphemus mistreated Odysseus and his men, Odysseus threatens him by stating “have a care for the god’s courtesy; Zeus will avenge the unoffending guest,” revealing that Odysseus has a close relationship with the gods (663). Meanwhile, Polyphemus realizes that Odysseus is a “ninny” and proclaims, “We Cylopes…

Words 418 - Pages 2

Modern Day Heroes Research Paper

the modern heroes of today. An epic hero is someone who embodies the values of his or her culture. In ancient Greek minds a hero is someone that has a very smart mind and can come up with nice plans. In modern day heroes are described as someone who helps people above all, and has made a huge contribution for the community. An epic hero has many attributes such as a lot of skill. They also have a lot of courage and bravery. Iron man is a very good example of an epic hero. He is an epic hero because…

Words 494 - Pages 2

Odysseus: The Hero Of Homer's Odyssey

People who are considered heroes are usually those who display attributes that a particular society values. Although Odysseus is considered the hero of the Odyssey, many with a more contemporary worldview question why he is the hero after examining his blatantly obvious flaws. One of Odysseus’s major flaws is his double standard for chasteness. While Odysseus travels back to his family in Ithaca, he has relations with many women; yet, he expects his wife to remain completely dedicated to him despite…

Words 293 - Pages 2