Odysseus: The Tragic Hero Of Homer's Odyssey

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We have seen many, many books about an epic adventurer whose heroism, bravery, and wittiness lead him to the ending we all knew they deserved. However, one of the first heroes that heroes nowadays go by in terms of story, is the egotistical, selfish, and cunning Odysseus. Odysseus, although selfish, was brave and ventured all around the world in search of his home after he fought and won the Trojan War. The Odyssey was one of the first hero’s journey plot lines ever made and recorded, and so we get to see how Homer’s rendition of this fantastic journey represents this egotistical king as rightfully epic hero.
It’s safe to say he went to hell and back, literally. Book 11 of the Odyssey states, “-and my neck was broken away from the spine and my spirit went down to the house of Hades.” Odysseus was commanded to go to Hades from the witch, Circe, after they hit shore on her island, and now Odysseus is in the land of Hades. Now, this isn’t just a lovely palace of the god of wealth and riches, this is also the land of the dead. This was a very petrifying place that no
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What’s truly amazing is Homer’s book and character has influenced so many other authors with their own stories and their heroes. For example, take J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter. Harry Potter is a kid who has been to extreme places like the Chamber of Secrets and the Forbidden Forest, encountered many powerful wizards such as Dumbledore and Voldemort, and has definitely won many, many battles with powerful wizards. Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series features Percy Jackson doing the same sorts of things. Anyone could go on and on about the stories The Odyssey has influenced, and all these great, epic heroes stemmed down from one of the first great, epic heroes,