Epic Heroes The Characteristics Of Odysseus - 1105 Words

Excitement shot through Odysseus’s body when he finally reached the shores of Ithaca. He can’t stop thinking about his wife and kid, knowing that they have been mourning his return. Odysseus’s relatives will be very proud of him because he a hero. An epic hero is an ancient mythological character that endeavors quests, and gets admired by his people from the great achievements. Commonly, epic heroes would share similar characteristics which define them as one. Characteristics of epic heroes can be compared between different famous epics. Odysseus fits the criteria of an epic hero because he embodies the cultural values of perseverance, courage, and being loyal to his family and crew. Initially, Odysseus undergoes tasks, but perseveres†¦show more content†¦Subsequently, Odysseus uses his courage because he undergoes many dangerous obstacles that could easily kill him and his crew. One of the islands Odysseus explores contains a cyclops who lives in a cave. Odysseus unknowingly travels into the cave of the cyclops. Everyone started panicking, but Odysseus knows that being calm will reduce the risk of getting eaten by the cyclops. Later in his adventure, Odysseus recalls the cyclops conflict so that his crew would feel like, â€Å"This is no greater evil now than it was when the cyclops had us cooped in his hollow cave by force and violence, but even there, by my courage and counsel and my intelligence, we escaped away† (XII, 208-213). The crew are in another dangerous situation and are nervous, but odysseus explains to them that the amount of courage used to escape the cave will allow them to complete the new challenge. By escaping the cyclops cave and telling the crew about how much they can accomplish, Odysseus becomes an even greater epic hero. Next, the Sirens are dangerous creatures that lure incoming sailors onto their shores, ultimately crashing their ships. The Sirens lure sailors buy singing and making voices. Odysseus being Odysseus, wants to hear the song, but without getting lured in. On the boat, the crew, â€Å"...tied me hand and foot onto the ship, so i stood upright hard against the mast. They lashed the rope ends to the mast as well, then sat and struck the gray sea with their oars† (XII,Show MoreRelatedEpic Passages of The Epic of Gilgamesh and Homers Odyssey921 Words   |  4 Pageshero? In the two epic passages The Epic of Gilgamesh and Homers Odyssey, heroism appears to be a clear distinction with the literature, and has the same basic framework as today’s definition of a hero. Historically, in the texts, heroes such as Gilgamesh and Odysseus are protagonists viewed and credited with great bravery and most certainly heroism. Nearly all of the heroic figures throughout time, both fictitious and living and are viewed as a protagonist in their own epic challenge or struggleRead MoreHero Comparison Essay: Odysseus vs Gandhi1619 Words   |  7 Pages(Merriam-Webster). 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